01 · Book your apartment
Twelve homes on the slope, eight ready now and four still in the making, each named after a bird of the Beskidy.
The DipperApartment 1.1Ground level
The Golden EagleApartment 1.2Top level
The Hazel GrouseComing soonApartment 2.1Ground level
The Lesser Spotted EagleApartment 2.2Top level
The Black GrouseComing soonApartment 3.1Ground level
The White StorkApartment 3.2Top level
The Honey BuzzardApartment 4.1Ground level
The Peregrine FalconApartment 4.2Top level
The NutcrackerComing soonApartment 5.1Ground level
The KingfisherComing soonApartment 5.2Top level
The BullfinchApartment 6.1Ground level
The Black StorkApartment 6.2Top level03 · Ski
Six easy steps, from the first lift to the sauna.
04 · Hiking
Eight easy steps, from the first question to the last light.
WinterSpringSummerAutumnSzczyrk’s two mountainsThe frog and the phoenixA feature · Skrzyczne and Klimczok
The trailsColours, distances, plans
The art of photographyLight, fog and viewpoints
Wildlife, watched with respectDeer, foxes and our birds
Huts & food on the waySoup at the top
The winter photographerA winter morning, in five chapters
The landscape park386 km² of protected mountains, from your door
Paragliding over the BeskidyTandem flights and schools05 · Biking
Seven easy steps, from the first question to the last descent.
06 · Horse riding
Riding in the Beskidy, then five stables within an hour, the nearest first.
07 · Lake Żywiec
Eight easy steps, from the first look to a day on the water.
From aboveFrom Góra ŻarFrom the hillsAt golden hourBoat rental at the Zarzecze marinaSail Lake Żywiec, about 20 min from ChikApart.A feature · the Halny sailing club
Rent on the waterKayak, SUP, pedal boat, boat
Beaches & swimmingSwim at your own risk
Sailing & windsurfingSchools, marinas, the wind
Boat cruisesTwo ships from the Tresna dam
Around the lakeŻywiec, the brewery, Góra Żar, the dams
WinterRinks, never the lake ice08 · Szczyrk
Nine easy steps: the town, the places near it, then the practical things.
Near SzczyrkA few minutes away
The centre & the Żylica walkThe square, the river, the main street
Churches & the SanctuaryGórka, St James’, Sts Peter and Paul
The Skalite ski jumpsThree hills, a stage, a museum
Events & marketsFestivals, jumps, fairs
For familiesParks, ropes, playgrounds
The aqua park at Mercure SzczyrkPools, slides and saunas, five minutes away
The rope parkThree routes in the trees, in the centre10 · Utilities & Rental
Eight easy steps, from what you need to who to call.
02 · Book a tour
Your own Vito, the 3 Plans for your comfort, the days out, then booking.
A day, a destination, a driver — with your own VitoBy the day, for the week, or yours to drive
3 Plans for your comfortEssential · Prestige · Signature
KrakówThe royal city
Zakopane & the TatrasCable cars, lakes, thermal pools
Auschwitz-BirkenauMemorial and Museum · Oświęcim
Oskar Schindler’s Enamel FactoryKraków
EnergylandiaThe great theme park
Further favouritesPszczyna, Ojców and shooting09 · Restaurants
Five easy steps, from what you feel like to a table tonight.
07 · Lake Żywiec
Nine places to hire a boat, two ships from the dam, a whole summer day on the water.
Lake Żywiec, a dam reservoir on the Soła, lies about half an hour away by car. On its shores at Zarzecze, Żywiec and Tresna: marinas, sailing schools, boats and paddles for hire, and in summer a cruise from the Tresna dam. Just downstream lies the smaller Lake Międzybrodzkie.
Come for an hour or stay until the light goes. Eight short steps: a blanket on the shore, a kayak, a sail, the ship from the dam. Every address and hour was read on the place’s own page on 30 September 2026.
A story
About twenty minutes from the door, the road comes down to the water at Zarzecze, and the mountains step back for Lake Żywiec. A dam lake on the Soła, some six and a half kilometres long, the Beskid Mały along its eastern shore.
At the Halny sailing club’s marina you ask the bosun for a boat. Never sailed? Then a skipper comes along and sails it for you, and you only have to watch the shore slide by. If you already sail, ask the bosun about taking an Omega dinghy out yourself. The children may prefer a pedal boat or a kayak.
Out on the water the sounds change: small waves against the hull, a rope tapping a mast, the wind deciding everything. You tack, and tack again, and lose track of time.
Late in the day you bring the boat in, a little sunburnt, and drive back up into the mountains for supper. The boats go out from May to October; the water at the marina was low in 2026, so ask the bosun about conditions before you go.
