Mała Racza (1153 m a.s.l.) is a rewarding peak sitting right on the Polish-Slovak border in the Żywiec-Kysuce Beskids, nestled between the higher Wielka Racza and the Przełęcz pod Orłem pass. What makes it special is its position on the main ridge — and the fact that the Great European Watershed runs directly over its summit.
The landscape here is quintessential Beskids: forested ridges giving way to open mountain pastures, with views stretching across both sides of the border. The Mała Racza alpine meadow on the north-eastern slope is a particularly fine viewpoint, worth lingering at on a clear day. Spring brings vivid green to the pastures, summer fills the air with the scent of mountain herbs, and autumn transforms the forest into a blaze of warm colours. In winter, the ridge takes on a more serious character but rewards those willing to make the effort.
How to reach the summitStanding on the summit of Mała Racza, you are literally on the Great European Watershed: rainwater falling on one side eventually reaches the Baltic Sea, while on the other side it flows toward the Black Sea — a geography lesson you can experience with your own feet.