PTTK Shelter on Równica

The PTTK Shelter on Równica, located in the Silesian Beskids at an altitude of 758 meters above sea level, has a rich history dating back to the 1920s. The first structure, a modest wooden shelter built in 1923 by the "Touristenverein," was transformed into a stylish building thanks to the Upper Silesian Branch of the Polish Tatra Society, which purchased the facility in 1926 and carried out its expansion. The new shelter, opened in 1929, featured a buffet, a dining room, guest rooms, and modern amenities for the time, including central heating and sewage systems. Starting in 1931, tourists could use newly marked trails connecting Równica with nearby towns and peaks, contributing to a boom in tourist traffic. In the 1930s, the shelter experienced a period of prosperity, with its accommodation capacity increasing to 120 beds. After 1939, during World War II, the shelter changed owners multiple times. Despite the challenges of the war, it continued to attract guests, including German soldiers who used the building as an observation post. After the war, the facility was reactivated by the Polish Tatra Society, which introduced numerous modernizations, including water supply and central heating in the 1960s. The shelter received multiple national awards for hospitality, and in 1989, it was named after Edmund Kaźmierczak, a renowned tourism activist. In 1995, the facility was returned to the Upper Silesian Branch of PTTK, which continued modernization efforts. In 2016, the shelter lost its status as a mountain shelter and was transformed into an inn. A remarkable achievement of the facility is its road accessibility for guests, making it a pioneering shelter reachable by car. It remains an important tourist hub, offering access to numerous trails, including the Main Beskid Trail and scenic routes leading to nearby towns, underscoring its significance in promoting tourism in the region. An interesting fact is that the shelter may have hosted notable figures, including President Ignacy Mościcki.