A feature · Boat rentalBoat rental at the Zarzecze marinaSail Lake Żywiec, about 20 min from ChikApart: Omega dinghies, cabin yachts, kayaks and pedal boats, a skipper if you have no licence, and the sailing course.See the boatsStep 1 of 8 · Where, how far, when.
A mountain lake made by a dam, about half an hour from the door. Read the four facts, then choose the question that sounds like your day: rest, move, bring the children, or come in winter.
Sunset over Lake Żywiec1 / 10
Photos 10
Where
A dam lake on the river Soła, between Żywiec, Zarzecze and Tresna, with the Beskid Mały on its east shore.
How far
About 20 minutes by car to the marinas at Zarzecze, about half an hour to Żywiec and to the dam at Tresna.
How big
About 10 km² of water, about 6.5 km long and up to about 27 m deep. The Tresna dam was built in 1960–66; the water covered parts of Zarzecze, Tresna, Zadziele and Stary Żywiec.
Best seasons
May to October on the water: the rentals and the cruises are seasonal. In winter, the rinks nearby and the view from the shore, never the ice.
With 1 and 3 May both public holidays, many Poles take the days between off: Szczyrk and Lake Żywiec are busy. Book boats, tables and rooms early. The Calendar of Poland
The free city beach in Żywiec, right by the water; if you swim, it is at your own risk.
A 50-minute cruise from the Tresna dam, on the ship Albatros.
Up Góra Żar by funicular for the view over both lakes.
Rent a sailing boat, a kayak or a pedal boat at the biggest marina, in Zarzecze.
Sail for a day with a skipper, or take a sailing course.
Windsurfing lessons in Żywiec.
Pedal boats, kayaks and SUP boards at the Tresna dam, next to the cruise ship.
The cruise: 50 minutes on the water, the mountains all round.
The funicular up Góra Żar; a rope park waits by its lower station.
The free rink on the market square in Żywiec, and more rinks nearby.
Why never on the lake ice: the police warning of January 2026.
Warm up in Żywiec: the brewery museum (book ahead).
Step 2 of 8 · Sun, sand and stones.
Three places to sit by the water, each with a map link. No lifeguard is confirmed at any of them for 2026, so if you swim, you swim at your own risk. Read the four short rules below first.
The beaches
Summer days, May to September; swim at your own risk.
A story
Some days ask for nothing but a blanket and a view. Twenty minutes from the door, the shore at Zarzecze runs for about four and a half kilometres beside the marinas. The Beskid Mały stands along the far side of the water.
Spread the blanket. Unpack the picnic. Watch the sails cross.
If you swim, choose calm, shallow water and never go alone: no lifeguard is confirmed on these shores for 2026, and the children stay within reach. Then lie back and dry in the sun, with the afternoon still in front of you and nowhere else to be.
The stony shore of Lake Żywiec at dusk, the Beskid Mały beyond1 / 3
Photos 3
A free, open beach on the lake in Żywiec, run by the city sports centre (MOSiR), with the Beskid ridges across the water.
Swim at your own risk. No lifeguard is confirmed: the city’s own rules say the beach is not a swimming area.
About 4.5 km of shore in Zarzecze, with a stony beach for sunbathing next to the marinas and the water-sports rentals.
Swim at your own risk. No lifeguard is confirmed.
Check before visiting
A small beach on Lake Międzybrodzkie, with a bar, a playground and kayaks to rent.
Swim at your own risk. No lifeguard is confirmed.
A small beach on Lake Międzybrodzkie, just below Lake Żywiec, with a bar, a beer garden, a playground, parking and a rental of kayaks and pedal boats.
Step 3 of 8 · Pick a boat. Paddle.
Nine rental points on Lake Żywiec and on Lake Międzybrodzkie just below it, the closest first. Each was checked on its own website or the official regional guide on 30 September 2026.
Boats, kayaks, pedal boats
The water season, roughly May to October; the marina from 1 April to 31 October.
A story
A kayak asks very little of you: no licence, no lesson, only a paddle and an hour. Nine places around the lakes rent them. There are pedal boats for the children, boards to stand on, and electric boats for anyone who prefers to sit.
Ask for life jackets before you step in. Push off from the jetty, and within a few strokes the sounds of the shore fall behind: only water against the hull.
Go as far as the hour allows. From about May to October the boats are out, and the nearest wait at Zarzecze, twenty minutes from your door.
A rowing boat moored on Lake Międzybrodzkie1 / 11
Photos 11
Who rents what
Kayaks
SUP boards
Pedal boats
Motorboats (electric)
Sailing boats
Petrol motorboats: no rental on either lake could be found. The boats you can hire without a licence are electric.
