Soszów Wielki, Silesian Beskids

Soszów Wielki (885 m, Velký Sošov in Czech) is a border peak in the Stożek–Czantoria ridge where you can stand with one foot in Poland and the other in the Czech Republic. The Main Beskid Trail runs over the summit, and the clearing at the top opens onto a panorama of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids. It makes a good half-day goal from Wisła, with a pre-war mountain hut just below the top.

A peak on the border

Soszów Wielki lies between Cieślar to the south and Mały Soszów to the north. The summit plateau is flat and stretches west, where steep slopes drop into the Hluchová valley on the Czech side. The Polish part of the mountain belongs to the town of Wisła. On the north-eastern slope is the Soszów ski area with a chairlift and several shorter lifts, so in winter the area is mostly about skiing.

The view from the top

The panorama takes in much of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids: Lysá hora (1,323 m) with its mast, Javorový with its transmitter tower, Kozubová and Ostrý, plus the deep cut of the Lomná valley. On a clear day you can also see Stożek Wielki, the Velký and Malý Polom ridge and, on the horizon, the western part of Slovakia's Malá Fatra. The best views face the Czech side, so the summit looks finest in the afternoon, with side light.

Trails and the mountain hut

About 500 m north of the summit stands the Soszów mountain hut, one of the oldest in the Silesian Beskids, which has kept the feel of old-style mountain refuges. It is a trail junction for the red Main Beskid Trail, the green trail from Wisła and the blue Wisła – Nýdek trail. Approximate walking times:

• from Czantoria Wielka via the Beskidek pass – about 1 h 15 min,
• from Stożek Wielki – about 1 h 15 min,
• from Wisła Uzdrowisko – about 2 h 15 min.

Tripto tip

The nicest option is a loop: climb from Wisła to Soszów, follow the ridge to Stożek Wielki and descend back to Wisła, which takes a few hours in total and passes two mountain huts. Families with children can shorten the walk by taking the chairlift up to Soszów in season, if it is running. There are no border checks here, but carry ID if you head down to the Czech side. In winter the slopes belong to the ski area, so walkers should stick to the marked trails.