Babia Gora

Babia Góra
Babia hora
Western view of Babia Góra in May
Highest point
Elevation	1,725 m (5,659 ft)
Coordinates	49°35′N 19°32′E / 49.583°N 19.533°E / 49.583; 19.533Coordinates: 49°35′N 19°32′E / 49.583°N 19.533°E / 49.583; 19.533
Geography
Babia Góra Location in Poland, on the border with Slovakia
Location	Poland / Slovakia
Parent range	Żywiec Beskids, Oravské Beskydy, Carpathians
Climbing
First ascent	1782 by Bystrzycki
Easiest route	Hike

Babia Góra [ˈbabja ˈɡura] (in Polish), or Babia hora (in Slovak), literally Old Wives' or Witches' Mountain, is a massif situated on the border between Poland and Slovakia in the Western Beskidy Mountains. The name is also applied to the culmination of the massif, Diablak ("Devil's Peak"), which is also the highest peak of this part of the Carpathian Mountains, at 1,725 metres (5,659 ft) above sea level.

Babia Góra was first mentioned in the 15th century chronicle of Jan Długosz. It was first plotted on a map in 1558. Until the end of the 17th century most of the available information on the mountain came from folklore. According to folk tales, the mountain was the location of the witches' sabbath. The first known ascent was made in 1782 by the court astronomer of King Stanisław August Poniatowski, Jowin Fryderyk Bończa Bystrzycki. The period of scientific investigations began in the second half of the 19th century.

Gentle from the south, steep from the north, Babia Góra is home to bear, lynx, wolf and other species; as well as alpine flora endemic at this altitude. The first attempts to protect the area were made in the 1930s. In 1933 the Nature Reserve of Babia Góra was established on the Polish side. Later, in 1954, the Babia Góra National Park (Babiogórski Park Narodowy) was established with an area of 17.04 km². In 1976 it became one of the first Biosphere Reserves in the world. For a long time Babia Góra National Park was the smallest of the Polish national parks. In 1997 it was enlarged to 33.92 km² and a buffer zone was created of 84.37 km². Within the park, 10.62 km² is under strict protection. There are calls for strengthening of cross-border cooperation with Slovakia to better protect the fragile environment of the mountain.