{"id":1941,"date":"2026-01-21T14:04:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/a-night-under-the-stars-in-poloniny-national-park\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T19:51:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T18:51:46","slug":"a-night-under-the-stars-in-poloniny-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/a-night-under-the-stars-in-poloniny-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"A Night under the Stars in Poloniny National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In late summer 2020, we set out to spend two days and one night in Poloniny National Park<\/strong>, at Slovakia\u2019s far\u2011eastern edge near the Slovak\u2011Ukrainian\u2011Polish border. The plan was simple: see for ourselves if the myths about Poloniny\u2019s pitch\u2011black night sky hold up\u2014the very reason people travel here from far away.<\/p>\n\n

A long drive to the end of Slovakia<\/h3>\n\n

We reached Poloniny by car after a fairly long drive from Bratislava. Bit by bit we closed in on the village of Nov\u00e1 Sedlica<\/strong>, our intended starting point. Just before the village we pulled over to get ready for the hike\u2014changing clothes, unloading and repacking our backpacks, weighing what to take and what to leave in the car. No one wants to lug extra kilos for nothing.<\/p>\n\n

Soon a border\u2011police car pulled up beside us. They didn\u2019t ask anything, so we didn\u2019t start a conversation either. We were, after all, in one of Slovakia\u2019s most closely watched border areas, so their presence came as no surprise.<\/p>\n\n

We left the car at the very end of Nov\u00e1 Sedlica and, fully loaded, set off along the red\u2011marked trail<\/strong> toward a place called Temn\u00fd v\u0155\u0161ok<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The climb up to Temn\u00fd v\u0155\u0161ok<\/h3>\n\n

Temn\u00fd v\u0155\u0161ok is a ridge section with a few open spots free of dense forest. That\u2019s where we planned to pitch the tent and enjoy views of the night sky. The weather was on our side\u2014cloudless and crystal clear.<\/p>\n\n

The climb wasn\u2019t exactly easy. It had been a while since I\u2019d hauled a tent, sleeping bags, mats and the rest of the kit uphill. Still, for good views and a memorable night, we shoulder the load.<\/p>\n\n

The steepest part is at the very start, up through Skl\u00e1dka pod K\u00fd\u010derou<\/strong>. The gradient eases noticeably after about an hour of walking. Another hour brings us to our first goal.<\/p>\n\n

Temn\u00fd v\u0155\u0161ok is actually where the red trail crosses an unmarked path running along the ridge. We turn onto this unmarked option and start looking for a place to camp. Truth be told, it\u2019s more wooded than I expected, and in most places the views of the sky are fairly limited.<\/p>\n\n

Eventually we find a small clearing that leaves a generous slice of sky open. We don\u2019t feel like searching any further, so the decision is made\u2014we\u2019re sleeping here tonight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

An evening under the stars<\/h3>\n
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There\u2019s still plenty of time before sunset, so everything is calm and unhurried. Dinner is Iva\u2019s excellent rolls, washed down with absinthe and fresh grapefruit juice. Clearly, we didn\u2019t skimp on preparation.<\/p>\n\n

In good spirits, we watch the sky slowly change color. The sun itself hides behind the dense forest and slips below the horizon. Before long the first stars appear. Expectations are high\u2014I know how powerful it is to see the Milky Way, even distant galaxies. The question is whether that\u2019s possible in Slovakia, a country otherwise almost entirely veiled in light pollution.<\/p>\n\n

Before midnight the sky is fully dark and there are truly countless stars. The Milky Way<\/strong> comes into view. The sight is stunning and our hopes are met. We lie on mats on the ground and watch this night\u2011sky theater. You could stare for hours, but the cold gradually drives us into the tent. We still dash out a few more times to soak up the moment. Of course I\u2019d lugged a tripod and DSLR, so a few night shots come to life too.<\/p>\n\n

Shortly after midnight we retreat to the tent and straight into our sleeping bags\u2014the cold had become too much.<\/p>\n\n

Morning in Poloniny<\/h3>\n\n

In the early morning I\u2019m surprisingly cold in the tent, while Iva complains she\u2019s too warm. We swap sleeping bags and we\u2019re both comfortable. It\u2019s still dark outside, so we allow ourselves a bit more sleep. Daylight finally wakes us.<\/p>\n\n

We pack away the tent, all our bits and pieces, and think about what\u2019s next. Our next target is Mount Kremenec<\/strong>. We don\u2019t feel like carrying the tent and the rest of the overnight gear, so I check the map and find a way to make a small loop without retracing our steps.<\/p>\n\n

