Kotoń is a sprawling mountain massif in the Beskid Makowski range, part of the Koskowa Góra ridge system in southern Poland. Its highest point — Solnisko (857 m a.s.l.), also known simply as Kotoń — sits amid dense forests, and the entire massif stretches some 18 km in length and 10 km in width. If you are after quiet trails and an authentic taste of the Polish Carpathians without the crowds, this is a place worth knowing.
The main ridge of Kotoń is remarkably even in profile. The northern slopes are short and steep, dropping into the Trzebuńka valley, while the southern flanks are gentler and longer, descending toward the Krzczonówka valley. From the south and east, fields and villages — Tokarnia, Zawadka, Krzczonów and Pcim — climb high up toward the summits, giving the landscape a pastoral, almost timeless quality. In spring and summer the massif is a sea of green; autumn transforms the beech and fir forests into vivid golds and reds. Just below the summit of Gronik (839 m) lies the open meadow of Pękalówka — a lovely spot to rest and take in the surrounding hills.
How to reach the summitThe entire massif drains into the Raba river system, and the ridges are built from durable Magura sandstone. In a few spots — notably on the southern side of Jaworzyński Wierch (782 m) — softer shales have eroded to form the characteristic saddles between the peaks.
On the north-eastern slopes of Kotoń, on a hill called Słowiakowa Góra, you can seek out a large boulder known as the Devil's Stone — one of those local legends that adds an extra layer of atmosphere to any walk through these hills.