Chocholowska Valley is one of the most popular tourist trails in Tatra Mountains. It is a comfortable hiking for everybody: small children, elderly people, cyclists and families with dogs! Even our pets can enjoy Tatras nature, but this is the only valley where the dogs can come.

 

• Trail: Siwa Polanda-Chochołowska Valley-mountain shelter on Chochołowska Glade-return the same way
• Time: 4-5 hours
• Difficulty level: easy
• For whom? families with children, elderly people and everybody who wants to take a nice walk. You can bike through the valley and you can take a pram with you (the pram should have big, strong wheels, as there are stones and mud in some places.
• Trail’s color: green

Chochołowska Valley is located in Western Tatras and it’s the biggest and the longest valley in Polish Tatras – its area is more than 35 km², and its length is 10 km. 

The valley’s name comes from neighbor village Chochołów. Because of the large number of glades , Chochołowska Valley was previously the biggest center of shepherding in Tatras – even 70 shepherds pastured their sheep here, and more than 230 cowherds pastured their cattle at the same time. There was a large amount of shepherd’s huts in the valley as well. In XVIth century, there was an iron ore mining here, that was transported to ironworks in Kuźnice, Zakopane.

Getting to Chochołowska Valley

There are several ways to get to Chochołowska Valley: you can drive there by car and leave it on the car park just before the entrance to the valley. You can take a bus from Zakopane, they go really often from bus station – if you choose this option, you’ll get out of the bus on the bus stop on the main road, and then on your left, there will be a way to valley.

Chochołowska Valley is the only valley in Tatras, where you can bike, so going throurgh the valley by bike is really good idea. Then you can already come to the valley by bike, right from Zakopane (it’s about 11 km).

Lower part of Chochołowska Valley

After paying a symbolic fee for entrance to Tatras National Park, we can go. At the beginning of our trail, we go on a wide, asphalt road, passing several shepherds’ huts and even some food kiosks. We follow the green trail and the way to mountain shelter in Chochołowska Glade will lasts about 2-2,5 hours.

In it’s lower part, Chochołowska Valley has deep gorge with characteristic narrowness, called gates. We meet two of them on our way: Lower and Upper Chochołowska Gates. The first one is often called Kmietowicz’s Stone, from the name of Józef Kmietowicz. There is a memorial stone on the gate, made for him and a small medallion, that reminds about visit of pope John Paul II in the valley.

Upper part of Chochołowska Valley

The second, upper part of Chochołowska Valley divides to three main branches: Starorobociańska Valley, Jarząbcza Valley and Chochołowska Valley. The road is still wide and comfortable, but sometimes it’s going a little bit uphill.

It’s worth to turn left for a moment and take the short path along the stream to Chochołowskie Karst Spring. It’s a place, where underground water reaches the Earth’s surface, located in karst areas. Some water in Chochołowskie Karst Spring come from caves, and the spring is just a low pond (1,5 m deep).

In the upper part of the valley, we pass through the second narrowing – Upper Chochołowska Gate. In mountains, that form this gate are many caves, among them the biggest in the valley Chochołowska Crevice.

The road in some parts, is covered with stones, so riding a bike or going with stroller can be difficult in some moments. After few minutes we will be back on an even path again.

Chochołowska Glade and mountain shelter

On Chochołowska Glade the road is covered with stones again and goes up. We pass shepherds’ huts and information boards. On our right, just above the wooded hills, we can see a long crags’ line called Chochołowskie Monks. In spring time, the glade is covered by wonderful saffrons, called here: crocuses.

From the glade you can take the path just beneath the forest, where a wooden chapel is located. The chapel was built in highlanders’ architecture style from unpainted planks, the roof is covered by black shingles.

Going back to the main path and then a little bit up, we come to the mountain shelter on Chochołowska Glade, which is the biggest shelter in Polish Tatras. Next to it, there is a seasonal office of rescuers from Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (TOPR). On the Chochołowska Stream, next to the shelter, there is a small hydro plant, used for shelter’s needs. It is worth to try really tasty apple pie in this shelter, it is very popular here.

The way back is just the same route.

Tourist trails from Chochołowska Valley

Chochołowska Valley is the beginning of plenty tourist trails in Western Tatras:

• • yellow trail leads to Grześ Peak (1,5 hour), the beginning of the trail is next to the shelter

• • green trail from the mountain shelter we’ll come to Rakoń Peak (2,5 hours) and Wołowiec (3 hours)

• • red trail leads to Trzydniowiański Peak (2,5 hours)

• black trail leads to Siwa Pass (2,5 hours)

From Chochołowska Valley begins a trail Ścieżka nad Reglami (which we can translate as the path under montanes), which leads to Kościeliska Valley, and further to Strążyska Valley and Białego Valley (all trail is about 7-8 hours). The trail begins after an hour from entrance to Chochołowska Valley, on the left.

Have you been in Chochołowska Valley? Did you like it? What else would you like to read about? 

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