Szczyrzyc

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

Photos: Skitof, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons); Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Grzegorz Tyszkiewicz, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); No machine-readable author provided. Piotrus assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); No machine-readable author provided. Piotrus assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Szczyrzyc is a village in Poland, located in the Jodłownik Commune, Limanowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The settlement lies in the picturesque Stradomka river valley, at the border of the Island Beskids and Wiśnicz Foothills. To the east are the Szczyrzyc Hills with Góra Świętego Jana, while to the west rise the forested Ciecień, Księża Góra, and Grodzisko. The southern horizon is marked by the Island Beskids peaks: Wierzbanowska Góra, Dzielec, Śnieżnica, Łopień, and Kostrza.

Szczyrzyc dates back to the 14th century and was once the seat of a large county. It received town rights in 1416, which were lost before 1499. The village is renowned for its Cistercian Abbey, founded around 1234. The abbey suffered a Tatar raid in 1259 and underwent several reconstructions after fires and lootings in later centuries.

The village is known for its historic Cistercian Abbey complex, which includes a museum and monastic shop. The area features diverse natural landscapes: valleys, forests, orchards, and rare plants such as the martagon lily and lesser butterfly-orchid. Szczyrzyc is also home to the Szczyrzyc Cistercian Brewery and a World War I cemetery (No. 362) with a chapel.

Visitors can explore marked hiking trails: from Szczyrzyc through Pogorzany to the Ciecień–Grodzisko ridge, through Janowice to Stróża, and to the summit of Ciecień. Nature lovers can ascend Śnieżnica or Cwilin, visit Diabli Kamień, or stop by the Cistercian monastic shop for cheese, milk, and "Gryf" beer. The abbey museum and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Stanislaus are also worth seeing.

Getting there from Ukraine

Lviv – Nowy Sącz ≈335 km, ≈4 h 25 min without queues: M-10 to Krakovets → Krakovets – Korczowa → toll-free A4 via Rzeszów and Tarnów to Brzesko (≈198 km) → DK75 to Nowy Sącz (≈47 km). ≈257 km, ≈3 h from the border. Via Shehyni – Medyka (Przemyśl, DK28, DK77 to the A4) ≈348 km, ≈4 h 50 min.

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

Trails nearby

All trails
Szczyrzyc – TymbarkModerateOne-dayMarkedSzczyrzyc TymbarkElevation profile328–739 m15.5 kmascent 719 m≈ 5.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreDobra – Szczyrzyc – DąbieModerateTwo-dayMarkedDobra Dąbievia SzczyrzycElevation profile297–600 m20.7 kmascent 463 m≈ 6 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreCistercian TrailEasyOne-dayMarkedCistercian TrailElevation profile331–837 m5.7 kmascent 509 m≈ 2.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreSkrzydlna – SzczyrzycModerateOne-dayMarkedSkrzydlna SzczyrzycElevation profile331–788 m15.5 kmascent 459 m≈ 5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreWęglówka – SzczyrzycModerateTwo-dayMarkedWęglówka SzczyrzycElevation profile331–905 m19 kmascent 895 m≈ 6.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreSzczyrzyc – WiśniowaEasyOne-dayMarkedSzczyrzyc WiśniowaElevation profile331–615 m5.7 kmascent 283 m≈ 2 h walkingunder 1 km from the centre

Peaks nearby

All peaks
ŚnieżnicaPeakŚnieżnicaGruszowiecaltitude 1 007 m7.4 km from the centreŚnieżnica is a 1007 m mountain in the Island Beskids (Beskid Wyspowy) in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland.ĆwilinPeakĆwilinGruszowiecaltitude 1 072 m10 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...MogielicaPeakMogielicaChyszówkialtitude 1 171 m15 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.

