Trzy Korony

Overview

Trzy Korony- Three Crowns is the highest peak of Pieniny Środkowe /Middle Pienieny/. Pieniny Środkowe is a part of Pieniny mountains along with Pieniny Spiskie /up to 879 m- Żar/ and Małe Pieniny /Small Pieniny/ with the highes summit of whole Pieniny- Wysoka /1052 m/. Trzy Korony peak is also the most prominent one in the whole Pieniny- 330 m.

The origin of the name is not clear. In the XVIII century the peak was just called Pieniny. In the publications from the beginning of the XIX century name Kronenberg /Crown Peak/ appeared. In the second part of the XIX century the name transferred into Trzy Korony- Three Crowns.

Trzy Korony Massif is a part of Pieniny Środkowe. It is limited by Szopka Pass /780 m/ and Szopczański Gorge on the West, the valley of Pienieński Potok on the North and Dunajec Gorge on the South and East.
The highest summits of Trzy Korony Massif:

• Trzy Korony- 982 m- the highest


• Ostry Wierch- 851 m- North- East of Trzy Korony


• Zamkowa Góra- 799 m- North of Ostry Wierch


• Łysina- 792 m- South- East of Trzy Korony


• Wielka Pustelnica- 684 m- North of Zamkowa Góra


• Facimech- 668 m- lower summit of Łysina


• Klejowa Góra- 579 m- lower summit of Łysina

From Sokolica

From Cerveny Klastor

Trzy Korony and Łysina

While seen from Sokolica or from the North Trzy Korony appears as a huge bulk covered with forests. From the South it looks completely different. Five limestone towers rises above the forest line- the one in the center is the highest summit of Trzy Korony.
The rock towers:

• Okrąglica- 982 m- the highest one, with the platform on the top


• Płaska Skała /Flat Rock/- 950 m- to the East of Okrąglica


• Nad Ogródki- 940 m- to the West of Okrąglica


• Pańska Skała- 920 m- to the East of Okrąglica


• Niznia Okrąglica- to the East of Okrąglica

The flora of Trzy Korony Massif is very rich with some endemic species like mniszek pieniński /Taraxacum pieninicum/ and złocień Zawadzkiego /Dendranthema zawadskii/ and other rare calciphyte plants i.e. rozchodnik wielki /Sedum maximum/.

Routes

There are several marked routes that lead to the summit of Trzy Korony. The most common option is a loop from one of the nearby cities.

Trails from Sromowce Niżne:
Option 1: Through Szopka Gorge and Szopka Pass
From Sromowce Niżne to Szopka Pass: yellow marks, 1h 20 min.
From Szopka Pass to the summit: blue marks, 30 min.
Option 2: Via Ostry Wierch
From Sromowce Niżne to Ostry Wierch: yellow and green marks, 2h.
From Ostry Wierch to the summit: 15 min.
The majority of hikers choose option 1 for ascent and option 2 for descent.

Trails From Krościenko
Option 1: Through Szopka Pass
From Krościenko to Szopka Pass: yellow marks, 2 h.
From Szopka pass to the summit: blue marks, 30 min.
Option 2: By the main ridge
From Krościenko to Czertezik: green marks, 2 h
From Czertezik to the summit by Sokola Perć and the main ridge /see below/: blue marks, 2-2,5 h.
The more popular option is to take the green marked path, then follow to the summit of Trzy Korony and descent by the yellow marked path.

The main ridge of Pieniny: from Szczawnica via Sokolica to Trzy Korony
So called Sokola Perć: blue marks, 3,5-4 h.
This is the most interesting option. It allows hikers to combine the two most interesting peaks of the range /Trzy Korony and Sokolica/. The trail was built by ks. Walenty Gadowski, the inventor of famous Orla Perć in Tatras.
The trail is not difficult but involves some scrambling and is exposed in some parts, especially in Czerteż and Ociemny Wierch area.

