Christmas in Szczawnica – a guide to magical events

Do you want to experience Christmas in a unique atmosphere full of tradition and highlander charm? Szczawnica is a place that shines with the glow of Christmas decorations in winter and invites you to numerous Christmas events. Find out how to best plan your stay and what attractions await you and your loved ones.

Why spend Christmas in Szczawnica?

Christmas in Szczawnica is a special time, full of joy and magical atmosphere, making it the perfect period to visit a hotel and SPA in the mountains. Located in the picturesque Pieniny region, Szczawnica attracts not only with beautiful views but also with its unique climate. Snow-covered mountains, cozy highlander cottages, and numerous Christmas events make this place ideal for spending the holidays with your closest family.

During this time, the town attracts tourists looking to escape the city hustle and experience tradition in its purest form. Christmas decorations illuminate the streets, and cafes and restaurants invite you to aromatic dishes that add magic to the whole stay. Szczawnica is a place where tradition meets modernity, and the cozy atmosphere perfectly complements the spectacular hotel attractions and surroundings.

Christmas market

When autumn in the mountains ends, the stage of preparations for Christmas begins. On this occasion, Christmas markets and fairs take place in some towns. Such an attraction will probably be available in Szczawnica as well. Last year’s Christmas Market in this town took place on Zdrojowa Street. Exhibitors offered among others:

• local artists' handicrafts,
• Christmas decorations,
• wood products,
• jewelry inspired by the region's culture.

The Christmas fair is a great opportunity to buy original gifts for your loved ones. Of course, local culinary specialties cannot be missing from the stalls. Oscypek fresh from the grill, hot mulled wine, and traditional gingerbread enjoy great popularity among visitors. This year’s location and date of the market in Szczawnica have not yet been announced, but it is definitely worth following current information so as not to miss this magical event.

Christmas events and carol concerts in Pieniny

The Christmas season in Szczawnica is also a time of numerous cultural events and concerts that put visitors in a festive mood. In the nearby St. Wojciech church, carol concerts are organized, where traditional Polish Christmas songs can be heard performed by local choirs and bands. These concerts take place on selected weekends in December, and admission is free.

Attractions for children and families – Christmas workshops, Santa Claus, and more

When autumn in the mountains ends, the hotel with a pool offers a chance to relax after many attractions worth participating in! The town has a wide selection. Szczawnica offers many attractions for the youngest and entire families. Among others, you can go ice skating, sleigh rides, or sledding – sliding down hills in specially prepared places is fun for the whole family. For younger children, puppet theater shows with Christmas themes are also prepared in town. It’s also worth regularly checking local portals, where information about planned events often appears.

Restaurants and hotels offering Christmas Eve dinners

For those planning to spend Christmas Eve in Szczawnica, many restaurants and hotels prepare a special menu for this occasion. The offer includes traditional Christmas Eve dishes such as beetroot soup with dumplings, fish, cabbage with mushrooms, and sweet poppy seed pastries. Hotel restaurants with mountain views, such as the one in our Hotel SPA Budowlani, serve festive Christmas Eve dinners with regional accents, allowing you to taste tradition in the heart of the Pieniny.

Booking a table for this evening is necessary due to high demand and limited seating. A decorated hotel, Pieniny covered with a blanket of snow, a unique atmosphere – this is an ideal way to spend a magical time with your family. It is a plan for Christmas for those who value comfort and atmosphere and at the same time want to enjoy the Christmas spirit surrounded by loved ones without the need to cook and the hustle of preparations.

What else can you do in winter in Szczawnica?

Among popular winter attractions are:

• Dietl Square – a picturesque place in the spa center, perfect for walks and admiring architecture;
• Mineral Water Drinking Hall in the “House by the Springs” – offers the opportunity to taste healing mineral waters;
• Spa Museum – a place showcasing the history of the spa and the Stadnicki family;
• Szczawnica Palenica Chairlift – a 786-meter-long chairlift leading to the mountain peak, where the fast food restaurant “Szałas Palenica” is located;
• Promenade by the Grajcarek – a pedestrian and bicycle path ideal for winter walks, with nearby restaurants and bars;
• St. Wojciech Church – a neo-Gothic church located at Jana Wiktora 1a street, featuring a curiosity of a rare species of bat – the lesser horseshoe bat – living in the attic;
• Skiing – numerous ski lifts in Szczawnica and surroundings, such as Palenica, Szafranówka I and II, Jaworki, Kluszkowce, offering slopes of various difficulty levels.

Each of these places, although available not only during the Christmas season, look extraordinary in December and January. Decorations, lights, joyful atmosphere, and music delight tourists, which is not surprising!

Practical information – ticket prices, transport, accommodation

If you plan to spend Christmas in Szczawnica, it is worth booking accommodation in advance. The town offers a wide selection of guesthouses, hotels, and apartments, but demand is very high during the holiday season. The sooner you contact our hotel, the more certain your stay will be in this exceptional place at an exceptional time, where we will take care of beautiful memories for your entire family.

Getting to Szczawnica is relatively easy – you can use buses running from Krakow or Nowy Targ, as well as from other regions of Poland. For those who prefer to travel by car, the route will also be comfortable. Szczawnica also has parking near main attractions, ensuring you full communication freedom. Our hotel will certainly have a parking space waiting for you as well.