Shepherd's Hut on Rusinowa Polana

Rusinowa Polana is one of the most beautiful mountain glades in the Polish Tatras, and from May to October it is home to the bacówka (shepherd's hut) of baca Stanisław Rychtarczyk. The glade lies at roughly 1,180–1,300 m between Gęsia Szyja (1,489 m) and Goły Wierch, on the ridge that links the High Tatras with the Bukowina foothills. It opens onto a wide panorama of the Belianske and High Tatras that Polish travellers were already praising in the 19th century.

The name comes from the Rusin family, village heads (sołtysi) of Groń, who were granted the mountain by King Sigismund III Vasa in 1628. For centuries the glade was used to graze sheep and cattle, and its shepherds' settlement was even inhabited in winter — it was the longest-surviving winter sheep station in the Tatras. Grazing was banned after the Tatra National Park was created, but in 1981 it returned as so-called cultural grazing. About six wooden pastoral buildings survive today, and the group of huts is a listed monument.

What to see and taste

According to the Małopolska regional tourism portal, baca Stanisław Rychtarczyk and his juhas (shepherd's helper) Jędrek Otręba look after about 50 sheep of the old Carpathian Zackel (cakiel) breed, which is now being restored. Both men live in the hut throughout the season and happily chat with visitors. The thing to try here is redykołki: small smoked sheep's-milk cheeses served warm. Traditionally they were made from the curd left over after making the large oscypki, so a classic oscypek is not always on offer. Depending on the day you may also find other sheep products such as bundz (fresh cheese) or żentyca (whey).

• the Tatra panorama from Rusinowa Polana, one of the best known in the Polish Tatras;
• old shepherds' huts and the flock grazing on the slope;
• wild flowers in spring, and the Wiktorówki sanctuary of Our Lady close by.

Do not approach or stroke the sheepdogs (Polish Tatra sheepdogs): they guard the flock and are not there for photos.

Practical information

The glade lies inside the TPN, so you need a park ticket (standard 11 zł in 2026; buy online on the park's website, at the ticket booth or via QR code). By car or bus from Zakopane take the road towards Morskie Oko. The shortest approaches: from Wierchporoniec on the green trail, about 1 hour uphill; from Zazadnia on the blue trail, about 1 h 15 min; from the car park at Palenica Białczańska, about 50 minutes. The paths run through forest with no difficult sections, so they suit families with children used to walking. You cannot drive up to the hut. Dogs are not allowed in the TPN.

Season: the shepherds stay on the glade from May to October, and park rules require grazing to end by 15 October at the latest. The best time for cheese is June to September. Bring cash, as there is no official information about card payment.

Nearby

Palenica Białczańska is the start of the road to Morskie Oko, passing the Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza waterfalls. You can also buy cheese on other Tatra glades: at Kalatówki near Kuźnice and in the Kościeliska Valley.

Photos: Cybularny, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Cybularny, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.