There is no other such city.

In Podhale we can find beautiful handicrafts. Wooden stained glass-alike lamps hang among others in a shelter in Dolina 5 Stawow (Five Lakes Valley). Perhaps such a unique souvenir is worth taking home? Their author is Jerzy Sarkowicz.

When going to Zakopane it is worth bearing in mind that there is no other similar city in Poland. In the world too. Although it is changing, old wooden houses are partially replaced by new, imitating traditional Podhale style buildings – it is still difficult to find another place equally original, full of memoirs of old times, but also displays very vibrant folklore and unique culture.

Due to its location, Zakopane is simply a dream base for trips to the mountains, but even without having them in the plan, you can find various attractions in the city and its surroundings. Of course, you can go for a walk to Krupowki, go to this promenade full of restaurants, fast-food bars intertwined with sports clothing stores. For many people, this is the first stop when you need to buy the missing piece of mountain equipment. However, let’s not make a mistake and do not limit our idea of visiting the city solely to “explore the Krupowki Ridge without belaying”, as the locals say jokingly. These pedestrian streets have the majority of tourist towns.

More than one has stopped in the middle of a pedestrian crossing for this view. At the intersection of Aleja 3 Maja and Kosciuszki, you can see Koszysta, Krzyzne, Buczynowe Turnie and Zolta Turnia. Just before nightfall – the most beautiful view.

Real treasures are often off the beaten track.

At Krupowki, yes, there is the main building of the Tatra Museum, and the Zakopane Cultural Center with the Municipal Art Gallery, but also other parts of the city are not short of museums, galleries and other interesting places. Particularly worth visiting is the Jan Kasprowicz Museum on Harenda, the last home of the great Polish poet. It is located a bit outside of Zakopane on the road to Poronin. A house that looks ready for the return of the hosts, where you can expect the great stories and an unusually cordial reception.

Also the Wladyslaw Hasior Gallery is really outstanding. Located near the railway and bus station, full of works by this artist, which are installations smiting with their expression and inventiveness of materials selection. It is worth taking a look at Atma, a villa in which lived composer Karol Szymanowski, associated with Zakopane, charmed by the Podhale folklore, where they are collected as reminders of him. In Villa Oksza there are many works of art by Polish artists, among others portraits drawn by Witkacy, an eccentric famous dramatist and draughtsman. There are also very interesting periodical thematic exhibitions.

In addition to museums, it is worth watching just standing sometimes off the beaten track, with a bit of patine, but still inhabited traditional wooden houses, there are many of them. From time to time, you need to raise your head and look around to see in the gap at the end of the street, or between the houses suddenly appearing mountains – Granaty or Swinica. It’s beautiful at any time of the day, but maybe especially at sunset, when mountains are gleaming red.

Highlanders do not have radishes or currants in their home gardens. Even flowers are usually unspecified, conventionally petunias in pots. But for that – they have sheep. And they are happy to pose for family photography.

Learn about nature.

A great place worth recommending especially for families with children, but not only, is the Center for Nature Education of the Tatra National Park. An interesting exhibition, multimedia and really a lot of knowledge about this unique nature area, such as the Tatras, await guests.

Zakopane captivates with authenticity.

The town is not a heritage park directed to tourists. Here, the inhabitants really speak the dialect, wear traditional costumes for the church and important ceremonies, and the sheep in the halls really graze from spring to autumn. With a bit of luck we will see on Saturday afternoon a traditional wedding procession with a folk music group and horse-drawn carriages.
In many restaurants and taverns play traditional folk bands and although not always their repertoire is native to the Podhale region, it is an attraction occurring here in the south of Poland only. There are places in Zakopane that simply serve the residents, where they meet – at literary meetings in the city library, vernissages in Villa Oksza, concerts in the Kmicic Café, or handicraft fair with a graceful name “Zakotwory” (Zako-creatures) in the STRH Café.
The annual festival of mountain films also gathers an environment related to the Tatras – guides, rescuers, or simply lovers of hiking and climbing. Numerous music fans from Zakopane are waiting the whole year for the famous Zakopane jazz festivals – the Jazz Spring or the Jazz Camping Kalatówki. Virtually every day in Zakopane you can participate in a meeting with the author of an interesting book, vernissage, concert, especially in the summer the offer is very wide. Among places worth visiting include the Witkacy Theater, which has a great team of actors and exhibits the art of its patron, but also other very interesting items.

