Bieszczady National Park Park

Bieszczady National Park is a protected area in southeastern Poland covering part of the Bieszczady Mountains and established in the early 1970s. The park preserves montane beech forests, characteristic grassy ridges called ‘połoniny’, and a variety of mountain habitats.

The park is popular for hiking on well-marked trails across ridges such as Połonina Wetlińska and Połonina Caryńska, and for reaching the highest summit, Tarnica, at 1,346 metres. Wildlife includes large mammals such as brown bear and lynx, and the park is managed to balance visitor access with habitat protection.

Historically the area was used for pastoralism and later saw depopulation in the 20th century; designation as a national park focused conservation and visitor management on remaining natural areas. The park forms part of the Eastern Carpathians’ protected landscape and is a key conservation area in Poland.

Bieszczady National Park lies in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship in southeastern Poland, a remote and sparsely populated mountain region; the nearest towns with visitor services are on the park margins and access is typically by road from regional centres.

• Highest summit: The park contains Tarnica, the highest peak at 1,346 metres, which is a common objective for hikers and offers wide views from its summit.
• Conservation: Established in the early 1970s, the park protects large tracts of beech forest, mountain meadows and habitat for large mammals including brown bear and lynx.

What to See#

• Połonina Wetlińska: Połonina Wetlińska - a high mountain meadow ridge known for rolling grasslands and well-marked hiking trails with viewpoints over the valleys.
• Połonina Caryńska: Połonina Caryńska - another prominent grassy ridge offering panoramic views and relatively accessible day hikes from park trailheads.

Bieszczady National Park is in south‑eastern Poland; the nearest regional transport hubs are Rzeszów and Przemyśl. The park is typically reached by car from Rzeszów (Rzeszów-Jasionka airport) - roughly 100-120 km southeast and about 1.5-2 hours’ driving to main entry towns such as Ustrzyki Dolne. There are intercity buses to Ustrzyki Dolne from Rzeszów and Przemyśl; from Ustrzyki Dolne you can take local buses, taxis or walk/hike into the park’s trailheads and car parks.

• Start ridge hikes (for example the Połonina meadows and Tarnica peak) very early to enjoy sunrise views from the open high meadows and to avoid afternoon thunderstorms that commonly develop in summer.
• Base yourself in small gateway villages such as Ustrzyki Górne or Wetlina to access main trailheads quickly and take quieter weekday trails to escape the weekend crowds.
• Plan logistics in advance: check park trail closures and parking rules (some popular trailheads have limited parking) and allow extra time for public transport or local shuttles during peak season.