Chełm Hill in Myślenice

Chełm (614 m) rises above the town of Myślenice, and since 1989 visitors have been riding up on one of Poland's longest single-seat chairlifts. The journey of just over two kilometres from Zarabie ends next to a 15-metre lookout tower, from where on a clear day you can see the Gorce range, the Beskid Wyspowy, Kraków and even the Tatras. It is the easiest way to swap the town for a mountain panorama in a single afternoon.

History: from forest settlement to ski station

Chełm was once a village of its own, whose inhabitants still served as forest wardens guarding the woods of the same name in 1752. It was only incorporated into Myślenice in 1951, and today the whole summit lies within the town limits. According to local accounts, the outlaw Józef Baczyński was active around Chełm and Lanckorona in 1730–1736, and fighting took place here during the Bar Confederation in the 18th century. The tourist era began with the chairlift, opened on 31 January 1989 and built by the Kraków firm Mostostal.

The chairlift to Chełm

The line is 2,029 m long with a vertical rise of 305 m, and the ride on single chairs takes 18–20 minutes. It starts in Zarabie, the leisure district of Myślenice, and passes over the Bluszcz nature reserve. The operator, Sport Arena Myślenice, says the chairs are widened so that an adult can ride together with a child under 7, and bicycles can be taken up as well. Until 2010 Chełm was Poland's main downhill mountain-biking venue and hosted the Polish Cup.

What to see at the top

• Lookout tower (15 m) – views of the Beskid Makowski, Beskid Wyspowy, Gorce and the Wieliczka Foothills, plus Kraków; in very good visibility the Tatras.
• Karczma na Górze Chełm – an inn serving regional food, a few steps from the tower and the top station.
• Trailheads – the green trail leads down to Zarabie (about 40 minutes) or along the ridge towards Śliwnik, Uklejna and the Kudłacze mountain hut.

Tripto tip

The chairlift runs seasonally and times depend on the weather; in October 2026 the operator listed weekend rides from 10:00 to 17:00. Check the Sport Arena website before you go. A good plan: chairlift up, tower, then the green trail down to Zarabie – 2–3 hours in total. Keener walkers can follow the ridge over Uklejna, with its viewing platform over the Raba valley, and return to Myślenice past the ruins of a medieval tower. After rain the forest paths can be slippery, so wear shoes with good grip.