Jaworzyna Krynicka Gondola

Jaworzyna Krynicka is the high point of this part of the Beskid Sadecki, and the gondola from Czarny Potok reaches it in about ten minutes, lifting out of the spruce forest to a summit at 1114 metres. In winter it serves the largest ski area in the region, with runs of several kilometres coming back down through the trees. In summer it becomes a walking and cycling lift, with marked trails along the ridge and a mountain shelter near the top that serves food. On a clear day the Tatras appear as a distinct white line to the south, which is the main reason people ride up outside the ski season.

What you actually see

• The summit view - the Beskid ridges in every direction and, in clear weather, the Tatras on the southern horizon.
• The ridge trails - marked paths leaving the top station along the crest, easy walking on forest tracks.
• The mountain shelter - a working hut near the summit serving simple food, open year round.
• The ski runs - long descents through spruce forest, the reason the lift exists in the first place.

When to go

Winter weekends and school holidays are the busiest and the queues at the base can be long. Summer and early autumn are quieter, with clear mornings giving the best chance of seeing the Tatras before haze builds. The lift closes for maintenance periods between seasons, and it stops running in high wind, so check before making the trip.

Honest expectations

The summit is forested, so views are from cleared spots rather than an open panorama, and in cloud there is nothing to see at all. The top station is commercial and busy in season. Ski passes and lift tickets are priced at resort level, the base area parking is paid and fills early, and the ride is short for the money outside winter.

Nearby

Krynica-Zdroj's spa promenade and pump rooms are a few kilometres away, and Muszyna lies further down the valley.