Wielki Stożek

Wielki Stożek

Wielki Stożek (978 m a.s.l.) is one of the peaks in the Stożek and Czantoria Range in the Silesian Beskids, located exactly on the Polish-Czech border. The summit lies between Stożek Mały and Kyrkawica, and is the third highest in this range, right after Wielka Czantoria and Kiczory. The entire massif is covered by dense forests - beeches and mixed forests dominate on the western side, while spruces prevail on the eastern side, which you'll see for yourself when choosing the blue trail. Thanks to this, the path leads in the shade most of the time, which is a great advantage especially on warmer days and in spring, when the trees are still leafless.

Most tourists come here from Wisła, but you can also reach it via the trail from Istebna or from the Czech Republic. Just below the summit there is the PTTK Stożek Shelter. It is a popular resting spot and an important point on the trail map, as routes leading towards Czantoria, Soszów, and Wisła cross here. Due to its position, Wielki Stożek seems to be a good option for admiring the sunrise, so we promise to check this and report back in the future!

Additionally, the Main Beskid Trail runs through Wielki Stożek, and the PTTK Stożek Shelter located just below the summit is one of the first overnight points on the route for people starting their hike in Ustroń.

PTTK Stożek Shelter

The PTTK Stożek Shelter is located on the ridge by the Polish-Czech border, at an altitude of 957 m a.s.l. As we learned while preparing this article, it is the oldest shelter in the Silesian Beskids. It is a good place to take a break during the hike - you can have breakfast both inside and on the benches in front of the shelter, enjoying the mountain atmosphere. A full food and drink offer is also available on site. From the clearing in front of the shelter there is a view of the eastern part of the range, from where you can admire the peaks of the Silesian and Żywiec Beskids, and even the Tatras in good weather. The shelter also offers accommodation in various standards, with views of mountain landscapes. You will find detailed information, the current offer, and events on the official website: https://stozek.com.pl/

Route variants

Wielki Stożek can be reached in several ways, depending on how much time you have and what form of hiking you prefer. Below are the most popular options:

Parking

No matter which trail you plan to take, they all start at one point - at the end of the road, 200m from the Wisła Głębce railway station. Starting from this point you skip the first quite steep ascent; however, if you're not arriving by train, be prepared for the fact that the parking lot by the station is not very large. The spaces are free and available to everyone, so many people heading out on the trail leave their car here (49.621474, 18.876081). There aren't many alternative parking lots in the area, even paid ones, so sometimes you have to look for a spot along the road or go back to the small parking lot by the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross.

Trail

Shorter loop - blue and red trail

We decided on a fairly easy and pleasant trail to the shelter on Stożek via the blue trail, with a descent on a short section of the red trail through Kiczory, and then back onto the blue trail to the starting point.

Trail length: 14,6 km
Duration: 4:41 h
Elevation gain: 590 m
Difficulty level: easy
Dog-friendly trail

Route: Wisła, Głębce – Wisła, Głębce | mapa-turystyczna.pl

Trail description

We start the trail at the aforementioned Wisła Głębce railway station. At the beginning, a short section of asphalt road awaits us, which gently rises uphill along the buildings. After a while, we reach the first marked fork - the road turning left leads to the blue trail, which we follow, while the path straight ahead is the green trail. For the next few dozen meters we still walk along the asphalt road, which after a while turns into a narrow route made of concrete slabs and leads us into the forest. After about 10 minutes we come across a marker directing us from the road to a forest path towards Łączecko Pass. Here the proper, slightly rocky trail begins. The route leads gently uphill and there aren't many steep ascents, although it can be muddy in places. Every now and then the forest thins out, revealing the first views. At one point the trail comes out again onto a concrete road near a few houses, then turns back into the forest. A little further on, we come across a small clearing on the right, from which we can see our hiking destination - Wielki Stożek.

After just under an hour, we reach Łączecko Pass, where the blue trail crosses the red one. Here we can continue along the blue trail or choose the red variant through Kiczory. We choose the second option and head straight along the path. Here the route becomes more muddy, and in some places there are remnants of snow. Coniferous trees dominate the forest, which makes the landscape more green, and the trail itself a bit more overgrown at times. After about 15 minutes we reach Kiczory (990 m a.s.l.), the highest point of this hike. From here we head further along the red trail, along the Polish-Czech border, until we reach the shelter on Stożek. It's worth stopping for a moment - the terrain is more open, so you can comfortably enjoy the views.

We set off on the way back along the same trail, but below Kyrkawica we turn onto the easy-to-miss blue trail. The path leads through the forest most of the time, but in some places the trees thin out, revealing beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes. At one point, after descending from the more forested section, a wide panorama of the nearby peaks opens up on the left. We reach Łączecko Pass again and, following the markings, head onto the blue trail, returning to the narrow path on which we earlier began our ascent. From here we follow the already familiar section all the way to the Wisła Głębce railway station, where we left the car.

Trail summary

We decided to climb to the summit via the blue trail, because the green trail runs for about 2 km along a fairly busy asphalt road. We try to avoid such sections, which is why we chose the variant leading entirely through the forest. This turned out to be a good choice, as during our April trip we didn't meet many tourists on the trail - more traffic only appeared near the shelter, where we ran into other hikers. Based on our observations, most people chose the green trail. Even though the blue variant runs largely through the forest, the route is very charming and pleasant. The lack of steep ascents makes it a good choice for starting the mountain season or for less experienced hikers.

Trail maps