Gorce National Park

Lore & Background

The first steps to protect this land go back to 1927, when a forest reserve was set up on land owned by Count Ludwik Wodzicki of Poręba Wielka. The National Park was created in 1981, then covering 23.9 square kilometres. Today, the area of the park has grown to 70.3 km², of which 65.91 km² is forested. The park lies within Limanowa County and Nowy Targ County.

The Gorce range is dominated by arched peaks with river valleys cutting into the range. There are a few small caves and several peaks such as Turbacz (the highest at 1310 meters), Jaworzyna Kamienicka, Kiczora, Kudłoń, Czoło Turbacza, and Gorc Kamienicki. Waters cover only 0.18 km² of the park's area, consisting only of streams. Forests cover about 95% of the park, with common species including spruce, beech, and fir. First settlers appeared in the 14th century, but the forests suffered most in the 19th century due to large-scale tree cutting.

Animal life includes over 90 species of breeding birds and almost 50 mammal species, including lynx, wolf, and bear. The rare fire salamander is the symbol of the park. The Jaworzyna Kamienicka glade houses the historical Bulanda Chapel, funded at the beginning of the 20th century by Gorce's most famous shepherd, Tomasz Chlipała. The most well-known cave, Zbójnicka Jama, is nearby.

Reader's Guide

Gorce National Park matters as a protected area that preserves the natural and cultural heritage of the Gorce Mountains. Established in 1981, it expanded from an initial 23.9 km² to 70.3 km², reflecting growing conservation efforts. The park's forests, covering 95% of its area, are dominated by spruce, beech, and fir, and its undisturbed landscape contrasts with human activities confined to the periphery. The park hosts significant biodiversity, including over 90 bird species and 50 mammal species such as lynx, wolf, and bear, with the fire salamander as its emblem. Cultural landmarks like the Bulanda Chapel, funded by shepherd Tomasz Chlipała, and the Zbójnicka Jama cave add historical depth. The park's location allows visitors to view surrounding national treasures like the Tatra and Pieniny Mountains. Its significance lies in balancing ecological protection with limited tourism, offering a refuge for nature enthusiasts while safeguarding alpine and subalpine plant species and the legacy of 19th-century forest exploitation.

Did You Know?

• The park's symbol is the rare fire salamander.
• The highest peak in the park is Turbacz at 1310 meters above sea level.
• The park's area has grown from 23.9 km² in 1981 to 70.3 km² today.
• The Bulanda Chapel was funded by shepherd Tomasz Chlipała at the beginning of the 20th century.

From Forest Reserve to National Park

The earliest conservation effort in the Gorce dates to 1927, when a forest reserve was designated on the estate of Count Ludwik Wodzicki in Poręba Wielka. That modest beginning eventually matured into full national park status in 1981, at which point the protected area spanned just 23.9 square kilometres. Over the decades that followed, the boundaries were expanded considerably, and the park now encompasses 70.3 square kilometres, of which 65.91 kilometres are forested. A surrounding protective zone adds another 166.47 square kilometres to the total area under management. Administratively, the park straddles two counties—Limanowa and Nowy Targ—within Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland, and its headquarters remain in the village of Poręba Wielka, the very community where the original 1927 reserve was carved out. Geologically, the Gorce Mountains sit at the western tip of the Carpathian range, forming part of the Western Beskids, which gives the park a distinctive position at the edge of one of Europe's great mountain systems.

Peaks, Valleys, and a Landscape of Soft Arches

The Gorce range presents a topography defined by gently arched summits rather than jagged alpine spires. River valleys slice through the mountains, carving the range into a series of rounded ridges and hollows. Among the notable summits, Turbacz stands tallest at 1,310 metres above sea level, followed by Jaworzyna Kamienicka, Kiczora, Kudłoń, Czoło Turbacza, and Gorc Kamienicki. The park also contains a handful of small caves, adding a subterranean dimension to the landscape. Water, however, is a scarce feature: streams are the only permanent watercourses, and no lakes or major rivers exist within the boundaries. In total, water covers a mere 0.18 square kilometres of the park's area. Despite its modest hydrological footprint, the Gorce offer remarkable panoramic rewards. Because the peaks are relatively soft and accessible, hikers can climb them and take in sweeping views of neighbouring mountain groups, including the Tatra and Pieniny ranges, making the park a quiet vantage point over a wider Carpathian panorama.

A Living Tapestry of Forest and Fauna

Forests blanket roughly 95 percent of the park's territory, dominated by spruce, beech, and fir. Beyond the woodland, meadows host hundreds of plant species, including Alpine and Subalpine varieties that thrive at higher elevations. The scattered clearings within the forest are largely the legacy of earlier human activity rather than natural processes. The animal community is equally rich. More than ninety species of birds breed within the park, and nearly fifty mammal species call it home, ranging from the charismatic lynx, wolf, and bear to smaller forest dwellers. Amphibians and reptiles add further layers of biodiversity: frogs, snakes, and salamanders all inhabit the park's streams and woodlands. Among these, the rare fire salamander holds a special place as the official symbol of Gorce National Park, a small but vivid emblem of the park's commitment to preserving even the most delicate elements of its ecosystem.

Shepherds, Chapels, and the Long Shadow of the Axe

Human presence in the Gorce dates to the fourteenth century, when the first settlers established themselves in the area. For centuries the forests coexisted with pastoral life, but the nineteenth century brought a dramatic shift: trees were felled on a massive scale, particularly in the more accessible parts of the range, leaving a scarred landscape that the park's modern conservation efforts have had to heal. Yet the Gorce also carry a proud cultural memory. The most celebrated figure of the range's pastoral past is Tomasz Chlipała, a shepherd whose fame endures to this day. In the early twentieth century, he funded the construction of the Bulanda Chapel, which stands on the glade atop Jaworzyna Kamienicka—the second-highest peak in the Gorce. The nearby Zbójnicka Jama, the range's best-known cave, adds another layer of local legend to the area. Today, the park's landscape retains an undisturbed character, with human activity confined to the periphery, and the modest number of visitors who do come find a haven of quiet wilderness.

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