Palenica, Szczawnica-Zdrój

Palenica - a peak in the Little Pieniny Mountains separated by the Maćkówka Pass from the main ridge. On the summit there is a hostel "Groń", catering facilities and a trolley slide. From Szczawnica to the top you can get by chairlift managed by the Polish Cable Railways. On the slopes of the mountain there is the Palenica Ski Station, with two ski routes, the red route - "Palenica 1" is one of the most interesting ski routes in Poland.

The summit is built of limestone. In the past, its slopes were stripped of forest as a result of human economic activity, and there were pastures on them. After the World War II they were afforested. The peak was already visited in the nineteenth century by Štiavnica's patients, after the chairlift was put into operation it is now visited in large numbers. It is a good vantage point on the Pieniny and the Beskid Sądecki. From rare in Poland species of plants on Palenica there is an orchid called kukawka. On the northern side of Palenica there are two other lower peaks: Grot and Niżny Grot.

From 1949 to the 1970s, a small ski jumping hill existed on the northern slope of Palenica, above the Grajcarek riverbed in Szczawnica. It was built on the initiative of Artur Werner. It was a modern - for those times - small ski jump with a stone-built brick threshold. It was rebuilt twice. For the first time in 1956-1958 it was equipped with a wooden judges tower. Its construction point was about 40-50 m. Provincial championships were played on it.

In 1987-1988, two very rare, endangered in Poland species of lichens were found on Palenica: yellow reed warbler Chaenotheca chrysocephala and green warbler Zwackhia viridis.