Obidowa: Mountain Clearings and Trails in the Gorce

Mountain forests, clearings and former pastures

Obidowa’s mountain area retains forests considered to be remnants of the former Carpathian primeval forest. Above these forests lie the clearings of Bukowina, Roznowa, Płowowa, Grajcarowa and Rusnakowa. The upper mountain clearings include meadows with mountain grasses that were used for summer grazing until recently. Scattered shepherds’ huts have also been preserved in the mountain area. Forests, open spaces and traces of former grazing give the landscape its varied character, which you can take into account when choosing the focus of your stay.

Podhale architecture and a chapel on the Rusnakowa Clearing

Wooden houses in the Podhale style have been preserved in Obidowa. Their construction can be recognised by the beams laid one above another in a crown-like pattern. There is also a chapel shaped like a shepherd’s hut on the Rusnakowa Clearing. It was built in memory of the first papal pilgrimage to the homeland and the Pope’s stay in Podhale in 1979. In Obidowa, you can therefore encounter both traditional forms of architecture and a specific part of the region’s more recent history.

Masses for the mountain community are held at the chapel every year on the first Sunday in August; the sermon is in the Goral dialect. If you would like to plan your visit around this service, confirm the date locally in advance. The chapel and the celebration connect a named place in the landscape with a recurring religious tradition.

Cross-country skiing and hiking trails with different destinations

The cross-country ski route from Obidowa to the mountain hut on Turbacz is suitable for advanced beginners. The ascent to the hut is listed as taking two to three hours, with the return taking about one to one and a half hours. When planning your day, it is worth considering the two sections separately: the longer time refers to the ascent, not the entire tour. Thanks to the area’s distinctive microclimate, conditions on the route are very good from December to March or April.

The hiking trails can also be distinguished by their destinations. A well-travelled trail from Rabka to Turbacz passes through Obidowa. Another trail runs west from the Stare Wierchy mountain hut, via Mount Obidowa, Klikuszowa and Pyzówka, towards Babia Góra. This gives you different routes and directions to choose from. When planning your stay, consider whether you would rather focus on the Rabka-to-Turbacz route or the westbound trail towards Babia Góra.

Obidowa as a base for your stay

Obidowa has good local public transport connections with Nowy Targ. If you would like to use this connection in your plans, check the timetable for your specific travel dates. When searching for a holiday apartment, you could start by considering which of the aspects described here you would like to shape your stay: cross-country skiing on the route to Turbacz, hiking trails in different directions, or the mountain landscape with its clearings and wooden houses. This way, you can choose where to stay based on the experiences you actually plan to enjoy, without making assumptions about the features of any accommodation from the landscape or trails.

Discover more destinations: Łapsze Niżne, Nowy Targ, Piekielnik, Dursztyn, Huba, Gronków, Podwilk, Maniowy.

For the broader travel overview: Nowotarski.