Szczyrk is one of the most favorite modern resorts not only for Polish residents, but also for many foreigners. From the north it is surrounded by the Klimchonka mountain massif, and from the south side by the Skszychna massif, which are part of the Silesian Beskids.
It is 470 km from Lviv to Shchyrk – a little more than to Zakopane (420 km). Why is it the most modern? For the new season, it was updated so that it became the best in Eastern Europe!
It has everything you need for an ideal winter vacation: unique nature, developed infrastructure, as well as a beautiful climate.
The main feature of this area is the complete absence of strong winds, so staying at the resort is very comfortable at any time. Moreover, the mineral springs and recreational potential of Shchyrk provide an excellent chance to improve your health and relax from the stresses of everyday life.
What was – what is
Szczyrk is the largest ski resort in Poland with a total length of 40-80 km of tracks. It is located approximately 70 km from Krakow and Katowice in the Beskids. The resort is well-known, although it is much less well-known in our country than Zakopane.
The tracks here are winding and varied. For skiers and snowboarders. Here is the most black track and the longest one. There are steep and narrow, wide and gentle slides that you want. 8 kilometers of tracks are illuminated and allow you to ride in the dark.
Beskid Sports Arena
Schyrk today is an example of “what life-giving investments do.” More than 30 million euros were invested in the resort, and the result was the most modern ski center not only in Poland, but also in the whole of Eastern Europe.
How to get there
The nearest airports to the resort are located in Krakow and Katowice, and the nearest railway station is Bielsko-Biała.
By car. It takes about 6 hours to drive, the distance between Lviv and Shchyrk is 470 km
By bus from Lviv, 7 hours, 850 UAH.
By plane from Kyiv to Katowice (1700 UAH), and from there by bus (85 km).
By train to Przemyśl, then to Krakow and further by bus (68 km).
Where to stay
There are many hotels in Shchyrka , and vacationers can choose any facility based on their requirements and financial situation.
It should be noted that the quality of rest here is not much worse than in Zakopane or other famous places, but the cost of living here is much lower.
Cost of accommodation
As in any self-respecting resort, Shchyrk has green tourism estates (from €10 per day), boarding houses for skiers (from €20 per day) and high-level hotels (from €30 to €40). Approximate prices are indicated for 1 person for the period December 11-18, 2017.
Hotel Alpin 3-star hotel
Hotel Alpin is located in the center of Shchyrk, next to the town square and the embankment. It offers rooms with free Wi-Fi, an LCD TV and a refrigerator.
All the bright rooms of the Alpin Hotel are decorated in warm colors. The private bathroom has a shower. Each room has satellite TV and a telephone.
A varied breakfast buffet is served every morning in the classically decorated restaurant, which specializes in Polish cuisine. The bar offers a wide range of beer and drinks.
A luggage storage room and a ski storage room are available at the Alpin Hotel. On-site parking is available for an additional fee. For an additional fee, guests can relax in the sauna and hot tub.
Marysieńka
Marysieńka Guest House is located in Szczyrk , 1.2 km from COS Skrzyczne Ski Center. It offers rooms with free Wi-Fi and free private parking. The guest house is located approximately 3 km from the Čirne Solsko ski center, 8 km from the Biala Kszyc ski lift and 12 km from the Klimchok ski lift. The guest house has family rooms at its disposal.
Each guest house room has a private bathroom with a shower.
Popular points of interest near Guest House Marysieńka include the Kaimowka, Beskidek and Beskid Ski Lifts. Katowice Airport is 115 km away.
Ośrodek Wczasowy Panorama Szczyrk
Ośrodek Wczasowy Panorama Szczyrk is located in Szczyrk, 2.3 km from COS Skrzyczne Ski Center. It offers rooms with free Wi-Fi and free private parking. The hotel is approximately 2.3 km from Shchyrk Yavozhina ski lift, 2.6 km from Kaimovka ski lift and 3.2 km from Dolyny III ski resort. Local attractions include local attractions.
The distance to the city of Hala Skshichechska 2 and Hala Skshichechne is 4.2 km and 5 km, respectively.
The resort offers a continental or buffet breakfast.
Guests at Ośrodek Wczasowy Panorama Szczyrk will be able to enjoy activities in and around Szczyrk, like skiing.
Čirne-Solisko Ski Center and Čirna Center are 4 km from the hotel. The distance to the Hala-Skshichechskaya 1 ski lift is 4.2 km. Katowice Airport is 115 km from Hotel Ośrodek Wczasowy Panorama Szczyrk.
Ośrodek Zagroń
The resort hotel Ośrodek Zagroń is located in Szczyrk , 500 meters from the Beskidek ski lift. It offers a spa center with a free pool, a sauna and a hot tub, a ski storage room, a snack bar and free private parking. Free Wi-Fi is connected.
Among the amenities of each room is a TV with cable channels; equipped private bathroom. Some rooms have a seating area.
The reception desk is open 24 hours a day. Guests can use the gym, fitness room, infrared, dry and steam saunas, table tennis equipment and relaxation room free of charge.
Ośrodek Zagroń Resort is 1.1 km from Beskydy Ski Lift and 1.6 km from Szczecin Ski Centre. John Paul II Airport is 68 km away.
