Chatka na Rogaczu (Rogacz Hut)

Chatka na Rogaczu (Rogacz Hut) is a student mountain hostel in the Little Beskids, in a clearing below Rogacz, at an altitude of about 685 m above sea level. It is housed in a former forester’s lodge and since the 1960s has served hikers as a cheap overnight base on the trail from Wilkowice.

Where the hut came from

The building is a former forester’s lodge of the estate of Baron Adolf von Klobus. The hostel was created in the 1960s through the efforts of the “Gronie” Academic Tourist Club in Katowice, and it was officially opened on 3 November 1968.

In 1971 the building was bought by the Association of Polish Students, and in 1973 the hostel got a new water intake. In 1977-1982 it was looked after by the Student Circle of Beskid Guides in Katowice, and during this time the hut was extended.

Festivals and hut culture

In the 1980s and in 1992-1994 Hiking and Student Song Festivals were held at the hut. Today the former character of the place is recalled by the hostel’s website: since 2021 the building has been run by people associated with it for decades, under the name “SST Rogacz”, with the intention of preserving the historic atmosphere.

According to the hostel’s website, the name of the mountain comes from a highwayman of 1620-1630, who was said to have been executed and buried on the summit.

What it offers

The hostel’s website lists beds in the hostel, a camping field, a hammock zone, a kitchen for guests and a bicycle service with e-bike charging. Guests also have a common room with a fireplace, a barbecue and a campfire area, a volleyball court and free Wi-Fi.

There are 35 beds in the multi-bed rooms. The facility is seasonal, so check the opening dates and booking on the hostel’s website before setting out.

How to get there

The hostel stands by the red trail from the railway station in Mikuszowice (about 45 minutes) towards Magurka Wilkowicka, which is about 45 minutes from the hut, and about 30 on the way back. From the Wilkowice-Bystra station a yellow “hut trail” leads, also about 45 minutes.

From below the hostel a panorama of the Silesian Beskids opens up, with the characteristic silhouette of Skrzyczne.

Other mountain huts nearby

The nearest is the PTTK mountain hut on Magurka Wilkowicka, about 1.8 km as the crow flies. Further on lies the Kozia Góra mountain hut, and on the other side of Bielsko-Biała the PTTK mountain hut on Szyndzielnia.

Practical information

• Address: Rogacz 1, 43-365 Wilkowice.
• Altitude: about 685 m above sea level, a clearing below Rogacz in the Little Beskids.
• Getting there: the red trail from Mikuszowice or the yellow hut trail from Wilkowice-Bystra, about 45 minutes.
• Bookings and season: check on the hostel’s website before setting out.