Szczawa

Limanowa County · Lesser Poland Voivodeship · Poland
Szczawa — photo 1 Szczawa — photo 2 Szczawa — photo 3 Szczawa — photo 4 Szczawa — photo 5 6

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Jwdys, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Andrzej O, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Gorofil, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Gorofil, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Szczawa is a village in Limanowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. It is situated among the mountains and forests of the Island Beskids and Gorce, in the valley of the Kamienica River, where the streams Głębieniec, Mogielica, and Szczawa flow in. The area is surrounded by peaks such as Kiczora and Wielki Wierch, as well as the Papieżówka glade, which is part of the Gorce National Park. Szczawa lies at varied altitudes: the lower part by Kamienica is about 500 m, while the highest buildings on the Kiczora Kamienicka ridge reach up to 880 m.

The name of the village comes from the many mineral water springs called "szczawa" in the area. Szczawa was part of the estates of the Poor Clares from Stary Sącz and was likely founded by the local headman Stanisław from Rozprza. In the 18th century, the village passed to the Austrian government, later becoming the property of Józef Kirchner and then Maksymilian Marszałkowicz. In the 19th century, small metallurgical plants operated here, and timber exploitation developed. During World War II, the area was a base for Polish partisans, with the headquarters of the 1st Podhale Rifle Regiment of the Home Army on Wielki Wierch.

Szczawa is known for its mineral waters, mentioned by Jan Długosz and Stanisław Staszic. Springs such as "Hanna", "Krystyna", and "Dziedzilla" are used today, with waters considered to have health benefits. The village is famous for its mountain scenery, forests, and the preserved culture of the Biali Górale, an ethnographic group related to the Sądecki Highlanders. Szczawa is a popular destination for recreation, winter sports, and tourism.

Visitors to Szczawa can enjoy numerous hiking trails, including "Szczawa – Nowa Polana", "Dolina Kamienicy – Kudłoń", and "Ochotnica Górna Jamne – Polana Przysłop Dolny", as well as routes to the peaks Mogielica and Kudłoń. Natural attractions include the Spad waterfall in Szczawa, the Gorc Kamienicki and Jaworzyna Kamienicka glades. For accommodation, there are shelters such as "Ustrzyk" and "Na Skale". Those interested in traditions can visit the fruit harvest festival in Łącko, featuring local villages and folklore.

Getting there from Ukraine

The most convenient way from Lviv to Szczawa is by car via the Krakovets – Korczowa border crossing, then the A4 motorway to Brzesko, DK75 to Nowy Sącz, and through Łącko to the destination. The journey from the border takes about 4 hours.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, Karpaty.rocks data. More on Wikipedia

Trails nearby

All trails
Szczawa – Kiczora KamienickaModerateOne-dayMarkedSzczawa Kiczora KamienickaElevation profile512–1 003 m10.7 kmascent 500 m≈ 3.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreSwoszowice – SzczawaHardMulti-dayMarkedSwoszowice SzczawaElevation profile228–1 171 m83.8 kmascent 3 385 munder 1 km from the centreSzczawa – Zbludzkie Wierchy – KamienicaEasyOne-dayMarkedSzczawa Kamienicavia Zbludzkie WierchyElevation profile445–812 m9.3 kmascent 329 m≈ 3 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreSzczawa – Nowa PolanaEasyOne-dayMarkedSzczawa Nowa PolanaElevation profile512–849 m5.1 kmascent 333 m≈ 2 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreZasadne Walking Trail – ZasadneModerateOne-dayMarkedZasadne Walking Trail ZasadneElevation profile601–1 196 m8.8 kmascent 595 m≈ 3.5 h walking2.8 km from the centreLeopold Węgrzynowicz TrailHardMulti-dayMarkedLeopold Węgrzynowicz TrailElevation profile440–1 171 m30 kmascent 1 468 m≈ 10.5 h walking3.4 km from the centre

