Gorce Mountains, Mountain range in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland.
Gorce Mountains is a mountain range in Lesser Poland Voivodeship in Poland, with numerous ridges extending 40 kilometers and peaks reaching heights of 1,310 meters at Turbacz. The forested slopes are broken by clearings where hikers find open views and mountain shelters.
The range received its name from the verb gorzeć, documented in 1254, referring to the traditional practice of burning fields between forests. This method of farming shaped the open areas still visible across the region today.
The Bulanda Chapel on Jaworzyna Kamienicka clearing was funded by shepherd Tomasz Chlipała at the beginning of the twentieth century. The building serves local residents as a meeting point during traditional festivals and pilgrimages in the mountains.
The Gorce National Park contains marked hiking trails leading to mountain huts, with the main route to Turbacz summit starting from Koninki village. The trails are best accessed from spring to autumn when weather favors conditions at higher elevations.
Suhora summit at 1,000 meters houses an astronomical observatory operated by the Pedagogical University of Kraków. The observatory provides researchers with dark skies away from urban light pollution.
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