Kasinka Mała: Peaks, hiking trails and special discoveries
Accommodation in Kasinka Mała
Kasinka Mała brings together distinctive Beskid peaks, trails, scenic meadows and surprising natural features. The Kasinka stream joins the Raba here, a right-bank tributary of the Vistula. The village also lies on the road between Mszana Dolna and Kraków. The mountain landscape is the defining feature when choosing where to stay: Szczebel reaches 977 metres, Lubogoszcz 968 metres and Kiczora 735 metres; these three peaks surround Kasinka Mała.
Summit views and mountain trails
Viewpoints include a summit meadow below the peak of Szczebel, as well as the summit and scenic meadow on Lubogoszcz. From these spots, views stretch across the valleys of the Raba and Mszanka to the heights of the Island Beskids and the Gorce Mountains. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between different viewpoints and summit destinations, rather than focusing your stay on just one viewpoint.
Kasinka Mała is a starting point for hiking trails to Szczebel and Lubogoszcz. A black trail from Kasinka Mała leads to Szczebel; the summit can be reached by three trails in total. The routes to Lubogoszcz include sections marked yellow and black, followed by a red trail to the summit. The “Baza Lubo Gości” quest starts in Kasinka Mała on the black trail, 300 metres before the gate of the “Lubogoszcz” Training and Recreation Centre and before the concrete slabs. It passes over Lubogoszcz and tells stories about the activities of the nearly century-old centre. Riddles lead to a password; at the end of the route, a treasure chest containing the quest book awaits.
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Kasinka Mała, deciding whether to focus your trip mainly on summit trails and views or also on cultural discoveries can help you choose where to stay. The trails mentioned start or run through Kasinka Mała, or lead to Lubogoszcz and Szczebel.
Nature with changing facets
The “Zimna Dziura” ice cave lies on the northern slope of Szczebel. Ice remains inside it all year round; the cave is about 5 metres high, 7 metres long and 2 metres wide. Lubogoszcz is also home to the changeable “Żabie Oczko” lake: it can dry up and become overgrown with plants. When it contains water, its surface area is about 90 square metres. These two natural spots offer contrasting impressions: ice in a cave on the one hand, and a lake whose appearance can change on the other.
Tradition and remembrance
At local celebrations and performances by a brass band, you can see the traditional costumes worn by the Zagórzanie in Kasinka Mała. If you are interested in regional traditions as well as the landscape and outdoor activities, this offers another perspective on the village. A stone monument in the Szczypki settlement and a memorial grave with a plaque in the cemetery commemorate those killed during the 1937 peasant strikes.
The area also has literary connections: the Szczepański family villa stands on the slopes of Lubogoszcz. It is the setting for the story in Józef Szczepański’s novel “Portki Odyssa”. In Kasinka Mała, the winter climatic conditions are considered favourable for winter sports and ski tourism.
More destinations
For more ideas, you can also explore these destinations: Laskowa, Szczawa, Mstów, Niedzwiedz K Limanowej, Makowica, Lubomierz, Podobin and Dobra.
For the overview of the wider region, see: Limanowa.
