Orla Perć

Orla Perć (Eagle's Path) is one of the most difficult and most attractive trails in the Tatra Mountains. It leads along a length of the High Tatras ridge, stretching between the Zawrat and Krzyżne cols. The trail is full of breathtaking views and technical difficulties. Crossing of the red color of the route is facilitated by chains, brackets, and ladders.

The trail is designed for experienced tourists: it requires confidence in movement, good condition, and resistance to exposure. The network of link routes allows tourists to travel shorter sections of the route. A convenient base for trips to the Orla Perć region is, for example, the Murowaniec hostel in Hala Gąsienicowa.

The originator of the sky route was a climber and poet, Franciszek Henryk Nowicki. Initially, the Tatra Society had rejected the project as being too dangerous. Eventually, the route was marked out by priest Walenty Gadowski in the years 1903-1906. Nowadays, the trail is a bit shorter than it used to be - the section between Krzyżne and Polana by Wołoszyn has been closed for the sake of nature protection.

Many fatal accidents took place at Orla Perć. In order to improve safety on a part of the route, a one-way traffic has been introduced since 2007.