Wielka Sowa and Kalenica with kids: a 24 km autumn hike in the Owl Mountains

In October 2025 three of us set off for Góry Sowie, the Owl Mountains: Dad, Agata and Justyna. We drove there in our campervan Beza, and the plan was one long day on the trail: a loop over Wielka Sowa, the highest peak of the range, and Kalenica with its lookout tower. At the finish the app showed 24 km, 960 m of ascent and almost seven hours of walking.

Up Wielka Sowa in the fog

We set off in the morning in thick fog. The trail led through a spruce forest, over stones and roots, and every now and then we came out onto forest roads with a view of grey nothingness. The girls still found ways to have fun: they climbed onto tree stumps and posed for photos as if they were standing on a summit.

Wielka Sowa is about 1,015 m above sea level and is the highest peak in the Owl Mountains. On the summit there is a concrete lookout tower from 1906, with a wooden owl sculpture next to it. We climbed the tower, but the fog hid everything, so all we could see from the top was white. A photo with the owl was still a must.

Fly agarics, beeches and Kalenica

From Wielka Sowa we followed the ridge to Kalenica. On the way we passed red fly agaric mushrooms right by the trail and viewpoints where, again, we mostly saw fog. Further on, the trail led through a beech forest in autumn colours, with the paths covered in fallen leaves.

Kalenica is 964 m above sea level and is the third-highest peak in the Owl Mountains. On the summit there is a steel lookout tower from 1933, and the signposts hang under a small wooden roof with the name "Kalenica" on it. We climbed this tower too, and once again the fog took the view away.

A meal and stamps at Zygmuntówka

On the way back we stopped for a meal at the Zygmuntówka PTTK mountain hut below the Jugowska Pass. Several of us collect points for GOT PTTK, the Polish Tourist Society's mountain hiking badge, but this time only three of us were there, so three booklets got their stamps. A sign on the wall made us laugh: dogs are welcome here, because no dog has ever smoked in bed or stolen the towels.

Views at the end of the day

In the afternoon the clouds lifted and we finally saw what the Owl Mountains look like: gentle wooded ridges, meadows and valleys all the way to the horizon. We walked the last few kilometres in beautiful light, and on one of the rocks the girls took a souvenir photo with a view of the Sudetes.

An evening in Beza

We spent the night at the campsite next to the Orzeł mountain hut in Sokolec. In the evening we had a film night in our campervan Beza.

Practical info

Checked in November 2026.

• We started and finished our loop at the Orzeł mountain hut in Sokolec, where Beza stayed at the campsite. From the hut, the red-marked Main Sudetes Trail leads up to Wielka Sowa.
• The tower on Wielka Sowa is 25 m high and belongs to the municipality of Pieszyce. Outside the summer season it is open only at weekends, and the opening hours change during the year, so check them on the municipality's website before you go.
• The tower on Kalenica is 20 m high and has two viewing platforms.
• The Zygmuntówka PTTK mountain hut is on the red trail below the Jugowska Pass, about 4.7 km from Wielka Sowa. It is open all year round.
• The Orzeł mountain hut in Sokolec has been running since the 1930s and has been privately owned since 1992. Next to it there is a campsite, where we spent the night in our campervan.
• A GOT PTTK booklet costs a few złoty. Points are awarded for the distance you walk and the total ascent.
• The Owl Mountains are made of gneiss, one of the oldest rocks in Poland. Since 1991 they have been protected as the Owl Mountains Landscape Park.