Shepherds' Huts on Polana Chochołowska

Polana Chochołowska is the largest glade in the Polish Tatras and one of the largest in the whole range. It lies in the Chochołowska Valley in the Western Tatras at 1,090–1,150 m, inside the Tatra National Park. It was once one of the main centres of Tatra shepherding, and sheep graze here again today: according to the TPN, Polana Chochołowska and the neighbouring Huciska glade are among the places where so-called cultural grazing is allowed.

The name comes from the village of Chochołów, which was granted grazing rights here in the 16th century. In 1930 about 60 buildings stood on the glade — huts, sheds and hay barns — and as late as the 1950s five or six bacowie from Chochołów, Dzianisz and Cichy spent the summer here with about 500 sheep and 100 cows. The ownership story is dramatic: in 1821 eight villages pooled their money and bought a large tract of mountains, but the priest who acted for them registered the land in his own name, and the highlanders only recovered it in court in 1867. After the Second World War the area became part of the TPN, and the highlanders won back the right to manage it in 1983. Today the glade belongs to the Forest Community of the Eight Villages (Wspólnota Leśna Uprawnionych Ośmiu Wsi), based in Witów.

What to see and taste

• a group of old wooden shepherds' huts and the flock on cultural grazing;
• seasonal sheep's cheeses — oscypek, bundz, redykołki; a highland snack bar also operates here in season;
• the wooden highland-style chapel of St John the Baptist by the forest;
• the PTTK hut on Polana Chochołowska, the main base for hikes in the Western Tatras;
• in early spring, carpets of crocuses for which the glade is famous across Poland.

Do not approach or stroke the Polish Tatra sheepdogs. The flock is a working farm, not an attraction, so keep quiet near the fold.

Practical information

The walk starts at Siwa Polana near the village of Witów, reached by road from Zakopane and Chochołów; there are car parks. From there a wide road runs along the valley floor through the Huciska glade: about 2 h 10 min up to the hut on Polana Chochołowska and 1 h 45 min back down. The road is almost level, so the route suits families and people without mountain experience, but it is a genuine walk of several hours.

Important: most of the valley is private property of the Forest Community of the Eight Villages, which sets its own entrance fees. Prices usually match the TPN rates (standard ticket 11 zł in 2026), but the final decision rests with the community; cycling in costs extra, and the ticket booths at Siwa Polana very often accept cash only. Dogs are not allowed in the TPN.

Season: cultural grazing in the TPN must end by 15 October; sheep's cheese is easiest to find from June to September. The crocuses bloom in early spring, before the cheese season.

Nearby

More about the valley itself on the Chochołowska Valley page. On the way, stop in Chochołów with its wooden houses. Next door is the Kościeliska Valley with its shepherds' hut by the entrance.

Photos: Cybularny, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Cybularny, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Zakopane2017, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; AlexGro, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.