Hala Rycerzowa

Hala Rycerzowa is a large clearing in the Wielka Racza Group in the Żywiec-Kisuca Beskids. It lies on Przełęcz pod Rycerzową (also called Przełęcz Halna, 1165 m) and on the slopes of the peaks rising above it, Wielka Rycerzowa (1226 m) and Mała Rycerzowa (1207 m). The largest part of the clearing falls onto the eastern slopes of the pass, and on a levelled stretch stands the PTTK shepherd's hut on Rycerzowa.

The name and the former grazing

In the Carpathians, halas were the clearings that were not mown but only grazed. The second part of the name comes from Rycerka Dolna and Rycerka Górna, villages that were probably knightly; the name of the village and of the peak is mentioned by Andrzej Komoniecki in his "Chronografia albo dziejopis żywiecki". The clearing, like most clearings in the Żywiec Beskids, was created by the Wallachians using the cyrhlenie method. Today the pasture is not grazed, because pastoralism in the Carpathians has shrunk greatly. A rare serrated bellflower grows here.

Views and trails

Because large areas of the pasture are not forested, it is an excellent viewpoint. It is also a major junction of trails. Routes that lead through here include: Zwardoń - Wielka Racza - Przegibek pass - Wielka Rycerzowa - Przełęcz pod Rycerzową - Młada Hora - Rycerka Dolna, from Przełęcz pod Rycerzową to Soblówka via the shepherd's hut, and to the Przegibek pass.

Practical information

• Location: the village of Soblówka, Ujsoły municipality.
• On Przegibek, by one of the trails, is the PTTK mountain hut on Przegibek.
• Check trail colours and walking times on a current tourist map.