Nosal (1,206 m a.s.l.) is one of the most accessible and rewarding summits in the Western Tatra Mountains — compact in height but generous with scenery. Rising directly above Kuźnice, on the edge of Zakopane, it sits between the Bystra and Olczyska valleys and offers a satisfying half-day outing almost any time of year. Its name comes from the rocky outcrops on the north-western side that look strikingly like a nose.
From the top, the views open up surprisingly wide for such a modest elevation: the Red Peaks (Czerwone Wierchy), Giewont, the Bystra Valley area, and the granite summits towering above the Gąsienicowa and Pańszczycka valleys. The beech and spruce forest is in remarkably good condition despite the proximity of the town. On the limestone cliffs of the north-western ridge you can spot edelweiss and rare orchids — fly orchid and one-leaved bog orchid. Lynx, red deer and eagle owls also inhabit these woods.
How to reach the summitBefore the climbing ban was introduced, the western walls of Nosal served as a training ground for TOPR mountain rescue teams — a detail that speaks to the genuine technical character of these modest-looking cliffs.