Jeleśnia is a village in Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Jeleśnia. It lies approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) south-east of Żywiec and 72 km (45 mi) south of the regional capital Katowice. The village belongs to Lesser Poland. Together with Żywiec, for hundreds of years it was administratively tied with the city of Kraków. Jeleśnia is located on two rivers, Sopotnia and Koszarawa, among the mountains and hills of Beskidy. The area of the gmina is 13,845 hectares, and it is largely covered by forests, with several protected areas, such as one around Pilsko.