Name
Until 1918, these areas were called the Beskid Nadpopradzki. After the new borders were drawn, the Polish part of the mountains was named the Beskid Sądecki, while the Czechoslovakian part became the Lubowelskie Mountains. Some believe that the original name was more appropriate and politically neutral, and that the current naming system creates many ambiguities.
Topography
The Beskid Sądecki is a mountain range that is part of the Western Beskids, which in turn form part of the Western Carpathians. The Poprad River flows through it, dividing the entire region into two parts: the eastern part, consisting of the Radziejowa range and the Lubowelskie Mountains (on the Slovakian side), and the western part, which includes the Jaworzyna and Leluchowskie ranges. All the ranges are elongated, consisting of a main ridge, from which secondary ridges branch off. The western-southwestern border of the region is marked by the Dunajec River. Another form of water bodies (which are rare in this area) is small landslide lakes. The Radziejowa range contains all the peaks in the region that exceed 1200 meters above sea level, including the highest peak, Radziejowa. In the Jaworzyna range, only Jaworzyna Krynicka and Wielka Bukowa exceed 1100 meters above sea level.
Recreation
The main form of recreation in the Beskid Sądecki is hiking and walking along trails. The Main Beskid Trail is an example of such a trail. The most interesting places in the region can also be reached by bicycle or on horseback along the Transbeskid Horse Trail. Additionally, you can follow in the footsteps of John Paul II by choosing the Papal Trail. In autumn, the Beskid Sądecki area is at its most picturesque, but it is also worth visiting in winter and taking advantage of the ski infrastructure (Jaworzyna Krynicka, Szczawnica).
Culture
In addition to recreational trails, there are also trails that have been marked around cultural heritage sites. The first example is the national Wooden Architecture Trail, which includes 24 sites in the Beskid Sądecki area. Another, more local trail is the Krynica Lemko Orthodox Church Trail, which allows you to discover traditional wooden and brick Orthodox churches. Fans of brick architecture will be delighted by the castles in Rytro and Muszyna.
Nature
The entire area of this region is densely covered with forests. In the past, it was a Carpathian beech forest, dominated by beech, fir, and maple. Maples are now rare, but the abundance of names derived from this word (e.g., Jaworzyna Krynicka) may indicate that this species was once abundant in the area. Although much of the original forest is gone, the forests still occupy a large percentage of the area, so there are few meadows. Fortunately, you can use observation towers to see the mountain panorama. The natural heritage is protected in numerous nature reserves, such as the Baniska Nature Reserve and the Las Lipowy Obrożyska Nature Reserve, and most of the Beskid Sądecki area is covered by the Poprad Landscape Park.
