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The Dolina Koscieliska is the loveliest and most interesting valley in the Western Tatras. It stretches for about 8 km, right up to the main ridge of the Tatras. Near the exit the valley is narrow, but farther up it fans out into several lateral branches, above which rise the rounded summits of the Western Tatras, the highest of which is Mt Bystra (2248 m), on the Slovakian side of the frontier.

The Dolina Koscieliska owes its exceptional charm not only to its beauty spots, but also to its numerous forms characteristic of limestone country: caves, wells, and fantastically shaped rocks and crags. The whole valley is pervaded with the aura of old legends about hidden treasure. There are also ancient mining traditions going as far back as the 15th century. The valley is reached by road from Zakopane - 7 km. There is a regular PKS bus service, a car park for cars, and about 1 km farther on, at Rogoniczańska Polana, a camping-site. Motor vehicles are not allowed into the valley. Half way up is the Hala Ornak mountain refuge, belonging to the PTTK tourist organisation.