Entrance to Rysy from the Slovak side. The highest peak in Poland and the Polish Tatras. Trail, parking lot, map

Name: Rysy
Rating: 4.9

Rysy is the highest peak of Poland
It belongs to the Crown of the Polish Mountains or KGP
The red trail leads to the top from the Polish side from Morskie Oko and the red trail from the Slovak side from Poprad Pond
The trail is easier from the Slovak side and it is more often chosen by Poles
It is 9.5 km to the top, still uphill. There are about 1250 meters of elevations. It takes about 4.5 hours one way! So it's tedious and tiring, but it's definitely not very difficult. There are 2 more difficult moments, chains in front of the Lodge under Rysy and the top itself, because it is quite exposed and requires supporting with your hands.
To follow it, you need to park in a paid parking lot in the Mięguszowiecka Valley
On the Slovak trail, you will eat in the Chata pod Rysami (payable only in cash, in euro) and in the hostel at Poprad Pond at the end of the asphalt (there is also a mountain hotel)
Since the end of the asphalt there is only 1 toilet on the entire trail. It's the famous outhouse next to the Cottage. It's free.
The trail from the Slovak side is open from June to the end of October.

Rysy (2449 m above sea level) is the highest peak in Poland! It rises in the High Tatras, on the border of Poland and Slovakia. The Rysy massif consists of 3 vertices. The highest peak lies entirely on the Slovak side and rises to an altitude of 2,501 m above sea level (it also meets an altitude of 2,503 m above sea level). On the Polish side, there is only one northern peak of Rysy. As the highest mountain in Poland, it is of course a diamond in the Crown of the Polish Mountains.

Parking lot Popradske Pleso

The last car park, i.e. the Popradske Pleso car park, is located in the Mięguszowiecka Valley, where Poprad flows. It is paid. In September 2024, it cost 15 euros, which is just over 60 zlotys. We were here at 5.30 am and there were already a lot of cars and a large queue to the parking meter, so we paid online. You can also pay at the cash desk. There is a train station nearby, because you can also get here by train.

Accommodation, or where we slept when we climbed Rysy

You can try to stay in Slovakia to be close in the morning. We decided to sleep in Poland. We chose the Silverton Guest House in Kaniówka near Białka Tatrzańska. It's an hour's drive to the parking lot. The place is unique, a fairy tale. In a quiet place, under the ski slope, overlooking the Tatras. From the outside, tradition, inside, comfortable and elegant modernity. The rooms are lovely, the apartment had a small kitchen with a kettle, toaster, fridge and microwave. There is a mini gym, sauna and hot tub outside. This is all included in the price of accommodation. And breakfast is real poetry, choice, taste and, above all, taste. This is the most beautiful hotel breakfast I've ever seen.

Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.

Are Scratches for Everyone?

Memories often require you to step out of your comfort zone and do something crazy. Is the roof of Poland for everyone? Certainly not, but it's not terribly difficult either. The trail in Slovakia is arduous and requires general physical fitness. But you can do it easily. The trail from the Slovak side is much easier than from the Polish side.

Trail to Rysy from the Slovak side

Trail route to Rysy from the Slovak side:
Parking - blue trail from Popradské Staw - Mięguszowiecka Valley - red trail behind the waterfall - Żabie Stawy Mięguszowieckie - fragment with chains and ladders - Chata Pod Rysami - Waga Pass - Rysy

The trail is often chosen by Polish tourists. The route begins with a parking lot, an hour's walk along the asphalt. This is a very easy part of the road, accessible to wheelchairs. It is worth taking this 4 km long walk, because the asphalt ends at the very picturesque Poprad Pond (Popradske Pleso), where you will also find a tourist hostel and a hotel.

Blue trail through the Mięguszowiecka Valley - a booth with packages

We came to the pond on the way back, and in order to go to Rysy, you should still bounce off the asphalt left in the blue trail in front of the shelter. This is where the famous parcel booth stands. From here, you can take a load on your back and go to the Chata pod Rysami. The loads are between 5 and 20 kilograms. In this way, tourists can eat something in the shelter that others are trying to take away. They get free tea for it. We admire these people because hard wooden frames do not have any amenities. There are no lap belts, soft lining, like removed from the beginning of the 20th century. And you can see how the weight crushes these daredevils to the ground. Respect.

