PTTK Shelter on Hala Lipowska

The PTTK Shelter on Hala Lipowska, built in 1931 by the German mountain society Beskidenverein, was intended to meet the needs of tourists in the region after the expansion of the shelter on Babia Góra was blocked. The construction was led by Marcin Lach, despite opposition from the Polish Tatra Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie), which attempted to halt the investment. The shelter, opened on August 6, 1932, featured five rooms and 22 sleeping places. Dr. Edward Stanowski, the president of Beskidenverein, became its patron. In 1936, a telephone line was added, and before World War II, there was competition for tourists between this shelter and the Polish Tatra Society's facility on Hala Rysianka. After the outbreak of the war, the shelter changed managers; Alojzy Wagner left the facility, and power was taken over by the Volksdeutsch Olearczyk and Gestapo officer Hauser. After the war, the shelter was reopened on June 9, 1946, still partially under renovation, under the patronage of the Polish Tatra Society, and later the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Turystyczno-Krajoznawcze). Between 1973 and 1980, the facility underwent a comprehensive modernization, while preserving part of the original cellar foundations. It gained recognition by taking first place in the ranking of Polish mountain shelters in 2011. Currently, the shelter offers 3-, 4-, 8-, and 10-person rooms for 43 guests, a dining room with 44 seats, a buffet, a common room with TV, and a sauna. It also allows for the organization of bonfires in a nearby shepherd's hut. Popular hiking trails lead to the shelter from various locations, such as Hala Boracza, Rajcza, Złatna, and Hala Rysianka, making it an attractive starting point for tourists in the Żywiec Beskids. The shelter has a rich history, from its beginnings in the interwar period, through the difficult times of World War II, to its current operations, integrating into the cultural and tourist landscape of the region.