Radziejowa

Radziejowa is the highest summit of the Sącz Beskids (Beskid Sądecki), 1,266 m high, and one of the mountains of the Crown of Polish Mountains. It lies on the main ridge of the Radziejowa range between Wielki Rogacz, separated by Żłobki Pass, and Złomisty Wierch Południowy beyond Długa Pass; before Długa Pass there is also the minor top of Mała Radziejowa (1,207 m). At the summit the main ridge turns south, a side ridge runs north-east to Jaworzyna Wielka, and a short ridge of Magorzyca branches north. The boundary between Jaworki (Nowy Targ County) and Roztoka Ryterska (Nowy Sącz County) follows the main ridge. The name probably comes from a person with the surname or nickname Radziej.

The mountain is built of Magura-series sandstones and shales; broad zones of colluvium — clay and rock debris — cover its western, southern and north-eastern slopes. Both the summit and the slopes are almost entirely forested. The Czarna Woda, Mokry Potok, Mała Roztoka, Potok pod Dudłą and Potok Bański streams rise here.

How to get there / routes

The red Main Beskid Trail (GSB) crosses the summit, here sharing its route with the International Mountain Friendship Trail Eisenach–Budapest and the E3 European path. According to Polish Wikipedia:

• from Przehyba — about 1 h 30 min (1 h 15 min back);
• from Wielki Rogacz — about 35 min;
• from Rytro via Wielki Rogacz — about 4 h 10 min (3 h 20 min down).

The red trail can also be followed along the ridge from Krościenko nad Dunajcem via Złomisty Wierch or from Jaworki via Wielki Rogacz; a blue trail via Złomisty Wierch comes from Szczawnica and from Rytro.

What you can see from the summit

The forest blocks the view, so an observation tower stands on the top. The first wooden tower, about 20 m high, opened in 2006; in 2010 it was badly damaged, probably by lightning, and on 15 November 2017 it was closed because the structure had rotted. A new, safer tower was built in 2019 and opened to visitors in 2020. It offers views in every direction: in good conditions the Orava Beskids, the Pieniny, Spišská Magura, the High and Low Tatras, the Stolické, Volovské and Levočské hills, Čergov and the Ľubovňa Highlands.

Nature and history

On the northern slope lies the Baniska forest reserve with the Bania cave and the small landslide pond Młaka; nearby is a spot called Ołtarz with a small rock outcrop. A great rarity is the only Polish site of the bird's-eye primrose, on a small clearing at 800 m; it was discovered in 1959 and confirmed many times since. On the southern slope near a junction of paths there is a strong seasonal spring known locally as Smocze Gardło (Dragon's Throat). The summit lies in the Poprad Landscape Park.

A wooden triangulation tower once stood on the summit. During the occupation the Germans installed surveying equipment on it, and its crew of a few soldiers lived in a forester's lodge on the Młaki clearing; in autumn 1943 they were driven off and the equipment destroyed by partisans of the Szczawnica Home Army post under Lieutenant Krystyn Więckowski "Zawisza". Besides the tower, the summit holds a monument to Poland's millennium and a concrete obelisk.

Safety, season and rules

Radziejowa is accessible all year, but the ridge is long and wooded: deep snow lies here in winter, and in fog it is easy to take the wrong turn at junctions. Stay on marked paths in the Baniska reserve. The observation tower is exposed — do not climb it during a thunderstorm. In an emergency call GOPR mountain rescue on 985 or +48 601 100 300, or 112.

Interesting facts

• Polish Wikipedia gives the precise height as 1,266.5 m; older maps showed 1,262 m.
• Together with the new tower, the "Rogasiowy Szlak" nature trail was laid out in the Roztoka Mała valley.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY 2.5; The Last V8 at Polish Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Photos / Zdjęcia: Jerzy Opioła Captions / Napisy: ŁukaszWu, CC BY 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.