Klimczok PTTK Mountain Hut

The Klimczok PTTK mountain hut stands in the Silesian Beskids at an altitude of 1052 m above sea level, between the summit of Magura and the Siodło pass. Its name comes from the peak of Klimczok, which lies 700 m west of the building. Today's masonry building dates from 1914 and has survived almost unchanged.

Where the hut came from

According to some sources, a small gamekeeper's lodge or hunting hut already stood on Klimczok in 1841. In 1869 the head forester of the Łodygowice estate built the first wooden hut on the Magura ridge, named Klementynówka (Klementinenhütte) after the owner of the estate. It served mainly hunters.

The Bielsko-Biała Beskidenverein extended it in the years 1894-1895 so that it could receive tourists, but during the opening on 5 May 1895 the building burned down. The rebuilt hut was opened on 26 May 1897. Klementynówka burned again in 1910 and 1913, which is why a new stone building was put up in 1914.

How the building changed

The new hut had a restaurant, a buffet, two dining rooms and one dormitory on the ground floor, and seven sleeping rooms on the upper floor, with 40 places in total. In 1926 a tourist station of the Polish Tatra Society briefly operated in it, and in the night of 1 to 2 February 1935 a fire destroyed the roof.

During the Second World War, in 1942, a Luftwaffe observation post moved in. In autumn 1944 the Germans incorporated the building into a system of fortifications running from Magura through Klimczok, Szyndzielnia and Trzy Kopce to Błatnia and Skoczów. After the capture of Bielsko on 12 February 1945 the front line held on the ridge of Magura and Klimczok for more than six weeks. There was no fighting in the immediate vicinity of the hut, but after the Germans withdrew most of the furnishings were looted.

The Polish Tatra Society reopened the hut as early as June 1945. Since 1950 it has operated under the PTTK banner. By 1961 the building had been thoroughly renovated and a new wing added on the east side, and in 1997 a small swimming pool was built next to the hut.

What the hut offers today

The hut has 50 beds in rooms for two to six people with bathrooms, a buffet and full board. Next to the building there is a swimming pool and a 7 m climbing wall, and a ski lift nearby. Beside the hut stands a GOPR (Mountain Volunteer Rescue Service) building. Check the hut's website for the range of services and kitchen hours, because they change with the season.

Trails to the hut

A dense network of trails crosses in the vicinity of the hut. According to the Mapa Turystyczna service, the red trail from Mikuszowice and the yellow trail from Bystra lead to the hut, while the blue trail from Wilkowice via Lipowa and Ostre and the green trail from Bielsko-Biała Straconka to Smerekowiec pass alongside it.

There are also links with the hut on Błatnia and with Chata Wuja Toma on the Karkoszczonka pass.

The nearest neighbouring peak is Szyndzielnia, about 1.6 km from the hut.

The PTTK mountain hut on Szyndzielnia also operates in this area, about 1.9 km away.

On the Karkoszczonka pass lies Chata Wuja Toma, about 1.7 km from the hut.

The higher peak of Skrzyczne is about 6.3 km away.

Practical information

• Location: Silesian Beskids, 1052 m above sea level, between Magura and the Siodło pass.
• Access: by the red trail from Mikuszowice or the yellow trail from Bystra (Mapa Turystyczna); check walking times and trail conditions before setting out.
• Accommodation and meals: bookings and rules are handled by the hut, with contact details on schroniskoklimczok.com.pl.
• In winter conditions on the trails and near the ski lift can change quickly, so be prepared for a harder approach.