Błyszcz (2159 m a.s.l.) is a striking ridge point in the Western Tatras — technically the northern spur of Bystra, the highest peak in this part of the range, yet very much a destination in its own right. Its rocky slopes glitter in sunlight, which is exactly how it got its name ('Błyszcz' means 'the glittering one'), and the views across the valleys below are genuinely rewarding.
The peak rises above three valleys — Pyszniańska, Kamienista and Gaborowa — and on its Polish (northern) side drops away in a dramatic 400-metre wall broken by rocky ribs known as the Grzędy. The ridge connecting Błyszcz with Starorobociański Wierch is jagged and low, passing through the scenic Liliowe Turnie formations. In summer the surrounding slopes are rich with rare alpine flora, while autumn turns the grasses and granite a warm golden hue. The peak is clearly visible from the PTTK mountain hut on Hala Ornak and from Smreczyński Staw lake in the Kościeliska Valley.
How to reach the summitThe slopes of Błyszcz are home to several plant species found nowhere else in Poland outside the Tatras, including alpine bent grass, Carpathian fleabane and Saussurea alpina — a wonderful reason to look down from the ridge every now and then.