Shepherd's Hut in the Kościeliska Valley

Józef Słodyczka's bacówka (shepherd's hut) on the Wyżnia Kira Miętusia glade is probably the most easily reached shepherds' hut in the Polish Tatras. It stands right at the entrance to the Kościeliska Valley (Dolina Kościeliska), just beyond the valley's first narrowing, known as Brama Kantaka. The glade lies at about 935–950 m, surrounded by spruce forest and the slopes of Mały Regiel, with the main valley road running through the middle.

In the 19th century flocks from the neighbouring Miętusia pasture were gathered together here, and until 1960 a whole row of pastoral buildings stood on the glade; hay was taken down to the village by sledge in winter. Once the area became part of the Tatra National Park, grazing and mowing stopped, the glade began to overgrow and the buildings decayed. Cultural grazing was reintroduced in the 1980s, and today the glade again has well-kept huts and benches for walkers, and in summer oscypek, żentyca and bundz are made and sold here.

What to see and taste

The hut is run by baca Józef "Maśniak" Słodyczka together with his wife Anna. According to the Małopolska regional tourism portal, this is one of the most visited spots in the Tatras after Morskie Oko: thousands of people pass the hut in summer. The baca is known for his sense of humour and patiently explains to visitors how a shepherds' hut works. He previously ran huts in Raba Wyżna and near Kraków, and once turned up with his flock at the Polaniarski Osod festival in Kościelisko.

• oscypek — spindle-shaped smoked sheep's cheese with EU protected status;
• redykołka — a small smoked cheese, often shaped like an animal;
• bundz (fresh sheep's cheese) and żentyca, the whey of sheep's milk;
• the flock on the glade and the sheepdogs — do not approach or stroke them.

Under its protected-name rules, a genuine oscypek weighs 0.6–0.8 kg and is 17–23 cm long; one cheese takes about 7 litres of milk and is smoked for 3–7 days. It is made only during the sheep-milking season.

Practical information

The entrance to the Kościeliska Valley is at Kiry (Kościelisko municipality), reached by road from Zakopane. There are car parks, a Tatra National Park ticket booth and a TPN nature education centre. A park ticket is required (standard 11 zł in 2026). From the entrance it is just a few minutes along a wide, level road to the glade, so it suits families with small children, older people and anyone not planning a real hike. Horse-drawn carriages use the road (sledges in winter). If you want to go further, you can walk along the valley floor to the Hala Ornak hut — about 1 h 40 min one way. Dogs are not allowed in the TPN.

Season: grazing in the TPN runs from late spring to autumn and must end by 15 October; cheese is easiest to find from June to September. It gets very busy in summer, so come in the morning. Bring cash.

Nearby

Further up is the Kościeliska Valley with Mroźna Cave and Smreczyński Staw lake. Next door is the Chochołowska Valley with the shepherds' huts on Polana Chochołowska.

Photos: Cybularny, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Andrzej Harassek, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.