Hiking in **the Polish Tatra Mountains: the Kościeliska Valley (Dolina Kościeliska)**

The Kościeliska Valley is one of the most picturesque valleys in the Polish Tatra Mountains (and one of the most visited destinations in the Tatras), ending with a big hut with an impressive view of the Tatras. The trail leads along a comfortable, wide path, gently climbing up. It’s more of a long walk than a mountain hike; children won’t tire quickly. The beautiful stream (Potok Kościeliski) runs smoothly along the bottom of the ravine. What distinguishes the valley from other Tatra trails is that 5 out of 6 caves that are accessible to tourists are located in the Kościeliska Valley.

Before reading this article, we encourage you to read our main post about hiking in the Polish Tatras, which includes:

When is the best time of the year to visit the Tatra Mountains and Zakopane for hiking?
Do I need to buy a ticket to enter the Tatra National Park?
How do you dress for a trip to the Tatra Mountains?
What time is best to go on the trail in the Tatras? And why is it early morning?
The top hikes for beginners and families with children (stroller-accessible trails) in the Polish Tatra Mountains
Details in our post: Hiking in Poland: the Tatra Mountains and Zakopane trails.

Attractions along the Kościeliska Valley:

The Mroźna Cave (Jaskinia Mroźna) is open from April 26 until October 30, 9 am – 5 pm. The cave is closed during winter to protect the bats hibernating there. The entrance is paid. The ticket can be purchased at the entry point in the Kościeliska Valley, online, or at the entrance to the Mroźna Cave (here, due to the lack of internet coverage, payment is only possible in cash). Children under seven have free entrance. It is recommended to bring your helmet. The cave is unlit. You must have your flashlight/headlamp (the light from your mobile phone may not be enough). It is cold in the cave – do not forget about warm clothes, the temperature inside is constantly below 10°C, and the time of visiting the cave is about 30-40 minutes. The length of the cave corridors is 773 m, of which the tourist path is about 500 m. To get to the Mroźna Cave, you need an additional 30 minutes up (about 2 km after entering the valley, you have to turn onto the trail to the cave), 30 minutes of the trail in the cave, and 10 minutes down, back to the main trail.
After about an hour of walking, there is the Pisana Glade (Polana Pisana) – a usual stop on the Kościeliska trail (horse carriage/sleigh stop, wooden benches, access to a creek, mobile toilets).
The Kraków Gorge (Wąwóz Kraków), ending with the Smocza Jama Cave (an additional 20 minutes up and 35 minutes down, back to the main trail). Wąwóz Kraków and the cave are such original and unique places that they can highlight the whole trip. High mossy walls create a fairytale atmosphere. In the Karków Gorge, you can feel like you’re on a serious mountain expedition – there are some chains and a ladder. Kids (and adults) will love it! To visit the Smocza Jama cave, you should have a flashlight (you don’t need to go into the cave; you can skip it and select an alternative trail on the surface).
The Mylna Cave (Jaskinia Mylna) and the Raptawicka Cave (Jaskinia Raptawicka) – to visit the caves, you will need an additional 40 minutes. You must have a flashlight/headlamp. Entry is free. Some corridors are very narrow and low – you will have to take off a large backpack, for example; the cave is damp and muddy – you will get your clothes dirty. In summer, the temperature in the cave is around +5 °C.
The Smreczyński Lake (Staw Smreczyński) is a picturesque small mountain lake. You will need an additional 30 minutes up and 25 minutes down, back to the hut in the Hala Ornak Glade. The trail to the lake is quite steep – it’s not accessible to strollers.
The mountain hut (schronisko) in the Ornak Glade (Hala Ornak) is 1,100 m above sea level. You can have lunch there, rest inside the hut, or outside, on wooden benches in front of the hut with a beautiful view of the Tatra Mountains. Website in Polish.

New INDOOR attraction in the Valley, opened in 2024

“Tatra Archive of Planet Earth” (Tatrzańskie Archiwum Planety Ziemia).
This is an underground educational center located at the entrance to the Kościeliska Valley. Location on Google Maps.
The educational center (targeting children aged 7-15) presents extraordinary natural phenomena, the role of water, pressure, temperature, and the history of mountain formation. An essential point of the tour is a meeting with the prehistoric inhabitants of the Tatras – in one of the rooms, you will see a life-size model of a dinosaur and a cave bear, recreated based on remains found in the Tatras.
The exhibition is only accessible in groups. Entry is possible approximately every 30 minutes, and the tour lasts approximately 60 minutes.
The guided tour is in Polish. English-speaking visitors receive the English version in the audio guides. In the case of organized groups, there is a possibility of an English-guided tour.
Admission is paid – purchasing tickets online in advance is recommended, guaranteeing entry at the selected time and avoiding any potential queues.
Closed every Monday and on holidays.
Accessible for people with disabilities.
Website in Polish.

Photo source: Tatrzański Park Narodowy

The Kościeliska Valley hike time:

Hike time up: 90 minutes.
Hike time down: 90 minutes.

Kościeliska Valley GREEN trail. Source: Tatrzański Park Narodowy (www.tpn.pl)

How to get to the Kościeliska Valley?

The trail starts next to the paid parking lot in the village of Kiry (starting point on Google Maps). You can get to Kiry from Zakopane by car, bus, or taxi (about 10 minutes, 7 km).

Our tips on hiking the Kościeliska Valley:

Difficulty level: Dolina Kościeliska is an easy trail in terms of very little elevation gain. It’s suitable for everyone in fair hiking conditions, including children and seniors. However, you need to take into account it’s a relatively long walk – it takes about 90 minutes one way (for comparison, the whole trip back and forth on the Strążyska Valley trail takes over an hour).
The Kościeliska Valley is a stroller-accessible trail (preferably with bigger wheels or air-filled tires). Please note that the trail’s surface is relatively bumpy, so not every child will like it. The caves in the Kościeliska Valley, as well as the Kraków Gorge and the Smreczyński Lake, are not accessible to strollers.
The trail, for the most part, is not shaded.
Mobile toilets are located at the entrance to the valley and in the middle of the valley; regular toilets are available in the hut at the end of the trail (Hala Ornak Glade).
There is a possibility to take a highlander horse carriage (dorożka, bryczka) from Kiry village to Polana Pisana / Pisana Glade (about two-thirds of the total route). One carriage takes 4-5 people. Fees are agreed individually with transport organizers – owners of horse-drawn carriages. In winter, they use sleighs pulled by horses.

Our guide to hiking in the Tatra Mountains in Poland:

For more information on hiking with children in the Polish Tatra Mountains, check out our post: Eight easy tips to make your adventure in the Tatras fun for the whole family.
Click here to read our tips on hiking in the Polish Tatra Mountains (When is the best time of the year to visit the Tatra Mountains and Zakopane? Do I need to buy a ticket to enter the Tatra National Park? What time is best to go on the trail in the Tatras? How to dress for a trip to the Tatra Mountains?).
Before you head to the Polish Tatra Mountains, read our post about visiting Zakopane: The town of Zakopane – the heart of the Polish Tatra Mountains (ideas for things to do in Zakopane, the souvenirs from Zakopane, skiing in Zakopane, how to get to Zakopane).
Here are our tips for hiking to The Strążyska Valley – the best trail in the Polish Tatras for a trip with children, for seniors or for beginner hikers.
Here are our tips for hiking to The Morskie Oko – the largest lake in the Tatra Mountains.

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Hiking trails in Poland: the Kościeliska Valley in the Polish Tatra Mountains

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