Bad Rabka: Park, Hiking Trails and Culture

Zdrojowy Park and Leisure Activities

Zdrojowy Park is located in the centre of Rabka-Zdrój and covers 30 hectares. Its western section has ten themed gardens, including a rose garden, a rock garden, a garden for climbing plants and a heather garden. If you are interested in landscaped gardens, you can seek out these examples during your visit; they illustrate the different features of the park.

The park also offers a health trail, an outdoor gym, a beach volleyball court, tennis courts and children’s playgrounds. There are various ways to exercise and enjoy your leisure time here: depending on your interests, you can choose a sporting activity or make time for the children’s playgrounds.

At the edge of Zdrojowy Park is Tężnia Solankowa, an open-air inhalatorium. To use it, walk around the structure while inhaling the brine aerosol. Another way to get some exercise is along the Rabczańskie Bulwary nad Poniczanką, which combine a pedestrian promenade with a cycle path. If you enjoy walking or cycling, this named route offers two different ways to get around.

Hiking Trails and Views

Rabka-Zdrój’s marked hiking network includes a 2.4-kilometre route through Zdrojowy Park and a 4.8-kilometre route from the park to Góra Krzywoń. The recreational routes start in the park, at the intersection of Orkana and Chopina streets in the centre of Rabka-Zdrój. The distances make it easier to choose between a shorter route through the park and a longer one connecting to Góra Krzywoń. Rabka-Zdrój is also on the 519-kilometre Główny Szlak Beskidzki. From Rabka, the trail leads to Turbacz, the highest peak in the Gorce Mountains at 1,310 metres.

Another destination is the observation tower on Królewska Góra. It is over 25 metres high and offers panoramic views of the Gorce Mountains, Beskid Wyspowy, Babia Góra and the Tatra Mountains. The tower can be reached via the blue trail from Kościuszki Street, heading towards the pass between Bania and Grzebień. If you plan to visit, you can use this route description to find your way.

Museum and Regional Culture

The Władysław Orkan Museum is housed in the bell tower of a listed larch-wood church dating from 1606. Its exhibitions present the tangible and intangible heritage of the Podhalans, Zagórzanie, Kliszczacy, Babiogórans and White Gorals. The museum also displays gusle, the Fujara postna and the trembita from the Podhale microregion. If you are interested in culture, you can make a visit to this museum a focus of your trip alongside the park and hiking attractions.

Nature and Palm Sunday

The Leśna Ścieżka Edukacyjna is designed for active recreation and nature education for children and young people. It may be a suitable destination for visitors who want to combine nature and learning. Rabka-Zdrój also hosts an annual Easter Palm competition on Palm Sunday, described as one of the oldest competitions of its kind in Poland. Easter stalls are also set up. If you are planning a stay around this holiday, the competition is a specific cultural event to consider when choosing your dates.

More local pages: Maniowy, Kluszkowce, Szczawnica, Mizerna, Dursztyn, Łapsze Niżne, Kacwin and Ratułów.

For the broader travel overview: Nowotarski.