Jet skis, water skiing and wakeboarding: no operator could be found on the lake, so none is listed.
Life jackets on: every rental above says it provides them. Keep away from the dams and from the swimmers along the shore.
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Step 4 of 8 · Catch the wind.
Sailing schools with 2026 courses, a school for day sails with a skipper, a windsurfing school and the marinas, each with its official page. No kitesurfing: nobody teaches or rents it on this lake.
Boats, kayaks, pedal boats
The water season, roughly May to October; the marina from 1 April to 31 October.
A story
On a sailing boat the wind decides, and you learn to agree with it. The clubs at Zarzecze teach exactly that, towards the Polish yacht-sailor licence. Weekend courses from May, two-week courses in July and August, from the age of fourteen.
You need none of it for a single afternoon. Ask for a skipper, and the skipper takes the tiller while you hold a rope and feel the boat lean.
There are windsurfing lessons too, for the patient. The mountains stand round the water like the walls of a room, and the sail fills.
A small sailing yacht at dusk1 / 8
Photos 8
Kitesurfing: no school or rental operates on Lake Żywiec, so this guide does not list any.
The wind: the lake is known for the halny, the warm southerly wind, and for westerlies and northerlies (windsurfing.pl spot guide). Check the Tresna wind gauge on the local club’s site before you go out.
Courses for the Polish yacht-sailor licence, from the age of 14; the club holds the exams.
Courses for the Polish yacht-sailor licence (PZŻ programme) at the club’s marina, 9:00–17:00: weekend courses from May to September and two-week courses in July and August, from the age of 14. The club is authorised to hold the licence exams.
Courses for the yacht-sailor licence, and one-day sails with a skipper for a family or friends.
Weekend and residential courses for the yacht-sailor licence, a five-day express course ending with the PZŻ exam, private lessons, and one-day sails with a skipper for a family or friends: you can take the helm yourself. Its own jetty at the Perkoz club; a 2026 season calendar on the site.
A sailing club from Bielsko-Biała with its own centre on the lake at Tresna: weekend courses from May to September 2026, summer camps and regattas.
Check before visiting
A windsurfing club and school right on the shore in Żywiec, with instructors, equipment, changing rooms and showers.
A year-round university centre with a marina by the Żywiec city beach, for sailing camps and group training; not a walk-in rental.
The local sailing and windsurfing club at the Tresna dam; its webcams and wind gauge help before a day on the water.
The local club for sailing and windsurfing, based at the Od Nowa marina by the Tresna dam. Its site shows live webcams, the wind gauge at Tresna and forecasts: useful before any day on the water.
Step 5 of 8 · All aboard.
Two small passenger ships sail from the Tresna dam in summer. Neither publishes a timetable online, so phone the pier before you drive.
Lake cruises
May to October; no timetable is published: phone the pier.
A story
The lake is younger than it looks. The dam at Tresna was built between 1960 and 1966. When the water rose, it covered parts of four villages: Zarzecze, Tresna, Zadziele and Stary Żywiec.
Two small ships sail from the dam in summer. One makes a fifty-minute round; the other goes out to the middle of the lake and back in about an hour. Neither prints a timetable, so phone the pier before you drive.
Stand at the rail. The mountains are all round you, and somewhere under the keel lie the old lanes. A gentle hour, good for children and for anyone who likes to watch water.
Two rowing boats moored on the calm lake, the Beskids behind1 / 10
Photos 10
Both ships sail from the Tresna dam, about 30 km and half an hour by car from the residence, with parking by the dam. The blue hiking trail crosses the dam crest: walk out onto it before or after the cruise.
A 50-minute cruise over the lake with the mountains all round, a short commentary and music on board. The same pier rents pedal boats, kayaks and SUP boards.
Check before visiting
The lake’s first cruise ship, since 2008: an hour out to the middle of the lake and back.
The lake’s first cruise ship, sailing since 2008: about an hour out to the middle of the lake and back, with a recorded commentary on the villages under the water.
Step 6 of 8 · Skate on a rink. Look at the lake.
In winter the lake may freeze, but its ice is never safe. Skate on a rink nearby, and admire the lake from the shore.
Ice rinks
Żywiec usually mid-December to the end of February; Bielsko-Biała reopens on 5 November 2026.
A story
In a cold winter the lake goes white and still. From the crest of the Tresna dam it looks like a field laid between the mountains. Walk the bank, breathe the frost, take the photograph.
But stay on the shore. In January 2026 a car went through this ice, and the police in Żywiec reminded everyone that ice on a lake is never safe.
