Skalskie (789 m a.s.l.) is a forested peak tucked into a side ridge of the Małe Pieniny mountains near the village of Jaworki in southern Poland. What makes it special is not a panoramic summit, but a quiet world of rocky outcrops hidden beneath the trees and a picturesque rocky gorge waiting for you in the valley below.
The entire peak is covered by dense forest, giving it a wild, undisturbed atmosphere that feels very different from the more visited spots in the Pieniny range. Its western slopes descend into the Skalskie Valley, through which the Skalski Stream flows. At the lower end of the valley, the stream carves its way through a dramatic natural rock gate formed by two named rocks — Czerwona Skała ('Red Rock') and Dziurawa Skała ('Holey Rock'). The western slopes of Skalskie fall within the Zaskalskie-Bodnarówka nature reserve, protecting the rich woodland habitat that shelters a variety of wildlife. In autumn the forest glows with warm colours; in spring it fills with birdsong — there is something rewarding here in every season.
How to reach the summitThe name 'Skalskie' comes directly from the rocky outcrops ('skałki') scattered across its wooded slopes — a fitting hint that this quiet summit has a stony heart beneath its green canopy.