From Dunajec River

From Sokolica

From the South

The main ridge of Pieniny from Czorsztyn Macelak to Trzy Korony
Blue marks, 5 h.
The trails goes through the peaks of Majerz /689 m/, Macelak /857 m/ to the Szopka Pass, meeting the trails from Sromowce Niżne and Krościenko.

The map of Trzy Korony Massif
The map of the whole area

The top

All the trails that leads to the summit of Trzy Korony ends a on little meadow called Siodło /Saddle/- that’s why on some maps it is marked as a pass. Here you can buy a ticket that allows you to go to the highest top of Trzy Korony /the ticket is also valid on Sokolica on that day/. On the top of Okrąglica there’s is a small platform, the path is secured by some balustrades.

Only 15 people could go to the top at once- the platform is really small. It means that during the high season you should be prepared for spending some time waiting in a queue...
The view from the top is fantastic. The mighty Tatras dominates the landscape. Other lower areas visible from Trzy Korony are: Beskid Sądecki, Gorce
and Magura Spiska. When the visibility is good you may also see Babia Góra /distance: 63 km/. But the most astonishing part of view encounters when you look down: Dunajec Gorge- over 500 meters below you.

Getting there

From Poland
The nearest airport is in Kraków. From kraków drive south, the same direction as for Zakopane. In Nowy Targ turn left /East/ and follow the road to Krościenko and Szczawnica or to Sromowce Niżne /leave the main road in Kluszkowice turning right- South/. 110-120 km from Kraków.

From Slovakia
Trzy Korony Massif is located just north of the Slovakian border. The access from Slovakia is also relatively easy.
The nearest airport is in Poprad. From Poprad drive North- East to Spisska Bela and there straight North to Spisska Stara Ves /60 km from Poprad/. Here cross the river /bridges i.e. in Sromowce Wyżnie/ and go to Sromowce Niżne or drive around the Trzy Korony Massif to get to Kroscienko or Szczwnica.

Accommodation and camping

There is a mountain hut called Trzy Korony located along the trail from Sromowce Niżnie.
Adress
Schronisko PTTK Trzy Korony
ul. Sobczańska 91
34-443 Sromowce Niżne
phone. 18/ 2629823
email: informacja@trzykorony.pl

Krościenko official site- in English


There is no problem to find an accommodation possibility in of the nearby cities or villages.
Szczawnica official site
Sromowce Niżne official site
Krościenko official site

Within the borders of national park camping is strictly forbidden.

Red tape

No special restrictions besides the ones from Pieniński Park Narodowy.

Pieniński Park Narodowy- Pieniny National Park.
u. Jagiellońska 107B
34-450 Krościenko nad Dunajcem, Poland

phone : + 48 18 262 56 01, 262 56 02
fax : + 48 18 262 56 03
e-mail : biuro@pieninypn.pl

National Park official site- in English

Emergency

Górskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe- GOPR

Adress
Central Stadion of Grupa Podhalańska

34-700 Rabka Zdrój
al. 1000-lecia 1

emergency numer: 601 100 300
phone: 18 / 267 68 80
phone/fax: 18 / 267 64 58

poczta@gopr-podhale.pl

Nearby local stations:
Krościenko
ul. Jagiellońska 6
phone: 18/ 262 57 47

Szczawnica
ul. Główna 11
phone: 18/ 262 26 80

GOPR (Podhale) official site
GOPR (main) official site

When to climb

Trzy Korony peak is climbable all year round.
GOPR weather forecast
An interactive map with weather forecast- move the mouse to the area you are interested in and click the right button for weather forecas/start set for Krościenko/.

Webcam
Few actual views from Szczawnica

Essential gear:

Best time for hiking is summer season: June-September.In summer no special equipment is needed.
In winter conditions: casual equipment for hiking in winter. Expect a lot of snow.

Additional info

The main page of Pieniny is not very informational. Hopefully it will be upgraded soon...

Images

View Trzy Korony Image Gallery - 84 Images