After cultural exultation, it will definitely be a pleasure to visit one of the many restaurants. Who loves the atmosphere of folklore, regional decor and such cuisine, should go to one of the taverns. Among the most recommendable are Bakowo Zohylina (Wyznio and Niznio), Karczma Sopa, or a small Kolibecka. Among the most besieged include Staro Izba, or Stek Chalupa on Krupowki. But who is looking for another cuisine, will find it in the favorite pizzerias – Adamo and Cristina – good level Sushi-Kushi, in the fusion category stands out Jaworina, more exquisite is also Mala Szwajcaria, (Little Switzerland). The most elegant, most expensive and famous for sophisticated cuisine is Halka in the Hotel Aries. In Zakopane there is a chain of Samanta cafes, which entices with a large selection of small cakes and gateaus, so you can try few different. There is also a STRH Café worth recommending due to the beautiful location at the level of tree crowns and modern decor. The favorite place of inhabitants of Zakopane is Tygodnik Podhalanski Café with an atmospheric interior divided into small, glazed rooms and a terrace with a magnificent view of the mountains.

Such a view can be seen several times a year, if in the evening it clear up after a rainy day and the whole city for a few minutes shimmers with raspberry pink. It is worth looking out for such moments, the colossus burning through the houses is impressive.

The only thing that is lacking in Zakopane is the place where in a cultural atmosphere one could sit out for a night with a drink. Restaurants are closed early, before midnight, and at the latest by 1 am. all the clubs and bars, including hotels. At late night still remains open and available the Morskie Oko discotheque which is occupied by very loud music and crowds of unruly youth. Unfortunately, on the map of Zakopane, there is no longer a cult European Café. Whoever had the opportunity to visit this place would not forget the atmosphere and the decor as it was 40 years ago, the dance bar with live singer Richard, desserts in the style of cups of jelly and cream. It was one of the most interesting relics of an elapsed era and it is difficult to understand the decision about the total change of the character of the place, which, formerly visited by crowds, is now frightening with emptiness. Fortunately, there are plenty of people with fantasy in Zakopane, so you can expect other interesting places to be created.

Relaxation zone

Another attraction worth visiting is also thermal baths with SPA complexes scattered around the area, like Termy Bania, Terma Bukovina, Chochołow Thermal Baths. In the city center there is an Aquapark, some hotels also have their own pools and SPA. It is a great way to spend time actively when the weather is not good, or when we need regeneration after a mountain trip.

On Harenda, just go up a few dozen meters, for example towards a tiny cemetery, to admire what you can not see from the city – a magnificent panorama with the Lodowy Szczyt (Ice Peak) in Slovakia, the favorite mountain of the poet Jan Kasprowicz, overlooking the others mountains.

What to bring from Zakopane?

The traditional element of vacation trips is the purchase of souvenirs. And, warning, if we want to buy authentic and good quality products, we have to taste it a bit. Oscypki, famous sheep’s cheese, if these are to be really made of sheep’s milk you should buy them in huts at the entrance to tourist trails, sometimes it is also worth asking local people where you can find them. Remember that they are available only for a few months of the year, from May to September. Those offered in the stalls on Krupowki are usually cow’s and often not very fresh.
Handicraft is valuable if it is made by Polish local artists – it’s worth visiting the Galeria pod Makiem in the Krupowki 29 passage, or the Gazdus Gallery at the tourist information point on Koscieliska street. There are traditional highland glass paintings, wooden toys, jewelry and many other items. There are also small galleries owned by artists, sometimes you can find interesting works on the walls of Kmicic Café, or STRH. Or maybe we have enough funds and fancy to buy an element of traditional highlanders’ attire in one of the tailor’s studios?
It is definitely worth looking for something outside the “mainstream” of souvenir stalls in Krupowki, booths in the square near Gubalowka and at the top station of the cable car on its slope. There, we will buy real highland souvenirs straight from China. And if we do not want to bring home more objects, handicrafts or works of art, always remember this one – photos. They will be a truly valuable souvenir in a few weeks or months when we place them on the desktop of our home or office computer.