Żywiec

Powiat żywiecki · Silesian Voivodeship · Poland
Żywiec — photo 1 Żywiec — photo 2 Żywiec — photo 3 Żywiec — photo 4 Żywiec — photo 5 6

Photos: hyrdom, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); hyrdom, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Raszczepanek (Radosław Szczepanek), CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Lesnydzban, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Lesnydzban, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); User:Piotrus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Żywiec is a town in southern Poland, serving as the administrative centre of Powiat żywiecki in the Silesian Voivodeship. It is located on the River Soła, in the Żywiec Basin, surrounded by the Western Carpathians. The town lies near peaks such as Grojec, Pilsko, Babia Góra, Lipowska, Wielka Racza, Romanka, Skrzyczne, Żar, and Czupel. The Rybny Potok stream joins the Soła in the town, and Żywiec Lake is a prominent feature nearby.

Żywiec was first mentioned in 1308 as the seat of a Catholic parish. Over the centuries, it changed hands between various duchies before becoming part of the Polish Crown in 1457. In 1624, it was acquired by Constance of Austria, queen consort of Poland. The town preserves historical monuments, including the Old Castle from the 14th century and churches dating from the 14th to 17th centuries.

Żywiec is known for its scenic landscapes, Żywiec Lake, a landscape park, and rich cultural heritage. The town is famous for its beer production (Żywiec brand) and is a centre of Goral culture. The Żywiec Brewery Museum is located here, and the area features unique natural sites such as the Grapa nature reserve and rare plant habitats on Grojec.

Visitors can explore over 30 hiking trails, such as Straconka – Międzybrodzie Bialskie, Kozy – Żarnówka Mała (yellow and blue routes), and Milówka – Cęcina. Notable sights include Żywiec Lake, the Old Castle, Habsburg Palace with its park, Żywiec Brewery Museum, and Międzybrodzkie Lake. Mountain enthusiasts can ascend peaks like Żar, Skrzyczne, and Czupel. For relaxation, there is the Lesna Aquapark, student shelter "Chatka Lasek", and mountain huts on Skrzyczne and Klimczok. Local crafts can be discovered at the PINTA brewery in Wieprz, the folk art fair during the Week of Beskid Culture, and the "Na Bukowinie" sheepfold in Żabnica.

Getting there from Ukraine

Lviv – Żywiec ≈412 km, ≈5 h 30 min without queues or tolls: M-10 → Krakovets – Korczowa → A4 to Kraków (≈249 km) → DK52 via Wadowice → DW781 and DW946 to Żywiec. ≈333 km, ≈4 h from the border. Alternative via the tolled A4 Kraków – Katowice and the S1 via Tychy and Bielsko-Biała: ≈457 km, ≈5 h 25 min.

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

What's nearby

Trails nearby

All trails
Żywiec – Bystra GórnaHardMulti-dayMarkedŻywiec Bystra GórnaElevation profile350–1 366 m29.4 kmascent 1 356 m≈ 10 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreMiędzybrodzie Żywieckie – OczkówEasyOne-dayMarkedMiędzybrodzie Żywieckie OczkówElevation profile325–749 m8.4 kmascent 440 m≈ 3 h walking4.1 km from the centreTresna – KolebyEasyOne-dayMarkedTresna KolebyElevation profile371–633 m4.1 kmascent 266 m≈ 1.5 h walking4.5 km from the centreŚwinna – JastrzębicaEasyOne-dayMarkedŚwinna JastrzębicaElevation profile387–761 m7.8 kmascent 442 m≈ 3 h walking4.6 km from the centreŁodygowice – CzernichówEasyOne-dayMarkedŁodygowice CzernichówElevation profile325–601 m7.4 kmascent 259 m≈ 2.5 h walking5.1 km from the centreŁodygowice – Międzybrodzie BialskieModerateOne-dayMarkedŁodygowice Międzybrodzie BialskieElevation profile334–884 m9.6 kmascent 508 m≈ 3.5 h walking6 km from the centre

Peaks nearby

All peaks
CzupelPeakCzupelMiędzybrodzie Bialskiealtitude 930 m9.3 km from the centreCzupel is the highest summit of the Little Beskids at 930 m; the latest geodetic and LiDAR measurements give 931 m, and some publications quote 933 m.ŻarPeakŻarMiędzybrodzie Żywieckiealtitude 761 m11 km from the centreŻar is a 761 m mountain in the Little Beskids in southern Poland, above Lake Międzybrodzie on the Soła river.Magurka WilkowickaPeakMagurka WilkowickaWilkowicealtitude 909 m11 km from the centreMagurka Wilkowicka is a 909 m summit, the fourth-highest in the Little Beskids, in the Magurka Wilkowicka group in the south of the Silesian Voivodeship.SkrzycznePeakSkrzyczneSłotwinaaltitude 1 257 m12 km from the centreSkrzyczne (German Rauhkogel) is a 1257 m mountain, the highest peak of the Silesian Beskids in southern Poland.RomankaPeakRomankaSopotnia Wielkaaltitude 1 366 m15 km from the centreRomanka is a 1,366 m summit in the Żywiec Beskids, the highest of the Lipowski Wierch and Romanka group.Gibasów WierchPeakGibasów WierchKocońaltitude 890 m15 km from the centreGibasów Wierch (also Wielki Gibasów Groń) is an 890 m summit in the Łamana Skała range of the Little Beskids (more precisely in its part called the Łysina range) in...

