An Ice Town in Foot Hills of Tatra Mountain-Zakopane Poland

Zakopane Poland

Zakopane is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. It lies in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałowka Hill. Zakopane is situated at a height of 800–1,000 metres above sea level and centres on the intersection of its Krupowki and Kosciuszko Streets. Zakopane is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing, and tourism. It is known for its Goral culture and is often referred to as the winter capital of Poland. Beautiful wooden villas, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries is worth seeing.  Zakopane was a haven for painters, poets, writers and composers.

Geography

Zakopane Poland nestles in a valley at the foot of Tatras mountain. It is the highest part of the rocky Carpathian Mountains that form Poland’s border with Slovakia. Its highest peak is Mount Rysy, soaring to 2 499 m above sea level. To the northwest is Mount Gubalowka with its stunning panorama. Zakopane is situated approximately 850 m above sea level, and several brooks flow through the town.

Zakopane weather

Zakopane has a humid continental climate. In general, the temperature tends to be almost 3 °C colder than northern Krakow, which is more than 600 m lower than Zakopane Poland. In winters Zakopane Weather is typically frosty but relatively sunny. Zakopane receives the most sun in winter in the country. Snow is normally abundant, particularly in the higher altitudes, which makes Zakopane among the most popular ski resorts in Poland.

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Zakopane mountains (Tatra Mountain)

Things to do in Zakopane Poland

Zakopanes are famous for activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoe walks, and Ice skating. During the summer, Tourists come to do activities like hiking, climbing, bike and horse riding the Tatras mountain. Swimming and boat ride on the Dunajec river is the most popular. Goral culture is rich in its unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and costume. Zakopane is especially popular during the winter holidays, which are celebrated in traditional style, with dances, and decorated horse-pulled sleighs called Kuligs. A scene in Andrzej Wajda’s film Man of Marble was filmed in Zakopane. The mountain scenes from the Bollywood film Fanaa were also filmed around Zakopane Poland.

Mountaineering

Mountaineering is very famous in Tatras mountain. There is a network of well-marked hiking trails in the Tatras, Most of these trails are overcrowded, especially in the summer season. The Tatras offer excellent opportunities for climbing.  Thunderstorms are very common in the afternoons and in winter the snow can be up to several meters deep.

Skiing

Thousands of tourists arrive in Zakopane to ski, especially around Christmas and February in winter. The most popular skiing areas are Kasprowy Wierch and Gubałowka. There are a number of cross-country skiing trails in the forests surrounding the town.

Morskie Oko or Eye of the sea

The eye of the sea is an emerald-green lake Perched nearly 1400m above sea level. The ‘Eye of the Sea’ is the largest lake in the Tatras and a popular outing from Zakopane. Minibuses regularly depart from ul Kosiuszki, across from the main bus station, for Polana Palenica, from where a 9 km-long road continues uphill to the lake. Vehicles are not allowed, so you’ll have to walk or take a horse-drawn carriage.

How to reach Zakopane Poland

The closest airports to Zakopane are- Krakow Balice Airport 110km from Zakopane. From here Zakopane can be reached by train or bus from the provincial capital, Krakow, which is about two hours away.