My wife and I recently traveled to Zakopane in Poland and have put together a couple’s guide on the best attractions in Zakopane you should see! We decided to visit Zakopane to see the mountainous area of Poland after exploring the less mountainous cities of Krakow and Lodz. Zakopane is known as the Winter Capital of Poland.
We traveled by car from Krakow to Zakopane and you’re likely to encounter a lot of traffic when heading in and out of Zakopane due to its’ limited number of roads.
For the duration of our stay, we chose to stay at Willa Szymaszkowa which provided us with free gated parking, an awesome view of the mountains (photos below) and a pretty reasonable price that included a breakfast buffet, access to an infrared sauna and a hot tub. All of this while staying pretty close to the city centre as well as all the other attractions in Zakopane.
One of our first stops the following day (outside of my stop at an ATM to withdraw some local currency) was the restaurant Karczma Bialy Mis which is located at Krupowki 51. Krupowki is a popular buzzing street filled with wooden architecture, restaurants and shops that sell jewelry and much more. You’ll find pizza, local cuisine, a shopping mall with shoe, camping and sporting goods stores and much more all within walking distance. All this is located in the city center and is basically where you will find the most things to do and see as well as tourists.
After purchasing some shoes and eating some food at Karczma Bialy Mis, we headed out to the Entry Point to TPN. TPN stands for Tatrzanski Park Narodowy. TPN is a national park that was created in 1954 and which covers an area of approximately 52,000 acres. It is located in the Tatra Mountains and borders the Tatra National Park of Slovakia. The entry point has a parking area for which you need to purchase a parking pass, ideally at least one day before arriving to ensure you reserve a spot. If you’re looking to explore some of the trails, please make sure you read about the trails and the necessary preparations. The weather in this park can vary greatly between different areas and there have been numerous horror stories of people falling off of trails and cliffs or having to be rescued due to inadequate preparations and experience. Not all the trails in this park are created equal, and you should thoroughly research what exactly you’re going to want to visit and what trails you will want to walk on before blindly heading in a specific direction.
My wife and I decided to take the walk up from the parking area up to Morskie Oko, also knows as the Eye of the Sea. It is the largest and fourth deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains. The walk from the parking area is a long 10.7 miles but the trail is on a fully asphalted road that private vehicles are forbidden to travel on. This 10.7 mile trail follows the TPN nature trail with seven stopping points. In the end, the long 10.7 mile walk up and walk down were worth it as you’ll be able to see from the pictures we took when we arrived at Morskie Oko below.
If you’re planning to travel to Zakopane, we also recommend you check out the below attractions:
- Gubalowka Hill – This hill will allow you to see panoramic views of Zakopane and the Tatra mountains. You will find a bunch of scenic viewpoints here, restaurants and even some souvenir shops. In the winter, this area transforms into a popular skiing and snowboarding destination.
- Wielka Krokiew – This is Zakopane’s iconic ski jump hill. The visitors can watch some competitions or simply look at the structure. The annual ski jumping world cup is held here and draws athletes and spectators from all over the world.
- The Witkiewicz Theater – This theater hosts a variety of performances, plays and concerts. It is a cultural gem in Zakopane with its unique architectural design and is named after the famous polish playwright and artist Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz.
Overall, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed all the attractions in Zakopane and believe that the trip to check out the town and the surrounding national park was worth the drive. Zakopane has a lot of cultural richness and natural beauty and has a lot of culinary delights to offer as well. In our opinion, this is a true jewel in Poland’s tourism crown.