Pieniny National Park, National park in Szczawnica, Poland
Pieniny National Park covers a mountain range roughly 35 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide between the Outer and Inner Carpathians. The Dunajec gorge cuts deep through limestone cliffs and forms the most recognized landscape of the area with steep walls and forested slopes.
The area became an official protected site in 1932 after existing as a private nature reserve around Czorsztyn Castle ruins from 1921 onward. The expansion included more sections of the Pieniny range and safeguarded rare plant species along with the mountain landscape beside the Dunajec.
Wooden rafts carry visitors through the Dunajec gorge while raftsmen steer with long poles and share stories about the valley. This tradition goes back more than a century and connects both riverbanks between Poland and Slovakia.
Access to the grounds is free, with a fee only required for Trzy Korony and Sokolica summits between April 20 and October 31. Walking trails pass through forests and over ridges, with some routes requiring steep climbs and sturdy footwear recommended.
The range forms part of a 550-kilometer-long rock belt that separates the outer flysch Carpathians from the inner crystalline Carpathians. This geological boundary created rare plant communities otherwise found only in the Alps or the Balkans.
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