Szeroki Wierch

Szeroki Wierch («Broad Top») is a mountain massif in the połonina range of the Western Bieszczady, the western wing of the Tarnica group in Bieszczady National Park. It is an elongated ridge entirely covered by mountain meadow, with four tops: about 1,238 m (1,243 m on maps), 1,268 m, 1,294 m and 1,315 m. The highest has its own name – Tarniczka – and lies right next to Tarnica, separated from it by a small pass (1,286 m). This page describes the 1,268 m top labelled Szeroki Wierch on OSM maps; the nearest villages are Wołosate (about 2.9 km) and Ustrzyki Górne (about 5.1 km).

The massif is bounded by the Terebowiec valley to the north and the Wołosatka valley to the south and west. A 1,160 m pass, the Goprowska Pass, separates it from the Krzemień massif. It got its name because GOPR rescuers once kept a summer duty tent here.

Getting there / trails

The red Main Beskid Trail (part of the European long-distance path E8) runs along the ridge – one of the most popular routes to Tarnica. From Ustrzyki Górne to the pass below Tarnica takes about 3 h (2 h 15 min down); the path climbs gradually through the forest and then runs for a long way over the open meadow of Szeroki Wierch, which makes this section especially scenic. The park nature trail «Ustrzyki Górne – Szeroki Wierch» follows it.

• From the pass below Tarnica a short yellow spur leads to the top of Tarnica – about 15 min.
• The blue trail climbs from Wołosate to the same pass in about 2 h, so Szeroki Wierch fits well into a loop: Ustrzyki Górne – Szeroki Wierch – Tarnica – Wołosate (or the reverse).
• From the pass below Tarnica the red trail continues east to Halicz and Rozsypaniec.

Park pay points are at the trailheads, including Ustrzyki Górne (for Szeroki Wierch) and Wołosate.

The view from the summit

From the open ridge of Szeroki Wierch you can see the surrounding summits: Połonina Caryńska, the Rawka massif, Bukowe Berdo, Krzemień and Tarnica. Szeroki Wierch itself is easy to recognise from Tarnica and from the Wołosatka valley as a long, gentle, treeless ridge.

Nature and history

Almost the whole ridge is meadow with bilberry and grasses, while forest climbs the slopes from the Terebowiec and Wołosatka valleys. Among plants rare in Poland, thyme broomrape – a parasite of wild thyme – has been recorded on the southern slope. The massif lies entirely within Bieszczady National Park.

Safety, season and rules

Here the red trail runs for a long time across open meadow with no shelter at all from wind, storms or fog, and the weather changes very quickly. In summer start early and watch for storm clouds; in autumn allow for the short day. In winter the ridge brings strong wind, drifts and ice, so the park recommends crampons and suitable clothing.

The massif lies within Bieszczady National Park. Under the park rules in force since 14 April 2026, entry to the trails is charged all year: a ticket costs 11 zł (reduced 5.5 zł, children under 7 free), is sold at the pay points by the trailheads or online, and is valid on all park trails on the same day. Walking is allowed on marked trails only and only between sunrise and sunset – night hiking is prohibited. Dogs are not allowed on the trails (except a few short sections, on a lead and muzzled); flying drones and leaving litter are also banned.

The Bieszczady are covered by the Bieszczady Group of the mountain rescue service GOPR (station in Ustrzyki Górne): call 985 or +48 601 100 300, or the general number 112; installing the «Ratunek» app is recommended. In winter the park advises reporting longer planned routes to the GOPR station in Ustrzyki Górne.

Interesting facts

• The massif's highest top, Tarniczka (1,315 m), is only 31 m lower than Tarnica.
• The name of the Goprowska Pass recalls the GOPR rescuers' duty tent that once stood here in summer.

Photos: Gese, CC BY-SA 4.0; Hanc Tomasz, CC BY-SA 3.0; User:PM / pl:Wikipedysta:P, Public domain; User:PM - pl:Wikipedysta:P, Public domain; Michał Derela (Pibwl), CC BY-SA 4.0; Yarl, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.