Dolina Małej Łąki (The Mała Łąka Valley)

The Mała Łąka Valley is the smallest of the so-called ‘main ridges’ (reaching the main ridge) in the Polish Tatra Mountains, but is considered by many connoisseurs to be the most beautiful. It is an exceptionally peaceful and intimate valley. Unlike the neighbouring Kościeliska Valley, there are no mountain huts or crowds here; instead, there is close contact with nature and mighty rock faces within easy reach.

At its heart lies Wielka Polana Małołącka – a vast, former shepherds’ pasture that formed on the site of a buried glacial lake.

Route description

We start the hike in Gronik (right by the road from Zakopane to Kiry).

1. Approach (Forest): The initial section (yellow trail) follows a wide path through the forest, alongside the babbling Małołącki Stream. It is a peaceful, roughly 50-minute walk that serves as a prelude to the main attraction.
2. Wielka Polana: Emerging from the forest onto the clearing is a real ‘wow’ moment. Suddenly, you find yourself in a vast, natural amphitheatre.
   • To the south rises Wielka Turnia – the highest limestone cliff in Poland.
   • To the east, Giewont “hangs” overhead (seen from a completely different, wilder angle than from Zakopane).
   • The landscape is completed by the soaring peaks of the Mnichów Małołąckich.

Where to next? (Route options)

Reaching the clearing is just the start of what’s possible. You have three options:

1. Relax and return (Walking option): Stay in the clearing, have a picnic on one of the benches and return to Gronik via the same route. Ideal for families with younger children.
2. Loop via Przysłop Miętusi (Recommended): Instead of returning the same way, turn right at the edge of the clearing onto the black trail (Path above Reglami) towards Przysłop Miętusi. There you’ll find beautiful views of Czerwone Wierchy. From the pass, descend along the blue trail to Gronik (completing the loop). This adds variety to the trip without significantly increasing the difficulty.
3. Assault on the peaks (Mountain Variant): The yellow trail continues steeply uphill to Kondracka Pass, from where you can climb Giewont or Czerwone Wierchy (Kopa Kondracka). However, this is now a full-fledged, physically demanding expedition.

Practical information

• Car park: At the mouth of the valley (Gronik) there is a TPN car park and a bus stop. It is smaller than the one in Kiry, so it’s worth arriving early during the high season.
• Who is it for: The walk to the clearing is technically easy. The ascent is gentle, though stony in places, so an all-terrain pushchair may struggle in the higher sections (it is better to take a baby carrier).
• Nature: In spring, the clearing is covered with a carpet of crocuses (though more modest than in Chochołowska), and in autumn the grasses turn golden, contrasting with the grey of the rocks.