If you want to glide, the rink in Żywiec gives you forty-five minutes at a time, with skates and helmets to hire. The lake is for looking at. It is enough.
Lake Żywiec in March: ice along the stony shore. Look from the bank; never step on it1 / 9
Photos 9
12 January 2026 · Żywiec police
On a January weekend a driver took his car onto the frozen Lake Żywiec; the ice gave way and the car sank at the shore. The Żywiec police reminded everyone that ice on rivers, lakes and ponds is never completely safe. Never walk or drive onto frozen water.
Winter by the lake
The rinks of the ski guide, each checked on its own site. Seasons change every year: check before visiting.
Check before visiting
A seasonal rink on the square in the centre of Szczyrk, listed among the town’s winter attractions.
An outdoor rink at the Wisła pools, with skate rental, free helmets for children under 12 and lit ice paths.
A free outdoor rink on the market square, 10:00–20:00, with skates to rent.
A free outdoor rink on the market square: 45-minute sessions on the hour for up to 45 skaters, 10:00–20:00, with skates, helmets and beginners’ “penguins” to rent.
A 1,000 m² rink under a tent hall, run by the city sports centre, with lockers and a skate rental.
Step 7 of 8 · More to see.
Five places round the lakes, each checked on its official site. The old town of Żywiec, the brewery museum, the funicular up Góra Żar and the two dams.
A story
When the wind is wrong for boats, the lake still has a day to offer. In Żywiec, twenty-two minutes away, the old castle keeps the town’s museum, and its park hides a small Chinese house among the trees. The brewery that carries the town’s name tells its story in a museum of its own, closed on Mondays.
Further round, a funicular climbs Góra Żar, with Lake Międzybrodzkie lying far below.
The dams are open to the sky all year. Half a day does for the town, an hour or two for the hill; the rest is yours to spend on a bench by the water.
An intake tower on the lake in autumn, Czernichów commune1 / 6
Photos 6
The old town of Żywiec at the south end of the lake: the market square, the Castle Park and the Old Castle.
The old town of Żywiec, at the south end of the lake: the market square, the Castle Park and the Old Castle, home of the City Museum. The tourist information desk is inside the museum building.
The brewery museum in the old ageing cellars: about 1.5 hours with the tasting, booking needed.
The museum of the brewery founded by Archduke Albrecht Friedrich Habsburg in 1856, opened in 2006 in its old ageing cellars. About 1.5 hours with the tasting; tours in English on request, or an audio guide. Adults taste beer or alcohol-free beer, children juice. A visit needs a booking.
A funicular to the top of Góra Żar, 761 m, above two lakes, with gliders over the summit.
A funicular climbs in a few minutes to the top of Góra Żar (761 m), where telescopes, a restaurant and a souvenir shop look down on Lake Międzybrodzkie and across to Lake Żywiec; gliders fly over the summit. Downhill bike trails start at the top, and a rope park waits by the lower station.
The historic dam of Lake Międzybrodzkie, opened in December 1936, with views up the gorge of the Soła.
The historic dam that holds Lake Międzybrodzkie, opened in December 1936, on a design Gabriel Narutowicz worked on before he became president of Poland. It is on the Silesian route of technical monuments; the views go up the gorge of the Soła to Góra Żar.
The earth dam of 1960–66 that made Lake Żywiec. The blue hiking trail crosses its crest; both cruise ships sail from beside it (step 5).
The residence of the Żywiec Habsburgs between the wars, photographed from the garden lawn then as now.
Then: The archducal New Castle in Żywiec on a postcard of 1927–1935, seen from the park Photo: Unknown author (postcard) · Public domain (CC-PD-Mark, Polona via Commons) · the postcard as scanned
Today: The New Castle in Żywiec from its park lawn today: a museum, and a park open to everyone Photo: Manieq95 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · colour-graded by ChikApart
Finished in 1936, the dam holds Lake Międzybrodzkie; both photographs look at it from downstream.
Then: The Porąbka dam on the Soła on a postcard of about 1937, water over the spillways Photo: Unknown author (postcard) · Public domain (Polona: Domena Publiczna) · the postcard as scanned
Today: The Porąbka dam from downstream today, the same arches, 2019 Photo: Adrian Tync · CC BY-SA 4.0 · colour-graded by ChikApart
Step 8 of 8 · Just ask.
Your host can phone a rental or a pier for you, and suggest where to have a picnic. Whether a transfer can be arranged, you will hear honestly. Ask on WhatsApp; nothing is promised until your host confirms it.
The epilogue
Nothing is charged here. On the booking page you add your details and see the summary; your host confirms your dates personally.
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