Mount Żar

The top of Mount Żar looks nothing like it did half a century ago. In the 1970s it was levelled and turned into an artificial kite-shaped reservoir holding 2.31 million m³ of water. This is the upper reservoir of the Porąbka-Żar pumped-storage power station, the highest of its kind in Poland. A funicular takes you up to 761 m in 5.5 minutes, and from the top you can see Lake Żywiec, the Żywiec Basin and the peaks of three Beskid ranges.

History: from glider field to power station

In 1936 the Air and Gas Defence League opened a glider airfield on the summit. In 1947 a landing strip for the planes that towed gliders was built at the foot of the mountain. Everything changed when the power station was built between 1971 and 1979: the top was levelled, the glider field moved to the middle slopes, and in 1979 both the reservoir and an asphalt road to the summit were completed. The Żar Mountain Gliding School still operates at the foot of the mountain, and gliders and paragliders regularly circle above the slopes.

The reservoir on the summit

The reservoir is 650 m long, up to 250 m wide and as much as 28 m deep. It's sealed with several layers of asphalt and reinforced concrete, and its embankments are more than 30 m high. A pumped-storage plant works like a giant battery: when there's surplus power it pumps water uphill, and when the grid needs electricity it lets the water run back down through the turbines. The 440 m pumping height is the greatest in Poland. The reservoir is an industrial facility, not a swimming spot, so view it only from the designated places.

Funicular and views

The funicular has run since 2004. The line is 1,300 m long, and the lower station sits at about 450 m at ul. Górska 21 in Międzybrodzie Żywieckie. At the top station you'll find snack bars, a restaurant, binoculars and a panorama board naming the peaks. You can see the Żywiec Basin with Lake Żywiec, the Żywiec and Silesian Beskids, the Magurka Wilkowicka group across the Soła river and, to the north beyond Lake Czaniec, the Silesian Foothills. In winter ski lifts and runs operate on the slopes.

Tripto tip

• Prices (low season, 1 Oct–18 Dec 2026): a return ticket bought online costs PLN 32 standard and PLN 25 reduced. At the ticket office or machine it's PLN 37 and PLN 29. A one-way online ticket costs PLN 25. Children under 4 ride free.
• Maintenance closure: the funicular is closed from 26 October to 6 November 2026 and reopens on 7 November.
• On foot: the Little Beskid Trail climbs to the summit from the Porąbka dam. There's also an asphalt road, closed to cars except for authorised vehicles.
• Parking: paid, at the lower station.
• Time needed: about 1.5 hours for the ride and the views. Allow half a day if you walk.