What to visit

All
Spad Waterfall, SzczawaWaterfallSpad Waterfall, SzczawaSzczawa18 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 ...Termy Gorce thermal bathsWater parks & thermal poolsTermy Gorce thermal bathsNiedźwiedź20 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.Gorce National Park Nature Exhibition, Poręba WielkaMuseumGorce National Park Nature Exhibition, Poręba WielkaPoręba Wielka21 km from the centreThe Gorce National Park Nature Exhibition (Wystawa Przyrodnicza w Ośrodku Edukacyjnym GPN) is the main attraction of the park's Education Centre in Poręba Wielka, in...Turbaczyk GladeMountain meadowTurbaczyk GladeKoninaaltitude 1 025 m23 km from the centreTurbaczyk is a summit meadow on the mountain of the same name in the Gorce, on the northern side of the Turbacz massif.Gorc Kamienicki GladeMountain meadowGorc Kamienicki GladeZasadnealtitude 1 150 m24 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.Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort: treatment undergroundWater parks & thermal poolsWieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort: treatment undergroundWieliczka25 km from the centreThe Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort (Uzdrowisko Kopalnia Soli „Wieliczka”) is an unusual treatment centre: its wards and halls lie 135 m underground, on the third...

Craft nearby

All craft places
Cistercian monastery shop, Szczyrzyc: abbey cheese, milk and Gryf beerCraft shopsCistercian monastery shop, Szczyrzyc: abbey cheese, milk and Gryf beerSzczyrzycunder 1 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...Lipnica Murowana Palm Contest: giant Easter palms and fairMarkets & fairsLipnica Murowana Palm Contest: giant Easter palms and fairLipnica Murowana26 km from the centreLipnica Murowana is a tiny historic town on the Wiśnicz Foothills, among orchards and hills between Bochnia and Limanowa.Rabka-Zdrój spa: brine graduation tower, pump rooms, treatmentsWater parks & thermal poolsRabka-Zdrój spa: brine graduation tower, pump rooms, treatmentsRabka-Zdrój26 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.Winnica Chronów: natural wines where the Island Beskids beginWine & tastingsWinnica Chronów: natural wines where the Island Beskids beginChronów29 km from the centreWinnica Chronów lies where the Island Beskids (Beskid Wyspowy) begin, on the edge of the Wiśnicz-Lipnica Landscape Park, in the small village of Chronów in the Nowy...Fruit Harvest Festival in Łącko: village stands, fruit and folkloreMarkets & fairsFruit Harvest Festival in Łącko: village stands, fruit and folkloreŁącko30 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...Swoszowice spa: sulphide baths in KrakówWater parks & thermal poolsSwoszowice spa: sulphide baths in KrakówKraków30 km from the centreSwoszowice is a spa within Kraków, on the city's southern edge by the Wilga river. Its operator stresses that it is the only spa in Poland, and one of few in Europe,...

Spas and thermal pools nearby

Termy Gorce thermal bathsWater parks & thermal poolsTermy Gorce thermal bathsNiedźwiedź20 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.Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort: treatment undergroundWater parks & thermal poolsWieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort: treatment undergroundWieliczka25 km from the centreThe Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort (Uzdrowisko Kopalnia Soli „Wieliczka”) is an unusual treatment centre: its wards and halls lie 135 m underground, on the third...Rabka-Zdrój spa: brine graduation tower, pump rooms, treatmentsWater parks & thermal poolsRabka-Zdrój spa: brine graduation tower, pump rooms, treatmentsRabka-Zdrój26 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

317 mDrinking waterDrinking water below Cubla GóraIsland Beskids · PolandNot verified50 m from a trail
396 mDrinking waterDrinking water below SempinaIsland Beskids · PolandNot verifiedOn a trail
765 mHutHut on Wierzbanowska GóraIsland Beskids · PolandNot verified50 m from a trailSleeps up to 6

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 – Nowy Sącz ≈335 km, ≈4 h 25 min without queues: M-10 to Krakovets → Krakovets – Korczowa → toll-free A4 via Rzeszów and Tarnów to Brzesko (≈198 km) → DK75 to Nowy Sącz (≈47 km). ≈257 km, ≈3 h from the border. Via Shehyni – Medyka (Przemyśl, DK28, DK77 to the A4) ≈348 km, ≈4 h 50 min.

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

What's nearby