Pieniny: Jaworki -> Wierchliczka -> Homole Gorge

Until recently, I primarily associated the Pieniny Mountains with the Three Crowns massif and the Dunajec River. However, a few days ago, while reading Mateusz Stawiarz’s blog, I came across an intriguing post about a trail leading from Jaworki to the Biala Woda Reserve in the Pieniny. The photos shared in the post were so inspiring that we decided to hike this trail, with an additional extension through the Homole Gorge to create a loop and avoid retracing our steps. We chose May 1st for our hike, the first day of the Polish long weekend. That motivated us to wake up early—after all, May 1st is when everyone in Poland heads out for the May holiday, and mountain trails become crowded in the early afternoon.

Indeed, rising at 5 a.m. was worthwhile. The weather that day was perfect, with the sun rarely hiding behind clouds. By 8 a.m., we were already on the trail, enjoying the solitude before other tourists arrived. What can I say about the trail itself? The views completely surprised me. The entire route was dominated by expansive, spring-green meadows. From various points, we could see the Three Crowns and Luban summits. Honestly, there was no point in stowing away our cameras for most of the hike. This trail shifted my perspective on the Pieniny area: now, it’s not just about the Three Crowns; the rolling hills and open meadows define the Pieniny for me!

You might wonder, “Why no photos from the Homole Gorge?” The answer is simple: we reached the gorge at 3 p.m., when the weekend crowd had completely flooded the trail, making photography nearly impossible. Ah, long weekends—our Polish national sport! ;)

Today, as I upload the photos to my website, I realize we made a small mistake: we didn’t reach Wysoka summit, we passed it by. Yet Wysoka is the highest peak in the Pieniny! Well, it looks like we’ll have to return someday. I’m already looking forward to correcting that little oversight—perhaps in autumn, when the sun illuminates the browns?

For those planning to visit, keep in mind that parking in Jaworki village is not free, and currently, you can only pay with coins. While there’s a coin-changing machine on-site, you never know if there might be a shortage of coins or a malfunction that day. To be safe, bring approx 30 PLN in 5 and 2 PLN coins with you. And if you happen to arrive without coins, at least have banknotes and exchange them right away upon arrival before hitting the trail.

Here you’ll find the route map. Highly recommended! Just like Mateusz’s blog, which I also highly recommend :)