Szyndzielnia

Szyndzielnia takes its name from the local dialect word szyndzioł, meaning a wooden roof shingle: villagers from Kamienica and Olszówka made shingles for the town of Bielsko from timber felled on its slopes. Today you ride up the mountain (1,028 m) in about 8 minutes by gondola lift, which in 1953 was the first gondola built in post-war Poland. Below the summit stands the oldest mountain hut in the Polish Beskids, and next to it an alpine garden with plants from Europe's mountains.

History: the Beskidenverein and the first gondola

The hut at 1,001 m was built in 1897 by the German hiking association Beskidenverein — it was the first mountain hut in the Silesian Beskids and in the Polish Beskids as a whole; it took its present form after an extension in 1954–1957. In 1905, at the initiative of the association's president Wilhelm Schlesinger, the Bielsko museum curator Edward Schnack created an alpine garden of about 400 m² below the hut. It brought together plants from the Beskids and the Eastern Alps; after years of neglect the garden was restored and reopened in 2011. The gondola lift opened on 21 December 1953 and was modernised in 1994–1995 and in 2017.

What to see

• The gondola lift — a route of about 1,800 m climbing roughly 450 m; the cabins take pushchairs, bicycles and dogs on a lead and muzzled.
• The observation tower by the top station — 18 m high and standing since 2015; there is an extra charge to climb it.
• The PTTK mountain hut with a restaurant and viewing terrace, about 600 m on foot from the top station.
• The alpine garden, part of an educational nature trail run by the Bielsko Forest District.
• The summit — about 10 minutes above the hut; it is wooded with no views, so look for panoramas from the tower and around the hut.

Trails

Szyndzielnia is a hub of trails in the Silesian Beskids. From Cygański Las in Bielsko-Biała via Dębowiec it takes about 2.5 hours on foot, from Wapienica about 1.5 hours and from Olszówka Górna about 2 hours. From the hut you can reach Klimczok in 45 minutes, and further trails lead to Szczyrk, Brenna and Błatnia, among others.

Tripto tip

The lower station of the lift is at al. Armii Krajowej 366 in Bielsko-Biała; city buses 7 and 8 stop here, and there is parking on ul. Karbowa and on al. Armii Krajowej. A good, easy plan is to take the gondola up, walk to the hut and on to Klimczok, then hike back down to Bielsko. With a pushchair, the stretch from the top station to the hut is hard going. Check operating hours and ticket prices on the lift operator's website before you go.