Łupków Pass is one of those rare places where geography, history and hiking all converge in one spot. Sitting at 640 m above sea level on the main Carpathian ridge, it marks the boundary between the Low Beskids and the Bieszczady Mountains — and between the Western and Eastern Carpathians. Right beneath your feet runs the main European watershed, dividing rivers flowing north to the Baltic from those heading south to the Black Sea.

The landscape here is quiet and intimate rather than dramatic. Gentle, forested ridges stretch away on both sides of the Polish-Slovak border, offering a green corridor that glows with golden and red hues in autumn, buzzes softly with birdsong in summer, and turns starkly beautiful under winter snow. Wide panoramic views are not the main attraction here — instead, it is the atmosphere: border markers, railway tracks disappearing into the hillside, and the dark mouth of a 19th-century tunnel that give this pass its unique, slightly mysterious character.

• From Łupków village (roadside parking) — border trail, approx. 30–40 min walk, easy
• From the Slovak side — road from Medzilaborce leads directly to the pass, accessible by car or on foot

• The pass is accessible by road — the Polish and Slovak roads connect here, and the border crossing is open to pedestrians and vehicles.
• A passenger railway service through the tunnel has operated since 1999, connecting Zagórz with Medzilaborce.
• Best time to visit: September and October for autumn colours and quiet trails.

The 416-metre railway tunnel beneath the pass was blown up multiple times during both World Wars, making it one of the most fought-over infrastructure objects in the Carpathians. History enthusiasts may also recognise the pass from Battlefield 1, where it appeared as a multiplayer map in the 'In the Name of the Tsar' expansion in 2017.