The Three Crowns — the most famous summit of the Pieniny

A massif of five crags

Despite the name, the massif of the Three Crowns is made up of five limestone crags: Okrąglica (982 m), Płaska Skała, Pańska Skała, Niżna Okrąglica and Ganek. The name refers to the three most visible summits, which dominate the massif when seen from the west and from the Dunajec.

What to see

The viewing platform — a steel deck on Okrąglica at 715 m a.s.l., reached by a short ladder section
The panorama of the Dunajec gorge — a view of the bends of the river 500 m below
A view of the Tatras — visible to the south in good weather
The mountain hut below the Three Crowns — a PTTK hut on Bańkowa Przełęcz, about 30 min below the summit

Practical notes

The climb to the Three Crowns starts from Krościenko nad Dunajcem (the waymarked blue trail over Bańkowa Przełęcz, about 1.5–2 hours) or from Sromowce Niżne along the Main Pieniny Trail. The viewing platform is narrow and may be ticketed — at the height of the season queues are the norm. To protect the park, leaving the waymarked trail is forbidden.

How to get there and practical info

Height: 982 m a.s.l. — the highest summit of the Pieniny; the viewing platform is at 715 m
The climb from Krościenko: The blue trail over Bańkowa Przełęcz, about 1.5–2 hours
The climb from Sromowce: The Main Pieniny Trail, about 1.5 hours
Admission: A day pass to the park; the viewing platform is ticketed separately
Nearby: The mountain hut below the Three Crowns, the Dunajec gorge, Sokolica
Time needed: 4–5 hours there and back

When to go

Spring

The trails dry out, flowers bloom on the crags and there are fewest visitors.

Summer

The height of the season, long queues for the platform — mornings are best.

Autumn

Golden beechwoods on the slopes and the best visibility.

Winter

Slippery trails and the viewing platform often closed — take care.

Other sights in Pieniny

Straight-line distances from „The Three Crowns" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.

Pieniny National ParkOne of the oldest national parks in Poland (1932), 23.75 km² — headquarters at Krościenko,

~909 m as the crow flies

SokolicaThe second emblem of the Pieniny (747 m), with a lone pine growing out of the rock and a p

~2,0 km as the crow flies

The raft trip through the Dunajec GorgeA two-hour trip on wooden rafts through the Dunajec Gorge — from Kąty in Sromowce Niżne to

~4,8 km as the crow flies

Szczawnica — the spa townA historic spa town working since 1839 — the Upper and Lower Parks, the Plac Dietla promen

~5,8 km as the crow flies

Niedzica Castle (Dunajec)A Gothic-Renaissance castle of the 14th century, the best preserved in southern Poland, ab

~6,1 km as the crow flies

The Homole Gorge at JaworkiA rock gorge in the Lesser Pieniny near Jaworki — vertical walls 120 m high, one of the fi

~6,9 km as the crow flies

Czorsztyn CastleThe ruins of a medieval royal castle of the 13th century, today rising picturesquely above

~8,0 km as the crow flies