Parchatka

Parchatka is one of a handful of small ski resorts that have sprung up in the Lublin region in recent years. The first lift was built here in 2006, taking advantage of favourable terrain on the slopes of the Vistula valley, which are cut by deep gullies; at this point the river forms a picturesque gorge, best known from photographs of the area around Kazimierz Dolny. Skiers now have three T-bars (two of 420 metres and one of 100 metres). The maximum vertical drop is 50 metres and the longest piste is about 500 metres. In total there is one kilometre of pistes. The slopes are floodlit and covered by snowmaking, which, combined with the north-facing pistes and a fairly harsh climate with continental influences, often gives surprisingly good skiing for such a low altitude. Facilities include a large free car park and a stylish inn serving regional dishes, and there is also a ski school, a rental shop and a ski service. Parchatka will certainly never be a place of pilgrimage for experienced skiers, but locally it is a good option for people from this part of Poland, whether for a few hours of skiing after work or a weekend warm-up before a trip to the mountains.