Zakopane is a center of Góral culture and is informally known as “the winter capital of Poland.” It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing and qualified tourism. Zakopane is situated in the heart of the Tatra mountains. It is a center of famous highland folklore from Podhale with characteristic wooden houses, lively music played mainly on the bowed string instruments, richly decorated folk costumes and beautiful regional dialect. Every year it attracts the multitude of tourists.

Zakopane’s tourists are interested in winter sports activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoe walks, and ice skating. The most popular skiing areas are Kasprowy Wierch and Gubałówka. There are a number of cross country skiing trails in the forests surrounding of town. You can use the ski lifts in Chochołowska Valley, Kościeliska Valley or Mała Łąka Valley. Ski jumping is one of the favorite kind of sports in Poland. Zakopane hosted several ski jumping World Cup and World Ski Championships.
Zakopane offers a big range of accommodation from exclusive guesthouses to youth hostels which may suit every pocket. There you may see a lot of examples of the famous Zakopane style architecture. They are charming wooden houses with big sheer roofs, villas such as Koliba, Pod Jedlami and Atma, old churches like The Holy Family Church and Old Little Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

There are many museums in Zakopane such as Tatra Museum in Zakopane, the Museum of Zakopane Style at Villa Koliba, the Tatra National Park Museum and the Kornel Makuszyński Museum. Another place which is worth visiting is the Old Cemetery of Pęksowy Brzyzek, where prominent Poles such as writer Kornel Makushynski, poet Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, ski jumper Stanislav Marusarz are buried.

Zakopane is especially popular during the winter holidays, which are celebrated in traditional style, with dances, decorated horse-pulled sleighs called “kuligs” and roast lamb. There are many different cultural festivals and events in Zakopane. If you like highland folklore, you may visit “Music on the heights” International Chamber Music Festival. The New Year’s Eve party in the capital of the Tatra Mountains takes place every year. All the restaurants and bars welcome guests who wish to celebrate the New Year at the foot of the Tatras. A many famous Polish pop stars are invited to New Year’s Eve concerts in Zakopane.

Those are just a few attractions which wait for tourists who are planning to visit this extraordinary town. Zakopane will charm you with its inimitable atmosphere and hospitality. You will come back here not once…