Koszysta is one of the wildest and most untouched ridges in the entire High Tatras — a place where no marked hiking trail exists and where nature has been strictly protected for nearly a century. If you want to see the Tatras as they looked before the age of mass tourism, this is that place.

The ridge stretches about 3 km northward from the area of Krzyżne Pass, separating the Waksmundzka Valley from the Pańszczyca Valley. Its main summits are Waksmundzki Wierch (2186 m), Wielka Koszysta (2193 m) and Mała Koszysta (2014 m). It holds the distinction of being the northernmost massif of two-thousanders in the Tatras, and the point where the granite core of the mountain range extends furthest north. The slopes are covered with rare old-growth spruce and arolla pine forests and serve as a sanctuary for large mammals. The silence here is extraordinary — broken only by wind and birdsong — and the autumn colours on the hillsides are spectacular.

• Koszysta is a strictly protected zone of the Tatra National Park — no marked trails cross it and access without a special permit is not permitted.
• The best way to appreciate the ridge is from a distance: from the area around Bukowina Tatrzańska or Głodówka it is clearly visible to the north and looks stunning.

• The entire Koszysta massif is under strict nature protection — entry without authorisation is prohibited.
• On the slope of Mała Koszysta facing the Pańszczyca Valley there are three small caves: Koszowa Dziura, Wyżnia Koszowa Dziura and Jaskinia Koszowa.
• The side valley of Świstówka Waksmundzka (also known as Zbójnicka) sheltered deserters from the Austro-Hungarian army between 1914 and 1918.

The first recorded ascent was made by Ludwik Zejszner on 3 August 1838 during barometric measurements. The massif was purchased by the Polish State Treasury in 1932 and placed under strict protection in 1936, making it one of the earliest protected areas in the Tatras.