Dunajec River Gorge

Dunajec River Gorge
Dunajec
Dunajec River Gorge, Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Rafting on the Dunajec toward the Trzy Korony massif visible in the background
Ostra Skała (Sharp Peak) as seen from the tour
Dunajec River Gorge - View of Sokolica
Exit from the Gorge near Szczawnica

The Dunajec River Gorge (Polish: Przełom Dunajca; Slovak: Prielom Dunajca; German: Dohnst-Schlucht) runs through the Pieniny Mountains in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia (as Dunajec is the border river between the two countries in the area). The gorge is characterized by some of the most interesting geological and geomorphological structures and area-specific natural ecosystems with little anthropogenic influence. It is featured on UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Poland.

Dunajec Gorge is also one of the best-known tourist attractions in the Pieniny Mountains. Wooden raft trips have been organized daily by Pieniny Gorals since the early 19th century — when their customers consisted mostly of guests of nearby Niedzica and Czorsztyn castles. The trip begins in the village of Sromowce Wyżne-Kąty, and ends in the resort town of Szczawnica, 18 km downstream. It takes about 2–3 hours. The second leg of the tour is only 5 km long. It begins in Szczawnica and ends in the town of Krościenko nad Dunajcem. The Gorge makes 7 loops in its length. The surrounding rock reaches 300 m in height almost all the way through.