Spad Waterfall, Szczawa

Spad is a natural waterfall on the Kamienica Gorczańska, a left tributary of the Dunajec, in the village of Szczawa on the border of the Gorce and the Island Beskids (Beskid Wyspowy). According to the latest physical-geographical division, it is the Kamienica that separates the Gorce from the Island Beskids. The waterfall lies in the Koszarki hamlet at about 590 m above sea level, where the river comes right up to provincial road No. 968 (Mszana Górna – Zabrze).

Spad is not tall — no more than 2.2 m — but it impresses with its volume: the Kamienica Gorczańska is already quite a large river here, so in terms of the amount of falling water it is one of the largest waterfalls in the whole Beskids. The Limanowa County office calls it the largest waterfall of the Gorce. The water falls from a stone step in two streams: the right one is more powerful and almost vertical, the left one rolls down rocky steps. The waterfall formed where upright beds of hard, erosion-resistant sandstone stand across the riverbed.

Szczawa takes its name from the local mineral springs, "sour like sorrel". The healing waters of the area were mentioned by Jan Długosz in the 15th century; in the 18th century they were classified by Baltazar Hacquet, a professor at Lviv University, and from the 1930s the springs began to be exploited. Since 1 January 2025 Szczawa has been the seat of its own commune.

What to see

• The two streams of Spad on the upright sandstone slabs — most spectacular in spring during the snowmelt and after downpours, when the Kamienica is full.
• The rocky bed of the Kamienica below and above the step, with big boulders — good angles for photos from the bank.
• The mineral-water pump room in the centre of Szczawa: you can taste water from four springs — Szczawa I, Szczawa II, Hanna and Dziedzilla; next to it are a graduation tower and a fountain.
• The Museum of the 1st Podhale Rifle Regiment of the Home Army by the wooden "partisan" church — visits by prior arrangement with the parish.

How to get there

This is a short, easy walk that children can manage: the waterfall is right by road No. 968. According to the Małopolska regional tourist portal, from the car park in the Bukówka hamlet you cross the bridge towards the hamlet and immediately turn left onto the second bridge — then it is 5 minutes along the tarmac road to the waterfall. There is a small car park and bus stops along the main road next to the Kamienica.

The blue trail from Szczawa to Mogielica (1170 m), the highest peak of the Island Beskids, passes Spad; it is best started from Bukówka, avoiding 3 km of tarmac. The blue trail is part of the long route Swoszowice – Szczawa, which leads all the way to Kraków. Along the same blue trail up the Kamienica valley and then the yellow one you can also reach Turbacz — about 14 km one way.

Season and safety

The waterfall is accessible all year round with no tickets. The stones by the water are slippery, and during floods the Kamienica is very violent — do not go to the edge of the step and do not wade into the river. Further upstream, on the border of Szczawa and Lubomierz, Gorce National Park begins: dogs are not allowed there, even on a leash. The GOPR mountain rescue number is 985 or 601 100 300.

Nearby

Above the Kamienica valley lie the high glades of the Gorce — Gorc Kamienicki Glade with the observation tower on the summit of Gorc, and Polana Jaworzyna Kamienicka. Other Beskid waterfalls: Wodospad Wielki in Obidza and Zaskalnik Waterfall in Szczawnica.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; VisitMałopolska (fot. Kamil Bańkowski), official website.