Things to do in Zakopane in the Winter...

It is impossible to be bored in Zakopane in winter. The town offers many various attractions. In the winter, apart from skiing and snowboard, the most popular are torchlight sleigh rides, snow scooter rides, husky dog sledding, ice skating and cross-country skiing. Regardless of what kind of active relaxation you prefer, you are sure to find it in Zakopane this winter.

Ski-lifts are in service from early morning hours to late evening hours. Around almost all of them there are instructors waiting, ready to teach a little or a big lover of winter sports how to ski or snowboard. In the central part of the town there are two ice rinks with skate rental. Skating with family or friends is lots of fun for all ages.

The Dolinki Reglowe (valleys) are very inviting places for romantic walks, as the Tatra National Park covered in snow, with its multitude of snow-capped spruces, is most beautiful. In the Dolina Chochołowska or Kościeliska (valleys) an alternative to walking is a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh. It is really warm under a sheepskin and the joyful sound of the bells hanging on the horse's neck make the ride more attractive.

Zakopane has some great ideas for those who are looking for something more exhilarating. A one-hour snowmobile ride through the Podhale forests and fields will certainly be unforgettable. Especially when it finishes at the door of a regional inn where they serve mead and toasted smoked sheep's cheese. When there is not enough snow or when the snow is too hard it is better to choose a quad. Quads have no problems with rough terrain, streams or even shallow rivers. The tracks around Zakopane offer exceptionally attractive landscapes.

Children are sure to fall in love with friendly husky dogs, which pull their sleds barking joyfully. The driver stands on the runners, leaving the passengers to sit comfortably and enjoy the ride. An extra thrill is to drive the dog team yourself, but the smart huskies often get rid of an inexperienced driver by cutting a sharp turn. A fall into a snowbank can be regarded as an attraction, but having to catch up with the dogs is not necessarily so much fun.

Visitors to Zakopane who prefer peace and quiet, far from the crowded ski runs, the noise of jets and quads and the barking of huskies, should try their hand at ski-touring. This sport is becoming more and more popular and even expert guides from Chamonix, enchanted by our mountains, return to us every year with new groups of lovers of the sport. A ski-touring trip, which can last several days, led by a professional guide who is often also a ski instructor, is a wonderful way of spending time. The route runs through the Tatra National Park and overnight accommodation is booked in mountain chalets.

Things to do in Zakopane during the Christmas and New Year season..

Tis' the season to be jolly… Christmas is one of the most attractive seasons in Zakopane. Lights are blinking on buildings and all the main streets. In the center of Krupówki - Zakopane's main promenade - a great, tall Christmas Tree is the main attraction. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there aren't many tourists in town. The inhabitants of Zakopane greet each other with warm Polish cheer, saying Wesołych Świąt (Merry Christmas) instead of Dzień Dobry (Good Morning) or Cześć (Hello).

Christmas Eve supper Wigilia - is the most important meal of the year. We stay mostly at home with our families but there are a few restaurants open where tourists can order special Christmas Eve meal. At the restaurant Dwór Ślebodyin Zakopane before Christmas Dinner is served all the guests are invite to decorate the Christmas Tree.
This special evening ends with attending Pasterka - a midnight Mass in the Catholic Churches. The most joyful and warmest Mass takes place in the tiny church on Wiktorówki Glade in the Tatra National Park.

On the second day of Christmas many tourists come to Zakopane for New Year Holiday break. The downtown streets, restaurants and inns are full of laughter and good cheer and the mountain slopes are full of happy skiers.

The most popular activity during the last days of the Old Year is a kulig - riding in a horse drawn sleigh - especially in the Chochołowska and Kościeliska Valleys. Evening rides with torches and meals served around bonfires are also very popular.

The best evening of the season is, of course, New Years Eve called Sylwester - as the last day of December is St. Silvester's name's day in the Catholic Church. There are plenty of interesting and enjoyable options for spending the last night of the year:

• an elegant ball in one of the luxury hotels
• a traditional folk party with a local, highlanders band in a regional restaurant
• a large campfire in a forest glade in the company of local hosts dressed as highland robbers
• a sleigh ride with torches including a traditional dinner in a highlander hut
• a sleep over in the one of the eight mountain shelters in the Tatra National Park (reservation should be made in advance)
• an unforgettable night expedition on snowmobiles organized by the Snowdoo company

I encourage you to visit Zakopane - my hometown - during your stay in Kraków. It is only a two-hour journey by coach from Kraków's main bus station. For any further information you are welcome to visit my Fan Page on the facebook: www.facebook.com/DiscoverZakopane See you in Zakopane! Barbara Gąsienica-Józkowy

Things to do in Zakopane in the autumn - autumn trips to the Tatra National Park.

