KrakowInformer.com

Zakopane

The Tatra Mountains are just 100 kilometers away from Krakow, and the most popular tourist destination in that region is certainly Zakopane. While no one can be blamed for wanting to go climbing as quickly as possible – and therefore resigning from giving Zakopane itself a closer look – the capital of the Polish Tatra Mountains is well worth spending a few days in.

Zakopane's History

Although Zakopane has allegedly existed since 1578, the true history of the little town, buried in the Tatra Mountains begins four centuries later. The name Zakopane in Polish actually means 'buried'. In 1845 the first parish was established in Zakopane, and it probably wouldn't have changed anything if it wasn't for the priest Jozef Stolarczyk, who encouraged the Polish highlanders (or 'gorale') to rent rooms in their houses to those from the 'lowlands' (i.e. the rest of Poland). It was during the times of Stolarczyk that Zakopane's oldest stone church, the Neo-Romanesque Church of the Holy Family near the Krupowki Street was built.

Zakopane became a fashionable town at the turn of the century, and was particularly popular among artists of all sorts. These included the Nobel Prize winner Henryk Sienkiewicz, and one of the greatest poets of the Young Poland movement, Jan Kasprowicz, whose house – the beautiful Villa Harenda – has been turned into a museum commemorating the poet.

It was also praised as a magnificent health-resort, miraculous for ill lungs and respiratory problems.

What to see in Zakopane

Today, Zakopane is still an incredibly popular town, both as a skiing-resort and a base for those who want to simply go climbing in the Tatra Mountains. But it's also a good idea to see the town itself - particularly the charming 'Hansel & Gretel' intricately carved wooden houses that people still live in today.

The Koscieliska Street with its complex of 19^th century, wooden buildings is certainly a must-see for any Zakopane visitor. The buildings include the Gasienica Chapel, dating back to 1800, the town's oldest cemetery and the old church, dating from the 1850s. The Villa Koliba, an excellent example of the so-called 'styl zakopianski' (Zakopane Style), an architectural style introduced by Stanislaw Witkiewicz, a 19^th century architect and painter that combined the traditional style of the Polish gorale with elements of the secession period.

Speaking of the Witkiewicz family – Stanislaw's son, Stanislaw Ignacy (also known as 'Witkacy'), an eccentric painter, playwright and writer, also lead his life in Zakopane, introducing some of the local dialect in his surreal plays and novels. Commemorating him is the Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz Theater in Zakopane, located on 15 Chramcowki Street. It stages ambitious, avant-garde plays, a real pleasure for the more demanding audience.

The tourist center of Zakopane is certainly the Krupowki Street, a promenade beginning at the foot of the Gubalowka mountain. A few Zakopane hotels are situated on Krupowki, and various tourist attractions are available, like riding a horse cab, taking a picture with a polar bear (usually a fake one), and of course buying the famous oscypek mountain goat cheese.

Zakopane Accommodation

When it comes to finding accommodation in Zakopane, there are some hotels and boarding houses in the town, but a real attraction might be spending a night in a real, wooden, highlander house. To help the tourists have as pleasant as time as possible, the authorities of the town started an accommodation register that can be found on Zakopane's home page www.zakopane.pl . In the high season it is advised to book rooms in advance.

Getting from Krakow to Zakopane

The best way to visit Zakopane is to book a Zakopane Tour from our Krakow Tours section.

Getting from Krakow to Zakopane is quite easy – by car, you should take the famous 'Zakopianka' (unfortunately famous for big traffic – but the road is being widened and it's improving). The road starts with Zakopianska Street in Krakow, and then goes into road no. 7 (E77), and then continues into road no. 47. The total distance is about 105 kilometers.

Trains leave a few times a day from the Krakow Train Station, the views are beautiful, but a train needs over four hours to cover the distance to Zakopane.

Buses leave the Krakow Bus Station a few times an hour. The trip to Zakopane takes about 2-2,5 hours, so it's probably the best way for those who don't have a car.