Peaks nearby

All peaks
MogielicaPeakMogielicaChyszówkialtitude 1 171 m5.9 km from the centreMogielica is the highest summit of the Island Beskids (Beskid Wyspowy), 1,171 m high, and one of the mountains of the Crown of Polish Mountains.KudłońPeakKudłońLubomierzaltitude 1 274 m9.5 km from the centreKudłoń is a 1,274 m summit, the fourth-highest in the Gorce. It lies north-east of Turbacz on the ridge that links Turbacz with the Island Beskids via the Przysłop...ĆwilinPeakĆwilinGruszowiecaltitude 1 072 m12 km from the centreĆwilin is a 1,072 m summit, the second-highest mountain of the Island Beskids. Its name was given in the 14th century by German settlers in Tymbark and Jurków: it...LubańPeakLubańKrośnicaaltitude 1 211 m13 km from the centreLubań is the highest summit of the Lubań range in the south-eastern Gorce, 1,211 m high. It is a large forested massif cut by the valleys of several streams, north...TurbaczPeakTurbaczObidowaaltitude 1 310 m15 km from the centreTurbacz is the highest peak of the Gorce Mountains, 1,310 m high, lying at the very centre of the range in southern Lesser Poland, about 30 km north of Zakopane.ŚnieżnicaPeakŚnieżnicaGruszowiecaltitude 1 007 m15 km from the centreŚnieżnica is a 1007 m mountain in the Island Beskids (Beskid Wyspowy) in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland.

What to visit

All
Spad Waterfall, SzczawaWaterfallSpad Waterfall, SzczawaSzczawa3.1 km from the centreSpad 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 ...Gorc Kamienicki GladeMountain meadowGorc Kamienicki GladeZasadnealtitude 1 150 m5.1 km from the centrePolana Gorc Kamienicki is a mountain glade on the northern ridge of Gorc (1,228 m) in the eastern Gorce, at 1,120–1,150 m.Fruit Harvest Festival in Łącko: village stands, fruit and folkloreMarkets & fairsFruit Harvest Festival in Łącko: village stands, fruit and folkloreŁącko10 km from the centreŁącko, in the Dunajec valley between Stary Sącz and the Pieniny, is one of Poland's best-known fruit-growing areas: the slopes around are covered with apple, pear and...Polana Jaworzyna KamienickaMountain meadowPolana Jaworzyna KamienickaLubomierzaltitude 1 265 m12 km from the centrePolana Jaworzyna Kamienicka (also simply Jaworzyna) is a mountain glade on the north-eastern slope of Jaworzyna Kamienicka (1,288 m), the second-highest peak of the...Lake CzorsztynLakeLake CzorsztynFalsztyn18 km from the centreLake Czorsztyn (Jezioro Czorsztyńskie) is a reservoir on the Dunajec river in the Nowy Targ Basin, between the Pieniny and the Gorce.Czorsztyn Castle ruinsCastleCzorsztyn Castle ruinsCzorsztyn19 km from the centreThe ruins of Czorsztyn Castle rise on a limestone rock above Lake Czorsztyn, on the border between Podhale and the Pieniny mountains.