The blue trail has a more Beskid character. Hardened soil with stones protruding here and there. It leads through a dense forest, through which only sometimes the rocky peaks of the Tatra Mountains emerge. Here, the trail is wet in places, and the boulders are slippery. The bigger it is, the easier it is to slip. Watch out. Along with the meters, tall trees are more and more giving up, as if they understand that this mountain does not belong to them. They give way to pine trees and more and more rocks, on which the Żabi Potok flows.

Red trail along Żabie Stawów

Just behind the waterfall on Żabie Potok, you have to turn right into the red trail, which accompanies you to the very top. Here there is only a stony substrate, and slowly the rhizome loses to difficult conditions. Serpentines begin, which people usually complain about. They climb uphill, changing direction every now and then. It's not difficult at all, but tedious.

On the left, water appears, beautifully reflecting golden turns from the sun. This is the Great Frog Pond of Mięguszowiecki. It owes its name to a rocky island in the middle, which is supposed to resemble a frog. From the pond, the trail increasingly climbs upwards.

Ladders & Chains

2 ladders and chains appear here. This is a fragment that many people spend their sleep on. In fact, it's not scary at all. Chains and ladders make it safe and, in principle, if you are physically fit, you can easily cope with it. There is no gap here, and the fragment is short. It's only 250 meters, where you have to secure yourself with chains. Queues can be a bigger problem. We waited upstairs for about 10 minutes, but when we came down, we stood in the tail for about 40 minutes.

It is less than 500 metres from the hostel. Behind the chains there is only a boulder pit. It reminded us of climbing Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England, and Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales. It wasn't easy there either. Slowly stepping up the rock stairs and slowly breaking the distance. And you have to be careful, because some boulders are not stable and you can easily hurt yourself. There have been a lot of accidents in Rysy in the past, including quite a lot of fatalities, so be careful and have respect for the mountains.

Chata pod Rysami - a hostel under Rysami, the highest located in the Tatras

A triumphant gate can already be seen above. Such a breeze of the Himalayan climate. And in fact, soon the building of the shelter under Rysy appeared to our eyes. Before you reach it, you will see a bus stop with the current timetable. It's a joke of our southern neighbors. In their language, it is a stop that stands here peacefully when our valves want to explode with effort.

Now it's just a few steps to the Cottage. It is the highest located hostel in the Tatras, you will never sleep higher. And here, too, there is usually a shortage of accommodation, it is worth ordering more in advance. It was built in 1933 and was destroyed many times by an avalanche. The views from here are fantastic. Inside, we ate cake with poppy seeds and drank kofola. There are also simple dishes, such as soups, stew or fried cheese. You will pay here only in cash in Euro.

The highest located outhouse in the Tatras

There is a wooden outhouse behind the cottage. It is beautifully painted and almost hanging over the precipice. In addition, from this side, the wall is glazed from top to bottom, which gives a fantastic impression. Fantastic view. It's an experience in itself. You need to visit the place, mainly because it is the only toilet on the scratch route from asphalt. And since we're going for a few hours, you just want to. We waited here in line for about half an hour. You have to praise that there is running water, toilet paper and all this for free.

It was while standing in this queue that I was scared for the first time that day. I read that it is difficult from the Cottage and I must admit that when I looked at the high tournament, after which people walked far up the narrow trail over the abyss, I froze slightly. But looking around, it seemed to me that there were not many tourists there. Fortunately, it turned out that it was not Rysy, but Heavy Peak. We did not have him in our plans. We had to go the other way, in a string of tourists. There was the last, less than a kilometer section on which we were to cover 250 meters up.

Access to Rysy - the Libra and Kopa pass over the Libra 2,385 m

The cabin is getting steep and tiring, not dangerous yet. On the Libra Pass, for the first time, there is a view of the northern slopes of the High Tatras along with the Frozen and Heavy ponds and the post-glacial Heavy Valley. The trail leads along the western slope of Rysy. They also appear for the first time in all their glory. There are 3 climaxes of this mountain. 2 on the side of the neighbors and the third is the Polish-Slovak border. This is our main goal and the highest point of Poland - 2499 m above sea level. The highest is 2501, and some believe that 2503 meters above sea level. The third point is 2,472 meters above sea level.

It's the peak. The trip to Rysy was a success!

