Central Sports Centre in Szczyrk

The COS Skrzyczne ski area in Szczyrk (say "shchirk") is run by Poland's Central Sports Center on the slopes of Skrzyczne (1,257 m / 4,124 ft), the highest peak of the Silesian Beskids. In winter it offers some of the steepest runs in the region, including a FIS race course. All year round a two-stage chairlift carries visitors from Szczyrk to the summit. It is one of Poland's oldest ski areas and is now linked to the neighboring Szczyrk Mountain Resort.

Where it is

Szczyrk lies in southern Poland, about 17 km (11 mi) south of Bielsko-Biała. It is roughly 1.5 hours by car from Katowice Airport and around 2 hours from Kraków. The lower chairlift station is at Myśliwska 45, close to the town center. Without a car, take the train to Bielsko-Biała and a regional Komunikacja Beskidzka bus to Szczyrk.

A bit of history

The chairlift to Skrzyczne was built between 1954 and 1960, and its first section opened in January 1958. Since 1970 the area has belonged to the Central Sports Center (COS), a state body that also trains Poland's national teams here. The lifts have been rebuilt step by step: a new upper section in 2013, a new lower section in 2017, and a covered six-seat chair on the Doliny slope in December 2024.

The skiing

The operator lists more than 10 km (6 mi) of runs. The black and red runs have snowmaking, and the best known is the FIS run, which starts next to the top station and ends at the foot of the Doliny slope; the operator says it holds FIS homologation for alpine racing. On winter weekdays from 8 to 10 am, part of it is reserved for club training.

The chairlift has two four-seat sections with a capacity of 2,400 people per hour, plus the six-seater on Doliny and a platter lift. A shared lift pass with Szczyrk Mountain Resort and Beskid Sport Arena covers close to 40 km (25 mi) of runs, and COS and SMR have been linked by ski runs since 2018/19.

This is terrain for confident intermediates and experts. Beginners will be happier on the gentler SMR slopes, which they can reach with the shared pass.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026:

• the chairlift runs 9 am–5:20 pm, with the last ride down from the summit at 5 pm,
• a round trip Szczyrk–Skrzyczne–Szczyrk costs PLN 79 at the ticket office or PLN 65 online (juniors/seniors PLN 64/52, children 6–11 PLN 56/46, under 6 free),
• payment on the mountain (Jaworzyna and Skrzyczne) is card only.

Winter 2026/27 lift pass prices and opening dates have not been published yet. Check skrzyczne.cos.pl before your trip.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you want a real mountain feel close to Kraków and Katowice. Even outside the ski season the chairlift ride and the panorama from the top are a good half-day trip. Families will find a playground shaped like a snow groomer at the Jaworzyna midway station, and a PTTK mountain hut near the summit serves hot meals all year.