PTTK Mountain Hut on Hala Miziowa

The PTTK mountain hut on Hala Miziowa stands on the slopes of Pilsko in the Żywiec Beskids, at an altitude of about 1,274 m above sea level, although the hut's website gives 1,330 m and calls it the highest-situated hut in the Polish Beskids. The Main Beskid Trail passes next to it, and from here one sets out for Pilsko. The new building opened in 2003, half a century after the fire of the old one.

Where the hut came from

The first plans to build a hut under Pilsko date from 1912, on the initiative of Kazimierz Sosnowski.

The outbreak of the First World War interrupted them. In 1927 the Babia Góra Branch of the Polish Tatra Society prepared a design, and construction took three years and required taking out a loan. The timber for the building was given by Archduke Karl Stephan of Habsburg, then owner of the Żywiec estates. The building was opened on 20 July 1930 as a two-storey wooden building in the highlander style, with a glazed veranda with a view of the Żywiec Beskids. In summer it had 125 beds, in winter 60. In 1936 a water turbine and showers were put into operation, a telephone was installed and a postal agency opened.

Fires and reconstruction

The old building burned down on 19 March 1953; only the farm buildings survived.

The hut was not rebuilt at once: a temporary buffet and accommodation for 50 people were set up in a shed and a stable, and in 1970-1971 the building was extended. Construction of a new, large hut began in 1989, and it opened on 12 October 2003. The old building was closed in 2004 and partly demolished, and its remnant with the buffet burned down on 20 December 2018.

What the hut and its surroundings offer

The hut has about 90 beds in rooms from single to multi-person, as well as apartments.

There are a restaurant with a dining room, a fast-service bar and a conference room for 65 people; nearby are a GOPR duty post and ski lifts. The hut's website mentions home cooking, including hand-made pierogi and apple cake, service for skiers in winter and a live camera, as well as numerous trails on the Polish and Slovak sides. From the area there is a view of Babia Góra (1,725 m).

Trails and places nearby

The Main Beskid Trail runs across the meadow, and from here one can climb to the summit dome of Pilsko and to Góra Pięciu Kopców (1,542 m).

One trail leads from Korbielów to Góra Pięciu Kopców, another runs from Hala Miziowa to the same summit, and there is also a route from Korbielów to Sopotnia. Nearby, about 500 m from the hut, lies Hala Cebulowa.

About 800 m from the hut lies the Pilsko nature reserve.

Further on, about 3 km away, is the Pilsko Ski Resort in Korbielów.

Practical information

• Location: Hala Miziowa on the slopes of Pilsko, above Korbielów.
• The hut's website says the building operates all year round, and reservations are taken through the website and by telephone.
• Near the hut there is a year-round GOPR duty post. Check winter conditions and walking times before setting out.