Girowa (840 m a.s.l.) punches well above its weight for a sub-900-metre summit. Perched on the main European watershed in the Silesian Beskids, it rises prominently above the wide Olza valley to the north and the Čadca Basin to the south, offering views into three countries on a clear day. Add centuries of legend, a cosy mountain hut, and a nickname meaning 'Witches' Mountain' — this is a peak with real character.
The massif is mostly covered in spruce-beech forest with scattered clearings along the ridge, where a handful of hamlets belonging to Mosty and Bukovets dot the landscape. The summit clearing opens up what remains of a near-360-degree panorama stretching across Poland, Czechia and Slovakia. In autumn the mixed woodland turns golden, while winter brings quiet, snow-muffled trails through the trees. The rocky outcrops known as the Devil's Mill on the south-western slope add a dramatic touch to any visit.
How to reach the summitFor centuries Girowa was shunned as a gathering place of witches — its German name Hexenberg reflects that dark reputation. According to local legend, the Devil himself guards a pot of gold coins stolen by the famous outlaw Ondraszek, hidden somewhere beneath the Devil's Mill rocks.