Niżnia Goryczkowa Rówień is a small, quiet clearing in the middle of the Goryczkowa Valley, locally known by its nickname Polak. In summer it's a place that sees almost no visitors, but in winter it transforms into a lively spot packed with skiers descending from Kasprowy Wierch.

This unassuming flat area, sitting at roughly 1305-1325 metres above sea level, just below Wyżnia Goryczkowa Rówień, has a dramatic past. A mountain shelter once stood here — Schronisko w Dolinie Goryczkowej — destroyed in 1956 by a devastating avalanche from the Marcinowski Gully. Today the landscape is peaceful and open, framed by the slopes of Kondratowa Wierch, crossed in winter by a popular ski route running all the way down to Hala Kondratowa.

• No hiking trails lead here — the spot is essentially accessible only in winter, to skiers
• Reachable from the direction of Kasprowy Wierch, through the Goryczkowa Valley and near Zakosy

• A one-way ski run leads through Niżnia Goryczkowa Rówień from Kasprowy Wierch down to the PTTK shelter at Hala Kondratowa
• A judges' cabin was built here for the 2001 Winter Universiade
• The downhill ski race used to finish here, though the course is now considered too short by modern standards — occasionally giant slalom races are still held

The nickname Polak comes from Jan Polak, the owner of the shelter destroyed by the avalanche — a quiet reminder of the tragic winter of 1956.