Western Bieszczady essentials

Western Bieszczady is defined by its 'polonynas'—high-altitude alpine meadows—and the region's highest peak, Tarnica. The landscape includes the expansive Solina Lake and UNESCO-listed wooden churches in Smolnik and Turzańsk. Historical sites like the ruins in Krywe and the restored stone church in Łopienka mark the locations of former villages. The area also supports unique wildlife, notably the European bison population protected at the Muczne enclosure.

SkyMaja / CC BY-SA 4.0

Tarnica

Tarnica is a peak in the Bieszczady Mountains in southern Poland. Its height is 1,346 metres.

Spars / CC BY-SA 3.0

Lake Solina

Lake Solina is an artificial lake in the Bieszczady Mountains region, more precisely in Lesko County of the Subcarpathian Voivodship of…

Henryk Bielamowicz / CC BY-SA 4.0

St. Michael Archangel's Church, Smolnik

St. Michael Archangel's Church in Smolnik - a Gothic, wooden church located in the village of Smolnik from the eighteenth-century, which…

Henryk Bielamowicz / CC BY-SA 4.0

St. Michael Archangel's Church, Turzańsk

St. Michael Archangel's Church in Turzańsk is a nineteenth-century wooden church located in the village of Turzańsk.

M_k / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Połonina Caryńska

Połonina Caryńska is a polonyna in the Bieszczady Mountains laying between valleys of the Dwernik and Wołosaty rivers, which contain the…

Miro Buraľ, Stakčín, Slovakia / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Wielka Rawka

The highest peak of the border range in the Western Bieszczady, reaching 1,307 meters. It offers expansive views across the Polish, Slovak, and Ukrainian borders and features a characteristic concrete survey pillar at the summit.

Piotr Miernikiewicz / CC BY-SA 3.0 pl

Cerkiew pw. Świętego Męczennicy Paraskewii

A 19th-century stone Greek Catholic church located in the uninhabited valley of the former village of Łopienka. Once a major pilgrimage site, the building has been restored and houses a copy of the Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God.

Zyxist / CC0

Bukowe Berdo

A mountain ridge featuring three distinct peaks, the highest reaching 1,311 meters. It is distinguished by numerous sandstone rock outcrops and provides panoramic views of the Tarnica massif and the San valley.

Krzysztof Ruzikowski / CC-BY-SA

Pokazowa zagroda żubrów w Mucznem

A seven-hectare enclosure where visitors can observe European bison of the Bialowieza-Caucasian line. The facility includes viewing terraces and educational paths detailing the reintroduction of the species to the Bieszczady Mountains.

Henryk Bielamowicz / CC BY-SA 4.0

Ruiny cerkwi św. Paraskewy

The stone ruins of a Greek Catholic church built in 1842, situated on a hill in the abandoned village of Krywe. The site includes the remains of a bell tower and a nearby cemetery.