To the tower on Polaczkówka from Rabka Zaryte

Nearby: Nowy Targ
Medium - For young hikers, steep sections possible
straighten  Distance 1.7km
timer Time 46min
north_east Ascents 143m
south_east Descents 19m
Elevation Profile: max 579 m min 449 m
terrain  The slope of the terrain
beach_access  Route in the shade
miniaturka

The blue trail from Rabka Zaryte to Polaczkówka is the shortest marked route to the lookout tower on this peak. The path mainly goes through the forest, in the shade, on a narrow but easy trail, without major terrain difficulties along the way.

Lookout tower on Polczakówka
Lookout tower on Polczakówka

Start of the blue trail to Polaczkówka in Rabka Zaryte

Starting the hike from Rabka Zaryte, you can leave your car in a large, free parking lot near the distinctive church with two towers:

Church and parking in Rabka Zaryte
Church and parking in Rabka Zaryte

...and maybe soon, you will be able to get here by train! Work on modernizing the railway line and building a station right at the trail intersection in Rabka Zaryte is ongoing!

Construction of the railway line and station in Rabka Zaryte near the blue trail
Construction of the railway line and station in Rabka Zaryte near the blue trail

From the parking lot, head west through the church grounds, along the access road next to the railway construction site.

Cross the bridge over the Raba River, which marks the boundary between the Beskid Wyspowy mountains behind you and the Gorce mountains ahead.

Bridge over the Raba River on the blue trail Rabka Zaryte - Polaczkówka - Rabka Zdrój
Bridge over the Raba River on the blue trail Rabka Zaryte - Polaczkówka - Rabka Zdrój

Stations of the Cross from Rabka Zaryte to Polaczkówka

Wooden Stations of the Cross accompany you on your hike. Station I is by the bridge over the Raba River, Station XIII is near the tower, and the last one - Station XIV - is at the Chapel of the Weeping Virgin Mary.

Stations of the Cross from Rabka Zaryte to Polaczkówka
Stations of the Cross from Rabka Zaryte to Polaczkówka
Chapel of the Weeping Virgin Mary on Polaczkówka
Chapel of the Weeping Virgin Mary on Polaczkówka

Note! The section of the trail between the bridge, the last buildings, and the forest entrance is a bit less marked - keep an eye on the signs and check the map!

The forest path is narrow but easy and pleasant. You will be ascending the whole time, but without any steep climbs.

Blue trail Rabka Zaryte - Polaczkówka
Blue trail Rabka Zaryte - Polaczkówka

After about 1.5 km (about half an hour) from entering the trail in Rabka Zaryte, you will reach a large clearing with this signpost:

Attention! This is where we turn off the blue trail to the lookout tower at the top of Polczakówka
Attention! This is where we turn off the blue trail to the lookout tower at the top of Polczakówka

Here, you need to turn left off the blue trail to reach the hidden peak of Polaczkówka and its lookout tower after about 200 meters. Note: the tower is not visible from the path, so pay attention not to miss the signpost!

Polaczkówka - peak and lookout tower

Learn more about the tower, the views, and what else you should know about the peak of Polaczkówka here:

Observation Tower on Polczakówka

Observation Tower on Polczakówka

The observation tower on Polczakówka, near Królewska Góra, is an easily accessible viewpoint located right next to the blue trail connecting Rabka-Zdrój and Rabka Zaryte. How to get to the tower and what can we see from the viewing platform? ...

View from the lookout tower on Polaczkówka towards the Gorce mountains
View from the lookout tower on Polaczkówka towards the Gorce mountains

Lookout tower on Polaczkówka and what's next?

You can return to Rabka Zaryte the same way in about 25 minutes. We also recommend going a bit further to the nearby (1 km from the tower) Grzebień viewpoint, from where you can descend to Rabka Zaryte via the black trail. This way, you will return to the trail entrance in about 1 hour.

The entire loop Rabka Zaryte > blue trail > Polaczkówka > Grzebień > black trail > Rabka Zaryte is 5.5 km with 250 meters of elevation gain, which can be completed in less than 2 hours.

Grzebień seen from the blue trail Rabka-Zdrój - Polczakówka. This dirt road leads to a scenic meadow and the black trail Rabka-Zdrój - Grzebień - Rabka-Zaryte.
Grzebień seen from the blue trail Rabka-Zdrój - Polczakówka. This dirt road leads to a scenic meadow and the black trail Rabka-Zdrój - Grzebień - Rabka-Zaryte.

Loop: Rabka Zaryte - tower on Polaczkówka - Rabka-Zdrój - Rabka Słone - Grzebień - Rabka Zaryte

If you feel like a longer hike, you can continue from the tower down the blue trail to Rabka-Zdrój:

From Rabka-Zdrój to the Lookout Tower on Polczakówka

Easy
directions_walk

From Rabka-Zdrój to the Lookout Tower on Polczakówka

Profil wysokości
straighten 2.2km
timer 49min
north_east 110m
south_east 26m

...and return to Rabka Zaryte via the black trail through the Grzebień viewpoint:

Black Trail Rabka-Zdrój - Rabka Zaryte through Grzebień

Medium
directions_walk

Black Trail Rabka-Zdrój - Rabka Zaryte through Grzebień

Profil wysokości
straighten 5.8km
timer 1h 57min
north_east 200m
south_east 253m

This loop is a total of almost 9 km with 300 meters of elevation gain, which can be completed in less than 3 hours (not counting breaks):

Author:
Publish Date:

More in the Region Gorce (Gorce)