PTTK Maciejowa mountain hut in Gorce
PTTK Shelter on Maciejowa (more precisely, on the Przysłop clearing below Maciejowa) is one of the 10 qualified tourism mountain huts in Poland (i.e., intended for individual tourists). It was created thanks to the efforts of Edward Moskała (a PTTK activist) and the Rabka branch of PTTK, as part of a broader initiative to build small, managed mountain shelters.
It all began with the purchase of a suitable plot of land on Przysłop under Maciejowa (over 3 hectares) and a resolution by the PTTK Rabka branch board to use the land for recreational and tourist purposes by building a PTTK mountain hut. In 1975, the site for the future building was designated, and construction was entrusted to the PTTK Repair and Construction Department in Zakopane, headed by Jerzy Klimiński.
In terms of its construction, the Maciejowa shelter is a typical example of a qualified tourism mountain hut. The wooden structure was built by a team of carpenters from Dzianisz based on a standard design by Stanisław Karpiel. The building has 25 sleeping places, a kitchen, a dining room, and bathrooms located in the basement. The construction took over two and a half years, with the planned opening set for summer 1976 (which was not achieved). The next deadline was May 30, 1977 (even a commemorative badge and souvenirs for tourists with this date were prepared), but this deadline was also missed, and the shelter finally opened in autumn 1977.
The prolonged construction led to an amusing anecdote involving a bet between the head of the construction department, Jerzy Klimiński, and the Plenipotentiary for PTTK Mountain Hut Construction. If Klimiński completed the Maciejowa shelter on time for the 1976 summer season, the Plenipotentiary would crawl on his knees across the Przysłop clearing to the hut, where the builder and tourists would welcome him with hot tea. If the deadline was not met, Klimiński would crawl on his knees from Podgórski Market in Kraków to Nadwiślańska Street 2, where the Plenipotentiary would greet him with hot highland tea. The Plenipotentiary—Edward Moskała—won the bet.
During the prolonged construction, the interior decor was carefully designed. Inside the shelter, visitors can easily notice numerous carved elements on everyday items, made by employees of the construction department who were also graduates of the Antoni Kenar High School of Fine Arts in Zakopane (Janusz Jędrzejowski and Piotr Szteliga). Particularly noteworthy are the partition wall separating the staircase from the hall, the notice board, radiator covers, and chairs.
The grand opening of the shelter on September 23, 1977, led by Edward Moskała and Ignacy Kurzeja—president of the PTTK Rabka branch—gathered a large number of tourists, guides, and PTTK supporters. The first manager was Tadeusz Klimiński from Rabka, who became famous in his first months for requiring guests to wear slippers inside the hut. To enforce this, he placed a box full of slippers at the entrance for visitors to use. This rule caused protests among tourists and sparked controversy in the press. It later turned out that the shoe-removal policy had been imposed by the PTTK Main Board, not the shelter’s manager.
This humorous incident from the 1970s did not significantly impact the shelter’s overall atmosphere. The excellent homemade food and good management by successive managers led to the shelter winning the “Golden Key” award at the 6th National Competition of Polish Tourist Hotels in 1984.
The Maciejowa shelter has hosted the finale of the Czesław Trybowski PTTK Rally (in 1980, 1997, and 2007), aimed at school youth. It is also the venue for RABKON, an extreme fantasy fan convention held there for the past 11 years. As participants recall: “The picturesque game terrains with the base at the Maciejowa shelter, engaging LARPs, and a healthy atmosphere free of brawls undoubtedly contribute to the convention’s success. (…) Each Rabkon also features unique entertainment, such as a raffle, a recurring dice tournament, or martial arts demonstrations.”
