Jurgów Ski

Of all the new ski resorts built in Podhale in recent years, the Jurgów resort is undoubtedly one of the most interesting. Not only because of its rapid development (in four years two chairlifts were built and more than 4.5 km of pistes laid out), but also because of the variety of its pistes and its exceptional scenery. Without risking any hidden advertising, it can safely be said that it is among the most beautifully located places to ski in Poland. Jurgów is an old village of the Spisz region, which belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary until 1918. It is worth a visit to see the old wooden church, a historic Spisz farmstead and the relatively well-preserved traditional buildings. The ski resort, meanwhile, is on the main road, 2.5 km south of the village centre, just short of the Slovak border. This is where the end of the main ridge of the Magura Spiska reaches the Polish side, culminating in Górków Wierch (1,046 m). The ski area is on the north-western slopes of this mountain. From the car parks by the main road, two four-seater chairlifts and a fairly long button lift run up, more or less parallel to each other. From the top station of the higher chairlift a steep black piste comes down, one of the most difficult at the foot of the Polish Tatras. There is also an easy blue piste, which soon turns into a wide, fairly steep slope and joins the pistes that run along the second chairlift and the T-bar. Together these pistes form the most challenging ski complex in Podhale (not counting Kasprowy, of course). Less advanced skiers will find something for themselves by the two button lifts in the gentler part of the resort, along which easy blue pistes run. A short button lift also runs along the upper, gentle part of the pistes, between the top stations of the chairlifts. The whole area is of course floodlit and decently covered by snowmaking, something Polish resorts are known for. Facilities include a regional inn, fairly large car parks, a ski hire shop and a ski service. Even weaker skiers should go up to the very top at least once: the panorama of the Tatras from here is unrivalled in the whole region. With all these merits, it is sometimes surprising that this spot is still relatively little known among skiers coming to Podhale. Perhaps it is because Jurgów lies "at the very end" of the road, and skiers coming from Nowy Targ or Zakopane pass Białka, Bukowina, Czarna Góra or Małe Ciche on the way, so only what is left of this mighty stream finally reaches Jurgów. On the other hand, unlike Białka or Bukowina, Jurgów is definitely not a place for everyone. But it can be recommended without any hesitation to more advanced skiers and to those looking for something other than jostling in the lift queue. And above all to skiers for whom contact with the mountains (at least visual contact) matters: apart from Kasprowy, it would be really hard to find a better place. Jurgów is part of the TatrySki region, covered by a joint ski pass, which also includes Białka Tatrzańska, Kluszkowce, Czarna Góra Litwinka and Koziniec. Finally, a couple of words about an attraction of a completely different kind. On the other side of the road, on the wide Podokólne clearing, now becoming overgrown, you can see the largest group of historic sheds and shepherds' huts at the foot of the Tatras, which together form an open-air museum of shepherding looked after by the Tatra Museum in Zakopane. There are 56 huts in total, either moved here from the Tatras or built on site. Most of them are no longer used and some serve to store hay, but all of them are listed historic buildings.