Christmas in Zakopane

If we do not have the strength to go somewhere far away to Midnight Mass, let’s visit one of the old wooden churches nearby, e.g. on Harenda.

Stay at home or …?

Christmas is a longed-for time for many of us. We dream not only of meetings with family, gifts, beautifully decorated house, but also – and perhaps above all – of relaxation. Is it possible to achieve this? It can be different. Sometimes, until the last moment, we are absorbed by professional work, the preparation of a Christmas dinner transpires to be difficult and arduous, we are irritated because of necessary shopping – the stores will be closed for 2 days. It was supposed to be nice but it is nervous. Then a thought appears in the minds of many of us – and will happen if we leave? It is best to take a few days off at work and to forget about everyday life. The idea is not new. And although it may shock the supporters of great feasts with the family seen sometimes only on this one occasion in a year, it is worth considering.

A night trip through the winter forest can be an unforgettable adventure, but you have to prepare for it. Let the gentlemen working for TOPR (mountain emergency service) also have Christmas.

Reconcile tradition with rest

You can go to warm countries, forget about the celebration of a traditional Christmas Eve evening, and replace the expedition to Midnight Mass with diving on a coral reef. For people who do not feel the special religious nature of Christmas, and at the same time suffer from the increasingly commercial dimension of it – it is perhaps a way to spend these days away from the rituals that do not give them pleasure. For many people, however, this is a too revolutionary solution. Christmas is not a real holiday for them without carols, traditional Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass in the church or without snow.

They know about it in Zakopane. Both owners of hotels and restaurants. Many accommodation facilities offer a few-day stay packages with a Christmas Eve dinner and other attractions, such as sleigh rides (or in the absence of snow carriage rides) or relaxation treatments. You can also choose to have dinner in a restaurant and stay somewhere else. Establishments that propose a holiday offer in Zakopane are several hundred, so we will not write about them separately. However, we can recommend to restaurants, which we have described in the article dedicated to them “Zakopane – bon apétit!”. When it comes to hotels – there are many that meet the expectations of guests by organizing at least a Christmas Eve dinner. In some, like the five-star Aries, you can even decorate the Christmas tree with the whole family in a room, Santa Claus will visit our children and parents can count on a moment of respite entrusting their children to the guardians at the Kids Club.

There are also hotels such as Murowanica, which give the opportunity to “forget” about holidays to those who do not celebrate them and treat this time simply as days off from work. Although everywhere, when booking a room, we can ask for recommendation of restaurants and help to reserve a table. It is common in all hotels at Christmas time the minimum number of nights when booking a room is usually 4 or even 5. The hotels and boarding houses assume that if someone takes the trouble to reach Zakopane to spend Christmas Eve here, it doesn’t make any sense to pack up and go home the next day. They’re actually right. And if there is snow there is no more beautiful place in Poland at this time of the year. Certainly, Zakopane during sunny winter days, with starlit cloudless sky at night and the highland bands playing our Polish carols and folk pastorals has not a competition in all of Europe. What distinguishes Zakopane in the festive time from other mountain resorts, is this Polish cultural background, the unique Podhale traditions which we do not experience somewhere in the Alps. Even Christmas wishes made by the host in a traditional highlander dialect, although they refer to life and work on a farm not for a corporation – they are exceptionally cordial, joyful and nice to be their addressee.

We will be honest, also in Zakopane there are holidays without snow. But it is beautiful anyway (photo taken on Christmas Eve 2015)

Christmas Midnight Mass other than all

In Zakopane, it is really worth going to the Midnight Mass, even if the religious dimension of holidays is not the most important for us. For a visitor, both from a different part of the country or abroad, the attraction will be to see the crowd dressed in regional costumes, hear the carols performed by the folk band and all other people. Notice, that everybody has good ear for music in Podhale, everybody has been singing since he was a child, and no one will wriggle out of singing. One of the biggest attractions, though not accessible to everyone, is the Midnight Mass in the Wiktorowki chapel (next to Rusinowa Polana). A huge crowd of people march there at night with torches and flashlights through a snowy forest, it is worth having appropriate clothes, shoes, even small crampons. Truly provident people take with them a supply of warming alcoholic drink (so the atmosphere is cheerful). If we are shocked at thinking about such methods of warming up, or health, young age, or the necessity of driving a car do not allow us – let’s visit the pharmacy or drugstore and buy chemical hand and foot warmers, they are really very helpful. The chapel is small, so we will almost certainly be outside, and in the mountains it will be colder than in the town. Where else can you go to the special Midnight Mass? Devotions are also celebrated in the chapel on Jaszczurowka, a tiny chapel on Gubalowka, on Polana Kalatowki, in a chapel in the Chocholowska Valley. One must admire musicians who play outside on instruments often in a dozen or so degrees of frost and while it’s snowing it doesn’t matter, praise to God in the highest!

Waiting for the first star is always exciting for the little ones, and sometimes even older ones too. And especially when you can see Hawran, Lomnica and Lodowy in the pink glow behind the window.

And after Christmas Eve?

Even the longest Christmas Eve finally ends and in front of us two days of celebration. Highlanders spend the first day of Christmas solemnly and in the family circle. So if we happen to be invited by them for a diner that day, it’s like being accepted to the family. If we live in a hotel, no one will refuse service, everything will be available as on any other day. Also most of the restaurants in the town will be open. The only thing you need to pay attention to is a very limited number of bus journeys. Instead of freezing for an hour at the stop, it will be much better to burn calories after Christmas Eve with a walk or cover longer distances by car or taxi.

We cannot count on shopping or visiting museums these two days – but if the weather is good we can go for a winter walk in the mountains with an easier or more difficult trail, go skiing, visit the thermal complex and swimming pools. One of the typical highland attractions is a sleigh ride with torches. In general, it is combined with a simple meal in a hut by a fireplace. On the Internet, after entering the phrase / kulig zakopane xmas / we will find many offers, diversified in terms of price for individuals and as well as for families or groups. One of websites where we find an offer which is available in English is www.skiing-poland.com. Also in tourist offices located next to the railway station you can get acquainted with the offer and even purchase one. Although it’s better to book earlier such an attraction during holidays time, before arriving.

There was no snow in December? Nothing lost, it is quite possible that Easter will look like above, it is already worth booking accommodation 😉 (photo taken on April 21).

Fall in love in Zakopane

Finally, we will remind you about one more highlander tradition. On the second day of holidays, the so-called Podlazy (you can translate it as a stealing up), what it does mean is a traditional visits of bachelors in family homes of damsels. Today, a bit forgotten and old-fashioned, but giving the chance to shy young people to show their feelings. So if one of the men reading these words once caught the eye of an unmarried dweller of Podhale (and maybe only on Christmas Eve will get captivated), remember – do not miss the opportunity, on December 26th, even at night you can visit a girl in her home, and she has to let you in for a chat over tea at least. Only check her status discreetly before, the highlanders do not always wear wedding rings, if she is married her husband’s alpenstock will be sharpened 😉 You can of course adapt this tradition, the house does not have to be family home, the hotel room also counts, and the girl does not have to be a highlander. When is the better time for love and joy in a beautiful scenery and circumstances, if not in this unique winter time? Merry Christmas for everyone!