I betrayed the Tatras for the Pieniny. We did Sokolica and Trzy Korony in one day (with bikes!)

I’ll come clean. Last weekend I betrayed my beloved Tatras. We headed to the Pieniny Mountains and Szczawnica. It was our first time there and you know what? It was one of the best mountain weekends of our lives.

If you are looking for an alternative to the Tatras (less elevation gain, but equally stunning views) – here is our recipe for the perfect one-day “Pieniny Loop”.

The perfect plan: hike up, cycle down

We didn’t want to go up and come back the same way. We came up with a logistics plan that turned out to be a stroke of genius. We combined the climb to two of the most famous peaks (Sokolica and Trzy Korony) with the return along the famous Pieniny Road (along the Dunajec River) on rented bikes.

Here is how we did it, step by step.

Stage 1: Warm-up from Szczawnica (Grajcarek stream and the ferry)

We stayed in Szczawnica. It is a charming spa town with a completely different vibe from Zakopane (somehow… quieter).

We started our walk in the morning along the Grajcarek stream, heading towards the Dunajec River.
To reach the trail up to Sokolica (blue trail), we had to cross the river. And this is the first highlight! There is no bridge. You cross by raft/ferry (it costs a few zlotys – we paid 6 PLN, cash to the raftsman). For 5 minutes you feel like you are in another era. Just remember that the ferry does not run in winter!

Stage 2: Assault on Sokolica (and that famous pine tree)

Right after stepping off the raft, the trail climbs very steeply uphill through the forest. Fitness-wise? Like the ascent to Sarnia Skała at a fast pace. You will work up a sweat!

Sokolica (747 m a.s.l.): Entry to the summit itself is paid (Pieniny National Park), but the ticket purchased here also grants access to Trzy Korony on the same day.
The view: When you emerge from the forest onto the viewing platform, you stop dead in your tracks. A half-kilometre vertical wall drops straight down to the rushing Dunajec River, with tiny rafts floating below.
This is where the famous “Pieniny pine” grows (though sadly badly damaged by a helicopter several years ago) – probably the most photographed tree in Poland.

Stage 3: Ridge walk (Sokolica → Trzy Korony)

From Sokolica we continued along the blue trail (known as Sokola Perć). It is a beautiful “Pieniny roller coaster”. The trail alternates between forest and limestone rock formations. We passed successive summits (Czertezik, Zamkowa Góra). The terrain is varied, and to the right in the distance the snow-capped High Tatras loom on the horizon.

Stage 4: Trzy Korony and the Okrąglica gallery

We finally reached Trzy Korony – the symbol of the Pieniny. The climb to the highest of the five rocky towers (Okrąglica, 982 m a.s.l.) takes you along steel platforms suspended over the abyss.

Tip: In the middle of the season, queues form there just like at the chains on Giewont. We arrived before noon, so we got through without waiting.
The panorama from the terrace is absolutely magical. The Dunajec winds below like a snake, and we stood on the roof of this limestone castle.

Stage 5: Return? Not on foot! (Cycling back down)

From the summit we descended towards the PTTK Trzy Korony mountain hut (for a bowl of sour rye soup – no blueberry dumplings, sadly). And now the best part: we didn’t have to walk back.

We rented bikes at the hut.
We rode back to Szczawnica along the Pieniny Road (red trail along the river, on the Slovak side).
It is 10 kilometres of absolute bliss. You cycle along a wide gravel road with the river and the raftsmen on your left and sheer limestone walls on your right. The road slopes very gently downhill, so the effort is minimal.
We returned the bikes in Szczawnica at the Orlica hostel.

Why is it worth it?

The Pieniny are small mountains, but full of character. After 8 hours of activity (hiking + cycling) our legs felt like they had done “a good job”, but we were not wrecked the way you are after descending Czerwone Wierchy.

Combining two types of activity is a brilliant idea for a “reset”. If your legs are sore from the Tatras, or you are simply looking for something with a gentler gradient but equally beautiful scenery – the Pieniny are waiting. We will definitely be back!