Opołonek (1028 m a.s.l.) is one of the most mysterious peaks in the Western Bieszczady — a border summit steeped in Cold War history and wild Carpathian nature. Rising above the Uzhok Pass, it offers a rare blend of rugged landscape and fascinating historical remnants. This is a place for those who want a little more than just a hike.

The slopes of Opołonek are cloaked in dense Carpathian beech forest, which transforms beautifully through the seasons — fresh green in spring, blazing gold and red in autumn. Near the summit you can still find the remains of a steel barbed-wire fence — the so-called 'sistiema' — a relic of Soviet border security. The fence was once electrified with a low current, and any touch would instantly alert Soviet border guards. Today it stands as a silent witness to a divided era. Just across the border on the Ukrainian side lies Dobosh Rock, a protected natural monument wrapped in local legend.

• Uzhok Pass (853 m) — green trail on the Ukrainian side, running along the border ridge — leads onward to Kinchyk Bukovsky (1251 m); this is the only legally accessible route

• Access from the Polish side is not permitted — the summit lies within Bieszczady National Park and there is no marked trail leading to it
• Entry from Poland requires prior written permission from Bieszczady National Park and the Border Guard
• The area is regularly patrolled — attempting to reach the summit without permission is risky
• Legal access is available from Ukraine via the green trail from Uzhok Pass
• On the south-eastern slope of Opołonek, about one kilometre from the summit, lies the southernmost point of Polish territory (49°00'07.33N, 22°51'34.87E)

Opołonek is home to mountain arnica and white melampyrum — both rare in Poland. And in the late 1920s, Józef Piłsudski himself hiked here with his children all the way to the legendary Dobosh Rock.