Zakopane, the highest town in Poland, is a beautiful place, located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. It’s home to the famous traditional Oscypek Cheese. A cheese made from salted sheep milk.
No matter if you are spending your trip hiking in the Tatra National Park or skiing down the slopes surrounding the town, it’s a perfect place to base yourself. The town offers a whole range of beautiful hotels, including ones with amazing spa facilities!
Location
The town of Zakopane is located south of Poland, very close to the Slovakia border. The nearest city is Krakow, just over 100 km away.
The nearest airport to Zakopane is Krakow. From Krakow, you can either catch the bus from Krakow, train, or hire a car. I personally prefer to hire a car, as it gives you so much more freedom.
Where To Stay
Zakopane has a range of different accommodations to offer, depending on your budget. The best place to look is on either booking.com or http://expedia.co.uk
As it was our first wedding anniversary, we opted for a bit of luxury. We stayed in the Aries Hotel and Spa. A very beautiful 5-star hotel, located in the central of the town. The room was beautiful, the spa facilities were excellent, and the breakfast was superb! If you enjoy a bit of dancing, they even have a nightclub, which is unusual!
Where To Eat
In Zakopane, there are so many food choices. From traditional local restaurants to big chains like Subway and Costa Coffee.
If you are looking at trying some local cuisine, I recommend Karczma Sabała. A beautiful Polish restaurant, in the heart of Zakopane. They do some delicious Polish dishes, including some Vegan dishes too, all reasonably priced. On the day we visited, they even had a live band playing beautiful Polish music.
If you have a sweet tooth, you must try a Pączki! It’s a Polish doughnut and they are incredible! There are a few stalls dotted around Zakopane to choose from!
If you are a cheese lover, you must try the local cheese, Oscypek Cheese. A traditional cheese made from salted sheep’s milk. There are stands dotted all around the main street selling these.
What To Do
Here are some of the top things to do while in Zakopane:
Have A Potter Around Zakopane
Zakopane is a beautiful town to have a potter around. Full of high-street shops and market stalls selling local gifts. If you have a head for heights, there’s even a Ferris Wheel to take a ride on! The most famous street to walk down is Krupówki Street.
Take A Ride Up Gubałówka Hill Funicular
Located in the heart of Zakopane, Gubałówka Hill Funicular is something not to be missed! No matter what time of the year you visit, it is open all year round! The journey takes less than 5 minutes to reach 1,123 metres above sea level. On a clear day, you can see the magnificent Tatra Mountains, towering in the foreground.
At the top, there is so much to do! Here’s how you can fill your time:
- – Enjoy a bite to eat with a view at one of the traditional gorale style taverns, selling local food.
- – In the winter, you can put on a pair of skis and ski your way down Gubałówka Hill.
- – You can take the funicular up, and walk down.
- – Whiz down the hill on a toboggan.
- – Have a walk around the local market stalls, selling local gifts.
For more information about opening times and ticket costs, please head over to their website: https://www.pkl.pl/gubalowka/gubalowka-kopia.html
Visit Tatra National Park
A visit to Tatra National Park is a must! The scenery is just breathtaking! The National Park bordered Poland and Slovika and there is a small fee to pay to visit. At the time we visited, it cost just 5 PLN (£1) for one day or 25 PLN (£4.70) for a seven-day pass.
The best way to explore Tatra National Park is by hiking! There are many different hiking trails to do, depending on your ability and the time of year you visit. The most famous hike is the Moskie Oko hike, which can be completed all year round. I have created a separate hiking guide to this trail: No.1 Hike in Tatra National Park: Morskie Oko
Some other popular hikes to do in the area are:
Please note: unless you are an experienced winter mountain climber, I recommend doing these hikes in late spring/summer/early autumn.
- – Siklawica Waterfall
- – Czerwone Wierchy ridge
- – Five Polish Ponds Valley
- – Rysy
The best place to find hiking guides for Tatra National Park is on AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/parks/poland/lesser-poland-malopolskie/tatrzanski-park-narodowy
Bears In The National Park
Something to be aware of when hiking in the Tatra Mountains, there are Brown Bears. It is recommended to carry a bear bell. They only attack if they feel threatened! Wearing a bear bell will alert the bear of your presence, so you don’t accidentally scare the bear, which is when they are more likely to attack. If you do encounter a bear, the best thing to do is talk to them, and show them you are human, and walk away slowly. Once they realise you are human, they should just walk away. Whatever you do, do not run!
It is very rare for a human to be attacked by bears in Europe!
Go Skiing
Visiting in the winter months? Zakopane is a great ski resort! In fact, it’s named the ‘winter capital of Poland’! With 16 individual pistes to choose from, there’s something for all abilities! Not only that, the cost of a ski holiday here, is very budget-friendly!
For more information about the slopes, please visit the website: https://discoverzakopane.com/ski-slopes-for-intermediates.html
Personally, I haven’t skied in Zakopane, but it’s definitely on my list for the near future!
Take The Kasprowy Cable Car
The easiest way to get up high is by the Kasprowy Cable Car. The cable car takes you up to 1,987 metres in just a few minutes. At the summit, you can enjoy a bite to eat with a view at the mountains restaurant. After a bite to eat, you can hike to the summit of Kasprowy Wierch, 1,987 meters, along a well-marked path. If you are feeling more adventurous, you hike further and complete the Czerwone Wierchy. It’s meant to be one of the most stunning ridge walks in the Tatra Mountains!
Please note: unless you are an experienced winter mountain climber, I recommend doing these hikes in late spring/summer/early autumn.
To get to Kasprowy Cable Car station, you will either have to park at Rondo Jana Pawla II, and do a 45-minute walk down a private road to the station, or catch the local bus from Zakopane. Unfortunately, you can’t directly drive to the bottom station.
For more information about opening times and ticket costs, please check out their website: https://www.pkl.pl/kasprowy-wierch/kasprowy-wierch-en.html
Visit Chochołowskie Termy
Chochołowskie Termy is the largest thermal bath in Poland, located just outside of the village of Chochołów. So if are after a relaxing spa day, this is the place to go! Surrounded by beautiful views, it doesn’t get much better! The place has 30 different pools to choose from, including indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides, saunas, and jacuzzis, you could easily spend the whole day here!
To get to Chochołowskie Termy, it’s a 25-minute drive from Zakopane. The easiest way to get there is by car or taxi. If you are looking for a budget way to travel, there are buses that go from Zakopane to Chochołów.
For more information about Chochołowskie Termy, please check out their website: https://www.chocholowskietermy.pl/en/
For more information on the Tatra Mountains and where to stay, please visit their website: https://www.zakopane.pl/en/tourist-area/tourism/tatra-mountains
Want to see what else there is to see and do in Poland? Please check out some of my other blogs: Poland
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