Huściawa (818 m a.s.l.) is a quiet, forest-covered summit in the Małe Pieniny range that sits right on the Polish-Slovak border — a small adventure in itself. It won't dazzle you with sweeping panoramas, but if you love the intimacy of deep woodland walking, this rounded hilltop has a charm all of its own. Think mossy paths, birdsong, and the sense of standing in two countries at once.
The summit is entirely cloaked in forest, giving it a peaceful, almost secretive atmosphere throughout the year. In spring the undergrowth bursts with fresh green, summer keeps the trails cool and shaded, and autumn turns the beech woods into a gallery of gold and copper. The ridge on which Huściawa sits separates the valley of the Palkowski stream from the Krupianka stream, and the surrounding landscape is typical of the gentle, wooded Małe Pieniny hills near the village of Szlachtowa.
How to reach the summitHere's a curious footnote: the name 'Huściawa' comes from the Lemko language and simply means 'dense forest' — a researcher asked a local woman for the peak's name, and she was really just describing what she saw. The mountain appears on older maps as 'Okrągły Wierch', and after World War II locals called it 'Księżym Wierchem'. In 2016, a rare and protected moss species — green shield-moss (Buxbaumia viridis) — was discovered here.