The massive rock wall of Giewont seen from Sarnia Skała viewpoint near Zakopane
English

Giewont: The Sleeping Knight Above Zakopane (and How to Climb It)

by Łukasz Kurbiel00

Po polsku: Giewont

Look south from almost anywhere in Zakopane and you’ll see it: a long rocky mountain that looks like a man lying on his back, with a cross on his chest. That’s Giewont (1894 m a.s.l.), the most famous mountain in Poland. It’s not the highest, but every Pole knows its shape, and many say you have to climb it at least once in your life.

The legend of the Sleeping Knight

Highlanders say that inside Giewont sleeps a great knight with his army. He will wake up when Poland is in danger and come down to save it. From Zakopane you can easily see his head, nose and folded hands. Once you’ve seen him, you can’t unsee him.

The other side of Giewont

The funny thing is that the knight only exists from Zakopane. Go up to a viewpoint like Sarnia Skała, just west of town, and you see Giewont from the side: a 600-metre limestone wall, no face, no knight. Same mountain, completely different character.

Giewont's limestone north face above the forested Strążyska valley, Tatra Mountains

Sarnia Skała is an easy hike, about 1.5 hours from the Strążyska valley, and it’s one of the best spots to see Giewont up close without climbing it.

The cross on the summit

The iron cross was put up in 1901 to mark 1900 years of Christianity. The parts were made in Kraków, brought to Zakopane by train and then carried up on people’s backs. It’s 17.5 metres tall and weighs over 1.8 tonnes. On a clear evening it’s easy to spot from the town.

Climbing Giewont

The most popular route starts in Kuźnice: blue trail via Kalatówki and Hala Kondratowa to the Kondracka pass, then the final rocky part to the summit, with chains to hold on to. Count on about 3 hours up and 2 h 15 min down.

  • The chains section is steep and busy. In summer there can be long queues, and traffic goes one way up and another way down.
  • Storms: the summit and the iron cross attract lightning. If clouds build up in the afternoon, don’t go up. Start early in the morning.
  • Stay on the trail. The gully next to the summit, Żleb Kirkora, has taken many lives of people who left the path.

Practical info

  • Height: 1894 m a.s.l. (Wielki Giewont)
  • Start: Kuźnice, Zakopane
  • Time: 5 to 6 hours return
  • Difficulty: moderate, the top part with chains needs a head for heights
  • Easier option: Sarnia Skała viewpoint, about 3 hours return
  • National park fee: paid at the trail entrance or online

Checked October 2026. Trail conditions change, so check the weather and TOPR info before you go.

More Tatra hikes: Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy and Karb, Rusinowa Polana, Morskie Oko. All guides: Kraków & Małopolska in English.

Łukasz, Niezwykła Małopolska