Liliowa Kopka (1,979 m a.s.l.) is a modest but characterful summit sitting in the main ridge of the Western Tatras, tucked between the Liliowe Pass and the Wyżnie Liliowe Pass. It may not dominate the skyline, but it rewards those who pass through with views across two contrasting valleys and a sense of being right at the heart of the Tatra ridge.
The terrain here tells two very different stories depending on which side you look. To the north, the slopes descend gently into the upper Gąsienicowa Valley — open, accessible and popular. To the south, the landscape turns wilder: steep gullies flanking the southern ridge drop sharply into the Cicha Valley, and in winter these channels funnel large avalanches. The southern ridge of Liliowa Kopka is actually the only relatively safe passage between the Cicha Valley and the main ridge when avalanche risk is high — though as one guidebook puts it, 'in winter only animals go that way.'
How to reach the summitThe first recorded winter ascent of Liliowa Kopka was made on 27 January 1904 by Mieczysław Karłowicz, Roman Kordys and Mariusz Zaruski — a remarkable trio of early Tatra pioneers.