The Loop – a new tourist product in the Beskids
The Loop is a new long-distance (almost 250 kilometers long) mountain trail that starts and ends in Bielsko-Biała. The ceremony of signing the letter of intent regarding cooperation in creating said trail took place on the 8th of February in the session hall of Bielsko-Biała’s town hall.
The Loop is a new comprehensive tourist product integrated with a chain of mountain hostels, entirely based on Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society’s (PTTK) trails. It’s an ambitious route that puts to use big sections of existing trails in the Żywiec, Silesian and Little Beskids. In order to complete it, one must cross almost 250 kilometers with a total elevation gain exceeding 11.000 meters.
A characteristic feature of The Loop is that, as the name indicates, the trail starts and ends in the same place. In our version it is a glade by the Dębowiec, a mountain located in Bielsko-Biała. The trail is designed based on the premise that one should be able to cross it during a two-week vacation and have access to neat accommodations along the way. The Loop is meant to make use of the advantages of the Żywiec, Silesian and Little Beskids and help maintain cultural and scenical heritage, which plays a remarkable role in raising new generations of mindful and responsible tourists. Creators of The Loop believe that it will make a new attractive international tourist offer and will soon join the list of well-known trails such as West Highland Way in Scotland and GR 20 in Corsica, which is considered the hardest mountain trail in Europe.
The trail was initiated by the city of Bielsko-Biała in cooperation with Local Tourist Organization ‘the Beskids’ and Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society. It is co-created by mountain hostels located en route, regional authorities, cultural institutions, tourist organizations, local governments, associations, companies in the tourism industry and all concerned – to put it simply: mountain lovers. The Loop will undoubtedly be a great adventure and an amazing challenge for enthusiasts of hiking.
The initial trail of The Loop leads through Szyndzielnia, Klimczok, Błatnia, Brenna, Równica, Czantoria Wielka, Stożek, Kubalonka mountain pass, Barania Góra, Węgierska Górka, next to Abrahamów and Słowianki stations, through Rysianka, Hala Miziowa and Pilsko, then almost 30 kilometers to Babia Góra – to Markowe Szczawiny and station on Jaworzyna, around Babia Góra, to Zawoja and through Jałowiec to Adamów Cabin, through the Ethnographic Park in Ślemień, Gibasówka Cabin, through the Little Beskids to Międzybrodzie and Góra Żar, where an air adventure is available. The last part is crossing Soła, climbing Rogacz, Magurka, and Kozia Góra and returning to Szyndzielnia – that’s how we close the loop.