Dom Pod Beskidkiem
Hotel Dom Pod Beskidkiem is located in Szczyrk, just 50 meters from the Beskidek ski lift. Free WiFi is provided throughout the territory.
All rooms are decorated with wood, each has a living area. Towels are provided free of charge. Each room has access to a shared bathroom with a bathtub.
Dom Pod Beskidkiem has a garden, a children’s playground and a terrace. In addition, guests have free use of barbecue facilities, a common living room with a TV and a fully equipped kitchenette. Free private parking is available on the hotel premises.
The hotel is located 2 km from the Shchyrk ski center. You will find shops and restaurants 1 km from the center of Shchyrk.
Tracks
The total number of tracks is 8, the height difference is 480-870, the number of lifts is 36.
Shchyrka’s trails and ski lifts can compete with the most famous alpine resorts, and everyone, even the most demanding tourist, will find something to their taste here.
There are three ski centers
- Shchyrka mountain resort
The resort’s ski center is Shchyrka Mountain Resort. He has at his disposal a 10-seater gondola lift on Hale Skshichensk, capable of taking 3 thousand people up the mountain within an hour. And two more new six-seater seats with heating and wind protection. Lifts send 12,000 people up the mountain per hour!
The snowmaking system is able to cover all slopes of the resort with snow in just five days. They promise to welcome the first skiers here no later than the beginning of December.
- Beskid Sports Arena
Here, skiers can enjoy a new six-seater chair lift and the main novelty is a fully illuminated 800-meter black track on a slope with a maximum slope of 45°. The snowmaking system has also been updated. And a new restaurant appeared here, where the winner of one of the cooking shows, Marcin Chubak, became the chef.
- Central Center of Sports
The third of Shchyrko’s ski complexes is called the Central Sports Center. Its infrastructure is concentrated on Mount Skszychne. This year, the lower section was significantly updated here. Now skiers and snowboarders are transported from Shchyrko to Mount Yavozhina by 4-seat chairlifts. The upper part of the track, leading from Yavozhyna to Sshichne, was modernized last year.
Local tracks are a real paradise for novice athletes and families with children, but true professionals will not be bored here either.
The fact is that this very resort is used by the Polish Olympic team for training in winter sports.
In addition, there are 4 ski jumps for true extremes and thrill-seekers, and for those who want to diversify their leisure time, convenient running tracks are offered.
The only skipass
This year, for the first time, a single ski pass will be valid for all three Shchyrka ski complexes . That is, after purchasing it, you will be able to use the services of the Shchyrka Mountain Resort, the Beskid Sports Arena, and the Central Sports Center. A 10-passenger gondola, three 6-passenger chairs, two 7-passenger ones, as well as seven rope lifts will be used for more than 40 km of tracks of varying difficulty. Even the most demanding will find a route according to their strength and taste.
It is nice that the cost of ski passes will be even lower than at other resorts. In the high season from December 26 to April 3, the price will be 23 euros, and when buying online at gopass.pl – 18 euros. A six-day ski pass until December 25 costs 95 euros and 90 euros when purchased on the website. From December 26, the price rises to 104 euros. There are discounts for children and students, and skiers and boarders over 60 ride for free.
Infrastructure and transport
In the central part of the resort between Čirna and Solisko, right next to the starting station of the ski lift, a multi-functional building has grown, which houses an information center, cash desks, a shop and an equipment rental point, a storage room for ski equipment and toilets. Parking for 700 spaces is located nearby.
However, in order to be able to ride on different slopes, a car is now not necessary. From December 1 to the end of March, free buses will run between the parking lot in Skalito and Solisco. During the “hottest” hours – every 15 minutes, and during quieter hours – every half hour.
Additional entertainment
In the free time from skiing, discos, nightclubs, water parks with thermal water, sleigh rides (local horse-drawn sleighs) or horseback riding, many restaurants, cafes and bars await tourists. The latter, by the way, are famous for their drinks – in particular, the legendary Zhivetsky beer and vazhonka, which is made according to an ancient recipe.
And if you want, go on an excursion. For example, in Krakow or in the salt mines of Wieliczka, included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.
Ice skating
In Shchyrk itself , you can also expand your horizons and get acquainted with the rich folk culture of local gurals – their music and dances, embroideries and wooden toys.
The trail above Zhilytsia is the current symbol of the beautiful Shchyrk. The modernized bike path, adjacent to the pedestrian path, serves residents and tourists all year round. The starting route is at the town hall and runs along the Zhilytsia river to the square in the center. The main street of Beskidska and the path along the river are connected by a restored square with a modern fountain. Today it is the center of Shchyrka, and in absentia it is a meeting place for guests and young people.
The Church of the Mother of God of Shchyrska is the main religious landmark of the city. The temple was built in 1912. This is an unusual temple: here many parishioners not only find peace of mind, but are also cured of illnesses, transfer their hopes to the fulfillers of their most cherished wishes.
Another important shrine in the city is the Church of St. Iakov . The building is a monument of wooden architecture and is included in the route “Wooden architecture of the Beskid”. The temple was built in the 18th century. Much has remained unchanged in it to this day.
When you arrive in Shchyrk, be sure to visit the Beskydy Art Gallery . This large private gallery was opened back in 1995. More than 130 works of local artists are presented here. Also, the owners of the gallery regularly hold concerts, exhibitions and seminars within its walls.
