Pieniny's highest peak – Wysoka (Polish); Vysoké Skalky (Slovak) – reaches 1,050 metres above sea level.

At the beginning of the Paleogene geologic period a second wave of tectonic movements took place causing a further shift.

At the same time erosion resulted in stripping of the outer mantle rocks and further modeling of terrain.

Valleys and passes were created from softer and more susceptible to weathering rocks of Cretaceous and Paleogene periods.

By contrast, rivers and streams are often deeply indented in the rock, creating approximately 15 ravines and gorges.