The Polish Tatras are divided into two areas that are very different – the rather more gentle Tatry Zachodnie (the Western Tatras) and Tatry Wysokie (the High Tatras), craggy and reminiscent of the Alps. I suggest visiting both:

• Dolina Kościeliska (Kościeliska Valley) in the Western Tatras – minibuses to Kiry (the entrance to Kościeliska Valley) depart from the bus station in Zakopane located at ul. Kościuszki, 23 and from a bus stop opposite the railway station, which is across the street. A walk through Kościeliska Valley to the hostel on Hala Ornak (Ornak Alp) takes 2 hours if you follow the green trail. It is definitely worth sitting down for a moment at the hostel, ordering a cup of tea or coffee and a piece of delicious apple cake (interestingly, apple cake is served in all the hostels in the Polish Tatras) and having rest before making your way back to Kiry, following the same green trail. En route it is possible to follow the yellow trail for a short time which leads to Wąwóz Kraków (Kraków Gorge). More experienced hikers can continue through the gorge and then climb up the ladder to a cave called the Dragon’s Den (a torch is essential). If you wish to give the cave a miss, follow the path to the left and then take the track through the woods down to Hala Pisana (Pisana Alp). This addition to your walk takes about 45 minutes. You can return from Kiry to Zakopane by minibus – the bus stop is located a few metres beyond the bridge, on the left.
• Morskie Oko lake in the High Tatras – this is the most popular walk in the Polish Tatras, so you might want to set off early in the morning to stay ahead of the numerous school trips heading there in the autumn. Public transport departures are either from Zakopane bus station or the minibus stop mentioned above. The walk to the hostel at Morskie Oko takes approximately 2.30 hrs and is very easy (a paved road) but, unfortunately, not very exciting. Almost all of it is accessible by horse and cart, but I suggest you use this option only on the way down. After reaching Morskie Oko, which is the largest, and considered by many to be the most beautiful, lake in the Tatra Mountains at an altitude of 1,395 m. above sea level, with an area of 34.93 hectares and a maximum depth of 50 metres, you can either relax in the hostel, take an hour long walk around the lake or climb up to Czarny Staw (Black Pond), lying above Morskie Oko at the foot of Rysy (2,499 m.) - the highest peak in the Polish Tatras. To return to Zakopane allow two hours if walking or one hour by horse-drawn cart.
• A cable car trip to Kasprowy Wierch – the boundary between the Western and the High Tatras runs through Przełęcz Liliowe (Liliowe Pass). To get there, you can travel in comfort by cable car to the top of Kasprowy Wierch. The lower station of the cable car is located at Kuźnice, 5 km from the centre of Zakopane, which is easily accessible by minibus or taxi. In the autumn the cable car operates from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
• An autumn afternoon can be spent taking a short walk to visit the old church (1847) and its historical cemetery located in ul. Kościeliska. There are many interesting tombstones, often decorated by local folk artists, including the very popular Podhale image of the Sorrowful Christ. It is also worth walking through the market at the foot of Gubałówka. The first part, called ‘Oscypek Alley’, consists of a few dozen stalls which sell local cheeses, mainly the smoked sheep’s cheese known in Polish as oscypki. Further on, you can buy wooden souvenirs and a large selection of sheepskin products.
• An autumn evening in Zakopane is best spent in one of the regional highland inns, of which there are several in the centre of Zakopane. Choose one in which a live highland band is playing. As far as food is concerned, I recommend our regional appetizers, either oscypek, smoked sheep’s cheese served with hot cranberries or moskol, a potato cake served with garlic butter. When it comes to drinks, the most popular on cool autumn evenings are either the mulled wine or the Highland tea (black tea with pure vodka or other spirits).

Although autumn in the mountains can be both sunny and colourful, often there are frosty nights and it may even snow. So if you are planning an autumn trip to Zakopane, you should be prepared for any kind of weather. If, however, you are caught by low temperatures, do not worry, but instead go to the market and buy an inexpensive, hand-made woollen hat, a pair of gloves, a sweater and beautifully embroidered furry slippers, which at the same time also make great souvenirs from your trip to the Tatras. I encourage you to visit Zakopane during your stay in Kraków. It is only a two-hour journey by coach from Kraków’s main coach station.