Zabawa (824 m a.s.l.) is the highest peak of the Zabawa Range in the Beskid Żywiecki mountains of southern Poland — a forested summit tucked between the villages of Milówka, Rajcza and Nieledwia. It is the kind of place that rewards those who prefer quiet trails over crowded viewpoints, with forest clearings that open up to the Soła river valley below.
The slopes of Zabawa are largely covered in dense woodland, built from Eocene glauconitic and muscovite sandstones of the Magura Nappe — a geology that gives the mountain its rugged, slightly wild feel. Clearings on the northern and southern sides of the summit offer moments of open sky and peaceful views. The atmosphere changes beautifully with the seasons: autumn brings fiery beech colours, summer fills the clearings with wildflowers, and winter wraps everything in quiet white.
How to reach the summitThe Milówka Zabawa railway halt at the base of the mountain is a genuine highlight — you can arrive by train from Żywiec or Zwardoń and head straight up without needing a car, which is a rare luxury in the Beskidy.
The mountain's name comes with a colourful legend: local tradition holds that outlaws and bandits ('zbójnicy') once celebrated their plundered riches here with wild festivities — making 'Zabawa' (the Polish word for 'fun' or 'party') a very fitting name indeed.