Mountains
a PTTK mountain hut from 1923 on a pass in the Żywiec Beskids, on the trails to Racza and Rycerzowa
Mountains
a hut from 1934 below the summit of Wielka Racza, at the junction of Polish and Slovak trails
old fir and beech forest on a landslide, with coralroots and trees 50 m tall
Places with character
a former pastoral glade on the eastern slope of Mała Racza, a viewpoint by the trail
Churches and monasteries
a church from 1908-1911 with a neo-Gothic altar and highland-style Stations of the Cross
Things to do in Rycerka Górna: PTTK mountain huts at Przegibek and on Wielka Racza, the Śrubita reserve and a meadow on Mała Racza in the Żywiec Beskids.
Rycerka Górna is a village in the Żywiec Beskids, and trails towards Wielka Racza start nearby. The five places on the list are two mountain huts, a meadow, a forest reserve and a church, so a visit is built mainly around mountain paths.
The PTTK Mountain Hut at Przegibek stands on a pass 992 metres high, inside the Żywiec Landscape Park. Views open towards Wielka and Mała Rycerzowa and Wielka and Mała Racza. The building was put up in 1923 as the private holiday house of Józef Pietrusiewicz of Żywiec, and in 1935 a branch of the society bought it. Trails to Rycerzowa and Wielka Racza begin at the hut.
Higher up, just below the summit of Wielka Racza, at 1,236 m above sea level, is the PTTK Mountain Hut on Wielka Racza. Private owners began a rudimentary building in 1933, and a year later the Bielsko branch of the Polish Tatra Society bought the unfinished structure. The hut stands where two Polish trails, red and yellow, meet the Slovak green one. Both huts work as a route for couples and solo hikers, and suggestions are on the page for couples in Rycerka Górna.
The Hala na Małej Raczy meadow spreads over the eastern slopes of the mountain (1,153 m above sea level), from the ridge to the valley of the Racza stream at about 930 m. The steep, open slope makes it a good viewpoint. The meadow came about through grazing linked to the settlement of the Vlachs, and its parts had their own names: Kosarzyska, Mościska and Śleniody.
The Śrubita Nature Reserve protects, on the western slopes of Bugaj mountain, a piece of old fir and beech forest typical of the lower montane zone of the Beskids. It lies between 780 and 960 m above sea level, covers 24.99 ha and was created in 1957. It is a strict reserve with free entry.
In the valley stands the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a brick and stone church from 1908-1911 with neo-Gothic elements and eighteenth-century sculptures of St Anne and St Joachim. It was entered in the register of monuments in 2024. Until 1950 it was a branch of the parish in Rajcza.
Ideas for a solo hike are in what to do alone in Rycerka Górna.
From the hut at Przegibek, which offers views of Wielka and Mała Rycerzowa and Wielka and Mała Racza.
At 1,236 m above sea level, below the summit, where the red, yellow and Slovak green trails meet.
A former grazing clearing linked to the settlement of the Vlachs. Today it is a viewpoint beside the trail to Wielka Racza.
Old fir and beech forest on a landslide on the western slopes of Bugaj mountain, over 24.99 ha.