That lets us leave part of the kit near where we camped. We stash a backpack full of things we won\u2019t need in the nearby brush and continue along the red trail, planning to pick it up later.<\/p>\n\n

To the Stu\u017eick\u00e1 River and beyond<\/h3>\n
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The trail then drops into the valley to the Stu\u017eick\u00e1 River<\/strong>. Where the path crosses it via a small bridge, we stop to make breakfast. It\u2019s the perfect spot\u2014running water, a bridge that doubles as a bench, and deep quiet all around. Pure morning romance.<\/p>\n\n

After a quick bite and a bit of morning wash\u2011up we push on toward Kremenec. The trail starts to climb again, but nothing too intense. After about an hour we reach the Slovak\u2013Ukrainian border<\/strong>. Beyond boundary stones and posts, it\u2019s unmistakably defined by a broad treeless swath running its length\u2014a bold line in an otherwise continuous forest.<\/p>\n\n

From here it\u2019s only a short distance to the tripoint, though in relatively steep terrain. It\u2019s worth noting that the Slovak, Polish and Ukrainian borders don\u2019t meet on the very summit of Kremenec. That lies farther east, already outside Slovak territory.<\/p>\n\n

What\u2019s interesting for hikers is precisely the spot where the borders meet. A stone monument marks the point. The red trail (V\u00fdchodokarpatsk\u00e1 magistr\u00e1la) meets a blue trail arriving from the Polish side. There are a few benches here, and a spring rises nearby on the Slovak side of the line.<\/p>\n\n

We find ourselves here almost completely alone. Mission accomplished. I\u2019ve never even been to Ko\u0161ice, yet I\u2019ve made it to Slovakia\u2019s easternmost point.<\/p>\n\n

After a few photos we continue to the actual summit of Kremenec<\/strong>. Unlike the tripoint, there\u2019s only a boundary stone here; nothing else marks the top. It doesn\u2019t even lie directly on the blue trail, but a short way off it. The peak reaches 1\u202f221 m a.s.l.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

From this otherwise modest summit we can see the nearby Wielka Rawka<\/strong> (1\u202f307 m), already across the border in Poland. It looks like a stone\u2019s throw away, but a fairly deep saddle separates us. Even so, we can\u2019t resist and set off in its direction.<\/p>\n\n

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About 40 minutes later we\u2019re on top of a hill we hadn\u2019t planned to climb. The summit is broad, yet it still offers fine views. The weather is perfect, and we end up spending more time here than on Kremenec.<\/p>\n\n

Time, however, to start making our way out. We return to Kremenec and find that being here early has its perks\u2014around midday there are far more people. We continue along the Slovak\u2013Polish border on the red trail toward \u010cier\u0165a\u017e<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The route alternates between forest and small meadows, keeps to the ridge, and every so often we pass another boundary stone. It\u2019s straightforward, following a dirt track. Though the terrain ripples up and down, we\u2019re essentially dropping about 150 meters overall.<\/p>\n\n

Along the way we pass one of the larger open meadows, Kamenn\u00e1 l\u00faka<\/strong> (1\u202f200 m). Here the trail leaves the forest entirely for a stretch and the views open in all directions. Had we known about this spot earlier, we would probably have chosen it for stargazing.<\/p>\n\n

At the \u010cier\u0165a\u017e<\/strong> saddle we join the green trail and begin our descent off the ridge. We drop to a place called L\u00faky pod Pr\u00edkrym<\/strong>, where we leave the marked route and head back toward where we left the backpack, not far from Temn\u00fd v\u0155\u0161ok.<\/p>\n\n

Although it\u2019s an unmarked section, navigation is easy\u2014the track is wide and we get back to our backpack without issue. Thankfully no one has taken it, which of course makes us happy. Less so the fact that from here we\u2019re back to carrying full packs.<\/p>\n\n

The steep initial ascent turns into an endlessly long\u2014and at times uncomfortably steep\u2014descent back to the car. On the final stretch our shoulders are both burning from the weight we\u2019re carrying.<\/p>\n\n

One way or another, we eventually make it to the car\u2014successful, if thoroughly spent. Delighted with a hike well done, we leave this far\u2011eastern corner of Slovakia. The stars stay with us for a long time, a memory that will keep nudging us to seek out equally dark places wherever we roam.<\/p>\n\n