Połonina Caryńska is one of the most captivating alpine meadow ridges in the Bieszczady Mountains — a wide-open, sweeping highland that greets hikers with breathtaking space and silence the moment they emerge above the treeline. Stretching between the valleys of the Prowcza and Wołosaty rivers, it offers a landscape that feels wonderfully untamed, especially in summer when the grasses ripple in the wind, and in autumn when the ridge burns with golden and amber hues.

The views from the summit are genuinely spectacular. From the main peak at 1250 m, you can take in the massif of Wielka Rawka, the neighbouring Połonina Wetlińska ridge, and the highest Polish Bieszczady summits — Tarnica and Halicz. On exceptionally clear days, the Ukrainian Gorgany range appears on the horizon over 100 km away, and — remarkably — the Tatra Mountains can be spotted nearly 180 km distant. The highest point of the entire massif is Kruhly Wierch at 1297 m. The south-western slopes drop steeply into the valleys, while the north-eastern flanks descend more gently through a patchwork of small stream valleys.

• Ustrzyki Górne — Main Beskid Trail (red), approx. 3 h 20 min one way, moderate
• Brzegi Górne — Main Beskid Trail (red), approx. 3 h 20 min one way, moderate
• From Przysłup Caryński (student hostel Koliba) via Połonina Caryńska to Przełęcz Wyżniańska and Mała Rawka — approx. 4 h, moderate

• Połonina Caryńska lies within the Bieszczady National Park — staying on marked trails is mandatory.
• The 'Buk' nature trail runs alongside the hiking routes here — one of the official educational paths of the national park.
• The student hostel Koliba at Przysłup Caryński offers accommodation near the trailhead.

The meadows of Połonina Caryńska are home to rare plant species including Eastern Carpathian monkshood — an endemic found nowhere else in Poland.