What to visit

All
Żywiec castles: Old Castle, Habsburg Palace and parkCastleŻywiec castles: Old Castle, Habsburg Palace and parkŻywiecunder 1 km from the centreIn the very centre of Żywiec, two residences of the former lords of the Żywiec estate stand side by side — the Old Castle and the Habsburg Palace, or New Castle —...Soła RiverRiverSoła RiverŻywiecunder 1 km from the centreThe Soła is a right-bank tributary of the Vistula in southern Poland, the first large Carpathian tributary on its right bank.Lake Żywiec (Jezioro Żywieckie)LakeLake Żywiec (Jezioro Żywieckie)Żywiec3.5 km from the centreLake Żywiec (Jezioro Żywieckie), also known as the Tresna Reservoir, is a large artificial lake on the Soła river beside the town of Żywiec, on the boundary of the...Żywiec Brewery MuseumMuseumŻywiec Brewery MuseumŻywiec3.5 km from the centreThe Żywiec Brewery Museum (Muzeum Browaru Żywiec) is one of the largest and most modern brewing museums in Poland, in the town of Żywiec between the Silesian and...Aquapark Leśna (Żywiec)Water parks & thermal poolsAquapark Leśna (Żywiec)Leśna4.6 km from the centreAquapark Leśna (also called Aquapark Żywiec) is a swimming-pool complex in the village of Leśna, a few kilometres from Żywiec, in the Żywiec Basin, surrounded by the...Sopotnia Wielka FallsWaterfallSopotnia Wielka FallsSopotnia Wielka14 km from the centreSopotnia Wielka Falls (Wodospad w Sopotni Wielkiej) is the largest waterfall in the Polish Beskids. It drops on the Sopotnia stream right in the centre of the village...

Craft nearby

All craft places
Folk Art Fair in Żywiec during the Beskidy Week of CultureMarkets & fairsFolk Art Fair in Żywiec during the Beskidy Week of CultureŻywiecunder 1 km from the centreThe Beskidy Highlanders' Week of Culture (Tydzień Kultury Beskidzkiej, TKB) is Poland's largest folklore festival: it was first held in Wisła in 1964, and today, at...Browar Zarzecze in the Żywiec Basin: craft brewery shopCraft beer & breweriesBrowar Zarzecze in the Żywiec Basin: craft brewery shopZarzecze4 km from the centreBrowar Zarzecze works in the village of Zarzecze near Pietrzykowice in the Żywiec Basin — a region where beer has been brewed since at least the 19th century and home...PINTA Brewery, Wieprz near Żywiec: tours and taproomCraft beer & breweriesPINTA Brewery, Wieprz near Żywiec: tours and taproomWieprz4.9 km from the centrePINTA is the brewery that Poles associate with the start of the “beer revolution”; it calls itself the country's first craft brewery.Bacówka na Bukowinie, Żabnica: sheep's cheese and alpacasCheese dairies & pasturesBacówka na Bukowinie, Żabnica: sheep's cheese and alpacasWęgierska Górka12 km from the centreBacówka na Bukowinie stands on a slope above the village of Żabnica, next to Węgierska Górka, where the Żywiec Beskids meet the Silesian Beskids.Browar Wisła: craft brewpub in Wisła's old railway stationCraft beer & breweriesBrowar Wisła: craft brewpub in Wisła's old railway stationWisła25 km from the centreBrowar Wisła is a brewpub in the heart of the Silesian Beskids, in the spa town of Wisła, where Poland's longest river of the same name rises.Ustroń spa: brine, peat and brine poolsWater parks & thermal poolsUstroń spa: brine, peat and brine poolsUstroń27 km from the centreUstroń is the only spa of the Silesian Beskids: the town lies where the Vistula valley leaves the mountains, between the ridges of Równica (884 m) and Czantoria Wielka...

Spas and thermal pools nearby

Aquapark Leśna (Żywiec)Water parks & thermal poolsAquapark Leśna (Żywiec)Leśna4.6 km from the centreAquapark Leśna (also called Aquapark Żywiec) is a swimming-pool complex in the village of Leśna, a few kilometres from Żywiec, in the Żywiec Basin, surrounded by the...Ustroń spa: brine, peat and brine poolsWater parks & thermal poolsUstroń spa: brine, peat and brine poolsUstroń27 km from the centreUstroń is the only spa of the Silesian Beskids: the town lies where the Vistula valley leaves the mountains, between the ridges of Równica (884 m) and Czantoria Wielka...

Huts, shelters and springs nearby

606 mWellWell below KiczoraMaków Beskids · PolandNot verified60 m from a trailMarked as drinkable
742 mSpringSpring below KościelecLittle Beskids · PolandNot verifiedOn a trailNot for drinking
587 mHutHut below Suchy WierchLittle Beskids · PolandNot verified170 m from a trail

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 – Żywiec ≈412 km, ≈5 h 30 min without queues or tolls: M-10 → Krakovets – Korczowa → A4 to Kraków (≈249 km) → DK52 via Wadowice → DW781 and DW946 to Żywiec. ≈333 km, ≈4 h from the border. Alternative via the tolled A4 Kraków – Katowice and the S1 via Tychy and Bielsko-Biała: ≈457 km, ≈5 h 25 min.

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