Hiking in the Polish Tatra Mountains: the Strążyska Valley (Dolina Strążyska)

The Strążyska Valley is the best trail in the Polish Tatras for a trip with children, seniors, for beginner hikers, or for those who want to take a longer walk surrounded by beautiful nature and mountains.

In the Valley, you will experience the pure beauty of wild mountain nature. It is not very long, it stretches along the swift creek, on the way you will encounter a lot of bridges, boulders, small waterfalls where you can soak your hands – a lot is going on for a little (or bigger) weary tourist. It’s not as crowded as other big valleys in the Tatra Mountains. You can come across the school trips, but fewer tourists compared to the Chochołowska Valley or the Kościeliska Valley. And another advantage of the Strążyska Valley is that the trail starts on the outskirts of Zakopane town, so you don’t need to drive far to get there.

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 of the Strążyska Valley:

At the end of the valley, there is the Strążyska Glade (Polana Strążyska) with a tiny hut where you can have lunch (pierogi, soup, sausage, oscypek cheese, etc.) or something sweet (eg, the flagship dessert of Tatra huts – apple pie/szarlotka and tea with cranberry jam). The hut has little space – it gets busy when the weather is rainy or a school trip arrives. When the weather is nice, you can sit outside at one of the many wooden benches with a view of Giewont Mountain (it is a very characteristic mountain with a massive cross on the top)

If you still have enough strength in your legs, it is worth taking another short trail from the Strążyska Glade to the Siklawica Waterfall (Wodospad Siklawica). A wooden sign/arrow will direct you to the trail. The sign says walking time is 15 minutes; however, getting to a waterfall, eg, with a three-year-old, can take 20 minutes or more (one way)

The Strążyska Valley hike time:

Hike time up: 40 minutes
Hike time down: 35 minutes

Strążyska Valley RED trail. Source: Tatrzański Park Narodowy (www.tpn.pl)

How to get to the Strążyska Valley?

The trail starts on the outskirts of Zakopane town (starting point on Google Maps). A few steps from the entrance to the valley, there is a paid parking lot. The buses going from different parts of Zakopane and taxis can stop just at the entrance to the valley. You can reach the Strążyska Valley entrance on foot – from the center of Zakopane (Krupówki Street), it takes about 30 minutes (2,5 km).

Strążyska Valley is breathtaking (and accessible!) during the wintertime. Take the sledge for your kids – it can be helpful on the way back to sliding down!

Our tips on hiking the Strążyska Valley

Difficulty level: The Strążyska Valley is a relatively easy trail, especially in terms of the trail length (the whole trip back and forth takes a little over an hour). Compared to the flat Kościeliska Valley, the trail has a moderate elevation gain. At the end of the trail, the route gets a little steeper, but the finishing line (the Strążyska Glade/Polana Strążyska) is close and you will soon forget about the shortness of breath;) The trail is suitable for everyone in fair hiking conditions, including children and seniors.
Most of the trail is accessible to strollers (the ones with bigger wheels or air-filled tires). Depending on the model of your stroller, it may be necessary to carry it on a path with larger stones at the end of the trail. Also, please note that the trail’s surface is relatively bumpy, so not every child will like it. Generally speaking, a four-year-old or a five-year-old should be able to walk the trail by himself/herself back and forth. Younger children can go partly on foot and partly in a stroller or a baby carrier. The trail to the Siklawica Waterfall is not accessible to strollers.
The trail is practically all shaded.
Mobile toilets are located at the entrance to the valley and next to the hut at the end of the trail (the Strążyska Glade/Polana Strążyska).
Where can you rest and eat something? Right at the entrance to the valley, there is a paid parking lot, a bus stop, and souvenir stalls, you can buy waffles (gofry) or ice cream (lody). There is also a cozy café, called “Roma” (Facebook, Instagram), with many books for children and adults. The decor is reminiscent of a city café, which can be a nice change when overwhelmed with mountain folklore. Suppose you would like to have a Tatra mountain-style lunch. Within 7 minutes ‘ walking distance from the entrance to the valley, there are two restaurants on Strążyska Street serving traditional food of the Polish Tatra Mountains: Karczma Żabi Dwór and Walkowy Dwór.

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).
Our tips on hiking in The Kościeliska Valley – one of the most picturesque valleys in the Polish Tatra Mountains.
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 Strążyska Valley in the Polish Tatra Mountains
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Hiking trails in Poland: the Strążyska Valley in the Polish Tatra Mountains

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