The final fragment of the ridge is so steep that you can't manage without the help of your hands. The rocks here are very high and irregular. It's more climbing than marching. But we defeated him without much fear. The fact, the awareness that there is a chasm and it is steep beneath you, works a bit on the imagination and I would not call it a comfort zone, but I imagined it worse and really step by step you can do it. I held onto the rocks with my hands and didn't move my legs until I found some grip with my hands. It may not have looked too proud, but it was effective and safe. You have to be careful, because others are next to you. Very close, they poke, push and scare with sticks protruding from their backpacks. Here, too, many already have helmets on their heads, because sometimes loose stones slide from under their feet. We didn't think about it, but it's worth it.

There are a lot of people at this climax. The summit itself is very crowded, so you have to wait a bit to be able to take a sheet of paper with the inscription Rysy in your hand and say: "We have it". When we said it, an engagement took place in the background behind us. Perfect master of the second plan. All the best!

You have to go to the other side of the dome to admire the Sea Eye and the Black Pond on the Polish side. The panorama is beautiful and you can see about 130 other peaks, including 80 in the Tatras and 13 lakes. Although they are even higher here, such as Wysoka or the highest Gerlach, the satisfaction is enormous.

Poprad Pond or Popradské Pleso

We go back the same way. When we reached the parking lot, instead of turning right to the parking lot, we turned left to the beautifulPoprad Pond. It is a very photogenic place, especially in the afternoon sun, when the bright rocks of Osterwy reflect in the glacial lake. We visited the local shelter, ate a meal and used the toilet. Then we walked along the yellow trail half of the pond, admiring the beautiful landscapes. Our goal here was the cemetery of the victims, which we did not want to visit going up, so as not to add stress to ourselves.

Tatra Symbolic Cemetery - Dead as a souvenir, living as a warning

In 1940, the Tatra Symbolic Cemetery was built on the yellow trail near Poprad Pond. His motto is: "To the dead as a remembrance, to the living as a warning". The cemetery is decorated with beautifully painted, colorful crosses. The place is atmospheric and reflective, there are few tourists here, so you can feel it in peace. All plaques commemorating the tragic deaths scattered throughout the Tatras were collected here. About 400 deceased people were commemorated here, including Polish names. When hiking to Rysy and other peaks, take care of yourself and buy insurance beforehand. Rescue operations in Slovakia are privately funded.

From here, it is only an hour's walk along the asphalt section to the car park, where the car is waiting and our struggles are over. Our trip to Rysy ended so happily and successfully. Good luck to you too!

Slovak Trail to Rysy - practical information

The trails show a time of 4.5 hours
The entire route will takeat least 8-9 hours, it took us 12 hours, but we waited in queues, took our time and also visited the cemetery of Tatra victims
So it is worth setting off as early as possible in the morning to find a place in the parking lot and to have a supply on the route
There are queues on the route, we in the queues to the chains and the outhouse lost a total of 2 hours
We were climbing the Tatras in September, despite the nice weather, in the morning in the parking lot at around 5.30 am it was 3 degrees Celsius
The end of August and September are the most favorable days to reach this peak. Snow and ice no longer linger, and thunderstorms are less likely than in July. Remember that shorter days start then
The trail from the southern neighbours is closed from November to the end of May
It is worth taking gloves on the trail, not necessarily climbing gloves, cycling gloves will also work well. They will be useful on chains and in the last section, when you have to support yourself with your hands on the rocks
It is worth thinking about a climbing helmet, because tourists sometimes knock down stones of various sizes, which can be dangerous
The trail is not very difficult but requires good condition

Map with the route of approach to Rysy from the Slovak side

Below on the map, we marked the route of entry to Rysy in Slovakia. This is sure to make it easier for you to plan your trip

Our video

We invite everyone to our account of climbing this summit.

Route to Rysy along the red trail from the Polish side

The features rise to the southeast of Morskie Oko. It is from the shelter at Morskie Oko that the redtrail leads to Rysy, through Czarny Staw and Bula pod Rysach. The time of transition to Rysy from the Shelter by Morskie Oko is 3 hours and 50 minutes (50 minutes you enter by Czarny Staw). Of course, you also need to add a long approach to this hostel if you do not decide to sleep in it.