Craft nearby

All craft places
Termy Gorce thermal bathsWater parks & thermal poolsTermy Gorce thermal bathsNiedźwiedź16 km from the centreTermy Gorce is a small, cosy thermal complex in the village of Poręba Wielka, in the municipality of Niedźwiedź, at the foot of the Gorce Mountains.Majerz Meadow Shepherd's Hut, Pieniny National Park: oscypek and żętycaCheese dairies & pasturesMajerz Meadow Shepherd's Hut, Pieniny National Park: oscypek and żętycaKrośnica19 km from the centreMajerz meadow (hala) sits on a 689 m hill between Czorsztyn-Nadzamcze and the village of Hałuszowa, above Lake Czorsztyn.Cistercian monastery shop, Szczyrzyc: abbey cheese, milk and Gryf beerCraft shopsCistercian monastery shop, Szczyrzyc: abbey cheese, milk and Gryf beerSzczyrzyc22 km from the centreIts heart is the Cistercian abbey: the monks arrived in the first half of the 13th century and, according to the monastery itself, have lived here without interruption...Nowy Targ Fair (Nowa Targowica)Markets & fairsNowy Targ Fair (Nowa Targowica)Nowy Targ22 km from the centreThe fair in Nowy Targ is the largest and oldest market in Podhale. On Thursdays and Saturdays highlanders from the surrounding villages, Slovaks from across the border...Karcma u Borzanka, Nowy Targ: highland food in an 18th-century innKoliby & Hutsul cuisineKarcma u Borzanka, Nowy Targ: highland food in an 18th-century innNowy Targ23 km from the centreKarcma u Borzanka is a highland tavern in the oldest coaching inn of Nowy Targ, the capital of Podhale.Autumn Redyk in Szczawnica: sheep drive, oscypek and shepherdsMarkets & fairsAutumn Redyk in Szczawnica: sheep drive, oscypek and shepherdsSzczawnica23 km from the centreRedyk is an old Carpathian shepherding custom: in spring the flocks are driven up to the mountain pastures (hale), and in autumn, after the cheese-making season, they...

Spas and thermal pools nearby

Termy Gorce thermal bathsWater parks & thermal poolsTermy Gorce thermal bathsNiedźwiedź16 km from the centreTermy Gorce is a small, cosy thermal complex in the village of Poręba Wielka, in the municipality of Niedźwiedź, at the foot of the Gorce Mountains.Szczawnica spa: pump room, waters and the InhalatoriumWater parks & thermal poolsSzczawnica spa: pump room, waters and the InhalatoriumSzczawnica24 km from the centreThe Szczawnica spa (Uzdrowisko Szczawnica) is all about water and air: in the valley of the Grajcarek stream, between the Pieniny and the Beskid Sądecki at 430–500 m,...Rabka-Zdrój spa: brine graduation tower, pump rooms, treatmentsWater parks & thermal poolsRabka-Zdrój spa: brine graduation tower, pump rooms, treatmentsRabka-Zdrój25 km from the centreRabka-Zdrój is a spa in the Raba valley between the Gorce, the Beskid Wyspowy and the Beskid Makowski, halfway from Kraków to Zakopane.

Huts, shelters and springs nearby

908 mMountain shelterSkałka ShelterGorce · PolandStandingStaffed
517 mWellKrystyna WellIsland Beskids · PolandNot verifiedOn a trailMarked as drinkable
514 mMineral springMineral Water Spring in SzczawaIsland Beskids · PolandNot verifiedOn a trailMineral waterMarked as drinkable
516 mWellHanna WellIsland Beskids · PolandNot verified60 m from a trailMarked as drinkable
514 mWellDziedzilla WellIsland Beskids · PolandNot verified50 m from a trailMarked as drinkable
547 mMineral springMineral Spring No. 9Island Beskids · PolandNot verifiedOn a trailMineral water

All springs of the CarpathiansAll Carpathian huts

Getting there from Ukraine

Border crossings

  • Krakovets – Korczowa — road, 24/7
  • Shehyni – Medyka — road, 24/7 Pedestrian crossing is not confirmed by the Ukrainian border service — check dpsu.gov.ua before the trip.
  • Smilnytsia – Krościenko — road, 24/7
  • Hrushiv – Budomierz — road, 24/7
  • Mostyska – Przemyśl (rail) — rail, 24/7

By car

Lviv – Szczawnica ≈384 km, ≈5 h 25 min without queues: M-10 → Krakovets – Korczowa → A4 to Brzesko (≈198 km) → DK75 to Nowy Sącz → DW969 via Stary Sącz and Łącko to Krościenko nad Dunajcem → Szczawnica. ≈306 km, ≈4 h from the border.

Checked 23.10.2026; border crossing hours and timetables change — check before you travel.

What's nearby