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Zakopane
Last time we visited Zakopane in May 2007 and would like to share our experience with you. The following assessment is based upon our own experiences and therefore description given below necessarily contains an element of subjective opinion, which may not reflect your own impressions on another occasion.
General Information
Zakopane is a place where lots of Polish celebrities go all year round. Is a small town situated in southern Poland and lies in large valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill and due to its fantastic location and great ski slopes is informally known as "the winter capital of Poland”. If you like vacations in the mountains it is a perfect place for go throughout the year. In the summer is perfect as for hiking, mountain-biking and climbing and in the winter for all sorts of winter sports. If you are planning to visit this region of Poland - Zakopane is a perfect place to book your room. The Zakopane region is known for its unspoiled nature and picturesque landscapes and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Not only Tatras are the highest Polish mountains but they also share many characteristics with the Alps.
Our Opinion
Zakopane is a perfect place for a summer or winter holidays. It is very popular with Polish holidaymakers, therefore if you are planning to visit Zakopane it is wise to book some place in advance - especially during summer (June/August) and winter peaks (February).
If you are going to visit Poland just for a couple of days on popular short city break - you will probably choose Krakow as your destination. If this is the case we would strongly recommend that you that you hire a car and after a day or two in Krakow head down south to Zakopane - regardless of the season. The journey may take approximately 3 hours - depending on the traffic conditions - however, the scenery, landscapes, atmosphere and a local cuisine you will experience will be really rewarding. We also feel that Zakopane may be a great place to go for stag parties. Before you start clubbing in Krakow you may decide to go to Zakopane try great regional food and enjoy beautiful scenery.
Published on 12th December 2009
By Arek Zasowski
Photographs by Viola and Arek Zasowski
What to see in and around Zakopane?
Visit Gubałówka Hill (1120 m) - the hill is located in a walking distance from the town centre. You will enjoy fantastic view from the top over the town and Tatra Mountains. If you do not want to walk to the top you may take a funicular train which leaves every 20 minutes.
Go to see ski jumping facilities where World Ski Jumping Cup took place in winter of 2008.
Drive few miles away from Zakopane to Tatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy) and walk to Morskie Oko Lake through picturesque valley ‘Rybiego Potoku’. It is a three hours walk as you are not allowed to drive within the National Park and have to leave your vehicle few miles away from the lake. However, it is still worth the effort (if you cannot walk you may take a horse drawn carriage which will get you to the lake within one hour). If you are lucky enough you may see some bears and wolfs. Some locals say that it is a good idea to carry a bar of chocolate just in case you meet a bear. You can share it with the bear and slowly run away while the bear eats the chocolate. Do not panic it is extremely rare to meet one. Any way we have never met one. Remember also to take some warm cloths as the temperature drops with the altitude and it may be really cold beside the lake. Even if it is reasonably warm day in Zakopane take some extra jumper. Beside a lake is a very nice restaurant serving local dishes.
Eat well - try delicious regional cuisine and enjoy traditional atmosphere in a number of good restaurants located by Kruplówki Street.