It is the only route to Rysy on the Polish side. With chains and high terrain slope. And in shady places, with the possibility of snowflakes. The Polish trail is clearly more difficult than the trail from the Slovak side, which is why many Poles, like us, decide to enter from our southern neighbors.

See our text Mountains in Poland. The most beautiful peaks

Access to the Popradské pleso car park

The easiest way to get to the car park is by car. Białka Tatrzańska is about an hour away. It is completely asphalt, new and comfortable. Safe even at night. But you can also get here by other means of transport. Next to the car park there is the Elektriczka electric train station (tickets can be bought online, you can't buy them on the train). The cable car to Rysy starts in Stary Smokovec, and you can reach it from Zakopane by bus.

First entrance to Rysy

The first ascent of Rysy took place on July 30, 1840. This was done by Eduard Blásy and his guide Ján Ruman Driečny. Blás liked it so much that he was here 19 more times later.

Others known at the top include Curie Skłodowska and her husband, or Lenin. In memory of the latter, an unconfirmed entrance, a plaque was placed at the top. The highlanders did not like it and they destroyed it many times. Later, it was pulled out only for officials.

Popular Scratches - views from the roof of Poland

Rysy is one of the most frequently besieged peaks in the Tatras. The first ascent took place in 1840 and since then Rysy has been gaining popularity. Did you know that on September 13, 2008, as many as 2,512 people entered Rysy from the Slovak side?

Probably because the roof of Poland can be seen as many as 130 mountains, including 80 Tatra peaks and about 50 peaks in other mountains. In addition, there are several Tatra lakes, and in good weather even Cracow, 90 km away.

Many climbing routes have been created in the Rysy massif. It is also an interesting peak in terms of nature. A unique wealth of plants, mainly alpine, including rare flora specimens found only in the Tatras. There are chamois and marmots in Rysy, foxes come to the top, and several species of birds are also found.

Pin on the map of the Crown of the Polish Mountains

For several years, we thought that we would not do it, that we would let Rysy go in our lives. But when this Crown popped up, well, we finally had to face this peak and on September 21, 2024, we did it successfully. Finally, we can drive a pin into the map of the Crown of the Polish Mountains. Now downhill. At the moment, we have 8 of the 28 peaks left!

Curiosities about Scratches

The first ascent of Rysy took place on July 30, 1840. It was won by Eduard Blásy with a guide Ján Ruman Driečný. Later, Blasy was at the top 19 more times
From the summit, you can see about 130 other peaks: 80 in the Tatras and 50 in other ranges. You can also see 13 lakes
On September 13, 2008, 2,512 people walked the trail to Rysy from the southern neighbors' side
In the years 2016-2021, there were as many as 199 accidents on the Polish side on the way to Rysy from Czarny Staw, including as many as 21 fatalities. Have respect for the mountains!
Chata pod Rysami is the highest chalet in the Tatras. Built in 1933, it was repeatedly destroyed by avalanches
Next to it you will find a wooden outhouse, the highest located in the Tatras. It's free, and the wall you look at while sitting on the throne is glazed from top to bottom, offering a wonderful view. Since the trail descends from the asphalt, it is the only place to settle down, which is why long queues are lined up here
The scratches have three vertices, 2 on the Slovak side and one on the Polish-Slovak border
The summit was also won by Maria Skłodowska-Curie and her husband

Practical information

Blue and then red trail to Rysy From the
paid parking lot Popradske Pleso in Slovakia

Rent a car

Exploring becomes much easier when you have your own means of transport. You don’t have to worry about buses or taxis, and you can plan each day your way. The search box below will help you find the right car – right where your journey begins.

What's worth seeing in the area?

If you have already visited this attraction, it is also worth visiting several other interesting ones places nearby. Within a radius of 100 kilometers you will find many interesting places places that can diversify your stay in this part of Poland.

Three Crowns, distance: 35.2 km
Babia Góra, distance: 59.6 km
Castle in Żywiec, distance: 85.6 km
Wieliczka Salt Mine, distance: 89.4 km
Bochnia Salt Mine, distance: 91 km
Kazimierz in Kraków, distance: 97.6 km
Wawel Castle in Kraków, distance: 97.9 km
Wawel Cathedral, distance: 97.9 km
St. Mary's Church in Krakow, distance: 98.7 km
Market Square in Krakow, distance: 98.7 km