Viewpoints

Observation Tower on Magurki

Magurki (1,108 m above sea level) rise above Ochotnica Górna in the Gorce, on a side ridge branching off from the Gorc range. On the extensive summit clearing, in 2015 and with EU funding, a wooden observation tower was built — one of four in the municipality of Ochotnica Dolna, alongside the towers on Gorc, Lubań and Koziarz.

A structure for everyone

The tower has an enclosed staircase and a viewing platform, so it can be climbed also by visitors with a fear of heights and the youngest hikers. At the top you will find panorama boards with landscape descriptions and a commemorative stamp. From the terrace you can see the nearby Gorce and the Tatras, and in good weather even the Malá Fatra in Slovakia.

A name from the era of Wallachian shepherds

The name Magurki comes from the Wallachian word măgura, meaning a free-standing mountain massif — a reminder of the shepherds who settled these mountains and founded Ochotnica. The north-eastern slopes of the summit belong to the Gorce National Park, while the south-western ones lie outside its boundaries.

Trails and sights along the way

The shortest ascent follows the Wallachian Culture Trail from Ochotnica Górna, about 45 minutes from the last buildings of the village. The gentler but longer option is the green path through the Jaszcze Stream valley; the two routes combine into a loop of about 10 kilometres. On the way you pass the monument to the American B-24 Liberator bomber named California Rocket, which crashed below the Pańska Przechybka pass on 18 December 1944.