Orla Perć, Hiking trail in the Tatra Mountains, Poland
Orla Perć is an alpine via ferrata in the Tatra Mountains of Poland that crosses eight summits and is secured with steel cables at several points. The route follows narrow ridge crests and steep rock faces through elevations between 1900 and 2300 meters.
Franciszek Nowicki, a Polish poet and mountain guide, conceived the path in 1901. Fr. Walenty Gadowski built and marked it with a few local helpers between 1903 and 1906, and the junctions and auxiliary routes were marked by 1911. In 2006 Irena Rubinowska and Piotr Mikucki asked the Tatra National Park to convert it into a via ferrata; the park kept it as a historic trail.
The name means Eagle's Path, after the sharp granite crags the red-marked route traverses. Its other names are Orlia prť in Slovak, Adlerweg in German and Sas-út in Hungarian. Since 2007 the Zawrat–Kozi Wierch section is walked one way only.
Completing the route requires via ferrata equipment, a helmet, and good fitness, as the path is technically demanding. The direction is fixed to avoid encounters at narrow points, and walking time is 6 to 8 hours.
Chains, ladders, and steps support climbers at particularly exposed points over the ridges. The route is considered one of the most demanding mountain trails in the entire country.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,091 contributors worldwide.