Zwardoń Ski Resort

Zwardoń sits high on a pass by the Slovak border, and snow lasts longer here than in the valleys. The biggest ski area in the village is Zwardoń Ski on the western slope of Mały Rachowiec – with the first chairlift in the area and a run you can also ski in the evening.

What you will find

• The "Mały Rachowiec" chairlift – a four-seater, 860 m long, carrying 2,400 people per hour. It opened on 27 December 2012, replacing an old two-person T-bar.
• Red run no. 1 – about 900 m along the lift, floodlit, groomed and with snowmaking. Water for its nine snow guns is stored in a 6,500 m³ reservoir on top of Mały Rachowiec.
• "Śnieżny Raj" – a green nursery slope (130 m) with a free rope tow for children.
• Duży Rachowiec – the neighbouring area on the northern slope of Rachowiec, linked by a joint ski pass: a two-person T-bar 1,200 m long and two runs, red and blue, groomed but without snowmaking or lights.
• Facilities – a snow park, ski school, equipment rental and service, two inns at the bottom and top stations, and free parking.

Who it suits

Families and leisure skiers: a short, even red run, a separate nursery slope and a ski school work better here than at big resorts. Stronger skiers will appreciate the longer T-bar on Duży Rachowiec, and the Zwardoń area as a whole has more than a dozen lifts, including some on the Slovak side.

Tripto tip

The resort posts lift hours, snow conditions and prices on its website and webcams – check them before you go, as in high season there is a short technical break in the afternoon. Zwardoń can be reached by train from Żywiec; the station is a few hundred metres from the bottom station. In summer the slope of Mały Rachowiec is a good starting point for a walk up Rachowiec.