Bieszczadzkie Bacówki is a company that runs three mountain huts located in the Bieszczady Mountains: the PTTK Jaworzec hut, the PTTK hut under Mała Rawka, and the PTTK hut under Hon. These huts were built in the 1970s and 1980s according to the idea of Edward Moskała.
I remember asking Edward how the design for a “bacówka”—that small hut which later became so popular in the mountains—came to be. As always with Moskała, it happened in an unconventional way, during a conversation at a café table in Zakopane’s “Gazda.” There were three of them: Edward Moskała, Jerzy Klimiński—director of ZRB in Zakopane—and engineer Karpiel. “I threw out the idea,” Moskała recalled, “for small mountain huts, spinning out my vision. I could see it, I had it in my head. I gave it a look, a family atmosphere, because it was meant to be run by a family, not ‘officials’ on a contract. You would come to such a hut as to a person, not an institution. We imagined a room where the host would sleep and run his office; next to his bed there was to be a work desk. For the atmosphere, for the climate we wanted, we recalled the Łapiński family room. The hut was to stand wherever a backpacking hiker could reach; it was not meant for profit—only for the host and his family to make a living. And then Karpiel grabbed something to write with and sketched the design on paper napkins on the table. I took the napkins with me so that a proper architectural design could be created from them.”
Source: Górska Gazeta Internetowa ISSN 1731-3724, “PTTK Bacówki and Their Napkin Origins,” Ryszard M. Remiszewski.
.png)
Edward Moskała did not stop at building the huts. In July 1976 he founded an association called the PTTK Shepherds’ Hut Club (Klub Baców PTTK), which was intended to foster the development and popularization of the bacówka concept. The first seat of the Club was the PTTK Bacówka on Rycerzowa. Today, the Club’s headquarters is a small shelter in Korbielów, formerly named “Smrek,” now called “Chata Baców PTTK.”
Here is the list of tasks that, according to its regulations, the Association set for itself:
- to combine efforts to raise the cultural level of qualified tourism;
- to strive for the development of qualified tourism by making it easier for individual tourists to stay in the mountains and mountain shelters;
- to support the expansion of tourist facilities in the mountains by building PTTK Bacówki—shelters designed for qualified tourism;
- to ensure that the proper character and function of bacówki and other mountain shelters is maintained, and to promote mountain-tourism culture through activities in PTTK shelters;
- to deepen members’ knowledge of the mountains, including facilitating their participation in qualified tourism;
- to organize excursions, mountain events, discussion meetings, lectures and talks;
- to care for the protection of the natural environment in connection with the development of mountain shelters and trails.
Source: “Klub Baców PTTK,” compiled by Jacek Ormicki in: Vademecum Górskie COTG PTTK at www.cotg.pttk.pl
Today
The way bacówki look today—and, more importantly, the function they serve—certainly differs from Edward Moskała’s original, idealized vision. With the arrival of capitalism, the possibility of building more huts for wanderers escaping civilization’s noise came to an end. Over time, the existing shelters had to confront an increasingly commercialized world.
Despite this, they still exist and still bring joy to hikers weary from their journey. Leszek Patraj—a qualified tourist and frequent visitor to bacówki—described the atmosphere that still prevails in them remarkably well:
“Despite all these changes that steer away from the original motivations behind their creation, the bacówki have preserved that ‘something’ which likely mattered most to their founders. The atmosphere of a true mountain trek—subtle, balanced, focused on discovery and soothing to senses exhausted by everyday noise—has taken up permanent residence within these walls. You can hear it from the very entrance, in the silence punctuated by the creaking of wooden floors and old hinges, or in the hushed conversations of guests sitting in the dining room, as if afraid to speak up lest they disturb the peace. Even on a sunny Sunday noon, when many guests crowd around the buffet, the calm refuses to leave these corners, as if in defiance of everything.
And as if in defiance of everything, the bacówki remain at their posts. Despite omnipresent commercialization, digitalization, modernization and revitalization, they stand guard over mountain refuges, forming a barrier against the noise and madness of civilization. If I were to find an alternative name for them, I would probably call them guardians of tranquility. When I reach them, I know that the frantic world ends here, and the peaceful mountains begin.”
Source: Leszek Patraj: “Who Needs PTTK Bacówki?” [Accessed: 12.07.2018] www.czerwonymprzezbeskid.blogspot.com/2017/10/po-co-komu-bacowki-pttk.html
They form a true axis of the trekking route from Cisna through Wetlina to Ustrzyki Górne along the most famous trails of the Bieszczady. The distance between the huts is a little over twenty kilometers. This short distance allows hikers to walk comfortably from one hut to another, enjoying the natural beauty of the Bieszczady, the history of the shelters, and their local cuisine. One can immerse oneself in hiking for several days and surrender to contemplation of the surrounding beauty. There is no need to worry about transport, food, or the logistics that break the spell. Thanks to the placement of the bacówki you can arrive at any of the three and start your trek, leaving all logistics to others. You begin at point A and head toward point Z; once your hike is complete, you will be transported back to your starting point. This is a form of recreation known as qualified tourism—with a few added conveniences.
We already invite you to take advantage of this kind of holiday. You may come during organized camps, with a group of friends, or even alone. All of this is possible and does not significantly affect your budget.
We invite you to join us. One address! Three locations in the Bieszczady Mountains.
