Lubań
Lubań is a peak located on the border of the Gorce and Pieniny mountains, offering breathtaking panoramic views. It's one of those places that offer postcard-like vistas. Many interesting trails lead to the summit, and at the top there's a viewing tower from which, in good weather, you can enjoy wonderful views of the Tatras, Pieniny, and Beskidy mountains with Babia Góra at the forefront. From the summit you can also see the vast Czorsztyn Lake. It's a great option for an active long weekend in this region. In summer, there's also the possibility of staying at a student tent base on Lubań. If you don't have your own tent, you can use pre-prepared ones (with advance reservation). The area is quite large and offers beautiful views. At Lubań Peak you can use the available benches or sit on the meadow and enjoy the views. Besides the tent base and viewing tower, there are ruins of two mountain huts here. One is located slightly below the summit, at the intersection of the green and blue trails. The second is located at the top, where construction of a new hut is planned. It won't have many sleeping places, but its location at the site of the previous hut should guarantee wonderful views. The trails mentioned here are dog-friendly.
Viewing tower on Lubań
Lubań Peak with camping base
Blue trail from Snozka Pass
Trail length: 5,5 km
Duration: 2:10 h
Elevation gain: 556 m
Difficulty level: easy
Parking
We took the blue trail. This is the shortest route to Lubań summit. We started our expedition from the free parking lot in Kluszkowce village: 49.4510765, 20.3185892. There are quite few parking spaces, so it's worth hurrying if you want to use it during the season. At the same location, there's also a bus stop for those who want to reach the trail by public transport. Nearby there's a mountain hut selling oscypek cheese. No matter where you're coming from, beautiful mountain views await you during the journey.
Parking at the blue trail
Trail markings begin right at the parking lot. We immediately enter a beautiful meadow from which a panorama of the Tatras already unfolds. The time indicated on the sign pointing to the summit is 2:10h. We managed to complete the trail in: 2h. The route is quite pleasant and mostly leads through forest. After a short walk, we can already see the summit we're heading to, recognizable by its visible viewing tower.
The trail is well-marked. In the first half of the route, we pass several charming meadows with views of hills and surrounding villages. Most of the trail isn't very steep and pleasantly ascends upward. Only the last section, after the intersection with the green trail (near the hut ruins) becomes quite steep. However, it doesn't last long. Along the way, there's a tap with drinking water. After conquering the ascent, we reach Lubań summit.
When descending from the summit, we can return by the same route or make a loop by descending via the slightly longer yellow trail.
Yellow trail through Kluszkowce village (loop)
To make the expedition a bit more varied, we recommend allowing yourself some extra time and making a loop by returning via the yellow trail. It's a bit longer but equally pleasant. You can descend by going back from the tower toward the blue trail we ascended and then branching off to the yellow trail, or behind the tower follow the markings of the red, green, and blue trails, which after a gentle descent meet with the yellow trail.
Trail length: 8,8 km
Duration: 2:40 h
Elevation gain: 665 m
Difficulty level: easy
The beginning of the red trail is not very pleasant because there are many loose rocks on the trail, and the descent is quite steep. After reaching the yellow trail, the path flattens out and there aren't as many stones. For the next 7 km, we follow the yellow trail through the forest with a pleasant descent to Kluszkowce village. Along the way, there are several nice spots where you can take a short break to enjoy the views from the meadows. The last 2 km separating us from the parking lot we must walk through the village. The locality is small and peaceful, so walking through it is pleasant. Finally, there's just a small ascent and we reach the parking lot at Snozka Pass where we started our hike.
Practical information
The entire route took us 4:49h and we covered a total of 14.5 km. In May, we managed to catch a weekend when there weren't many people yet and getting a parking spot wasn't difficult. Despite the sun, walking on the shaded trail was pleasant, and a windbreaker even came in handy at the tower. Lubań isn't included in the Crown of Polish Mountains booklet, but there's a stamp at the top of the viewing tower. This loop is an interesting option for spending active time in this area.
