PTTK Mountain Hut on Skrzyczne

The PTTK mountain hut on Skrzyczne stands just below the summit of Skrzyczne, at an altitude of 1,250 m above sea level. The summit is easy to reach from Szczyrk, as a two-stage chairlift runs up to it, but the hut also has a turbulent history of its own.

From a private hut to PTTK

Around 1930 Rudolf Urbanke bought a plot on the summit meadow from residents of Lipowa, and in 1933 he built a wooden hut here with 30 beds. In winter it was visited mainly by skiers from Bielsko. In the mid-1930s the building burned down, after which the owner began to build a new, larger one.

During the Second World War the hut was requisitioned by the German army, but the owner continued to run it until 1944. In the winter of 1945 the building was practically on the front line for several weeks. It survived the war but was badly damaged, and its furnishings were looted.

In 1946 the Upper Silesian Branch of the Polish Tatra Society took over the building as former German property and carried out the first renovation. After it, the hut was ceremonially opened in June 1950. Since the end of 1950 it has belonged to the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK).

How it changed after the war

The chairlift from Szczyrk, completed in 1958, greatly increased the number of visitors. Electricity reached the hut on 31 December 1960. A general renovation began in the autumn of 1998: the building received a new pitched roof with a usable attic, the ground floor was widened, a canopy was added over the entrance and a terrace on the side.

In 2025 the neighbouring building with a storeroom and a grill bar burned down. The fire did not spread to the hut, but 22 people were temporarily evacuated from its rooms.

Trails and surroundings

Trails lead to the hut from Szczyrk Centrum via Małe Skrzyczne and Malinowska Skała all the way to Barania Góra, from Szczyrk Górny via Hala Jaworzyna, and from Buczkowice. Skrzyczne can also be reached by chairlift, and in winter there are ski slopes here. In the valley lies the Beskid Sport Arena ski resort, and nearby the Skalite ski jump complex.

Practical information

• Location: Silesian Beskids, just below the summit of Skrzyczne, 1,250 m above sea level; the hut lies within the boundaries of Lipowa.
• Accommodation: according to the description, 29 beds, three dining rooms and, in summer, a buffet on the viewing terrace.
• Access: on trails from Szczyrk, Buczkowice and Hala Jaworzyna; the summit can be reached by chairlift.
• Check opening hours, reservations and chairlift availability on the websites of the hut and the lift operator before you travel.