Zakopane in the blink of an eye.

With good visibility, during a short stay it is worth visiting Rusinowa Polana. The trip is easy, for everyone, and the panorama is beautiful. In the picture from the left: Gerlach, Ganek, Wysoka, Rysy, Zabi Kon, Mieguszowieckie Szczyty, in the foreground Mlynarz.

We live in an era of condensed time. We try to make the most of every moment of it, plan as much activity as possible in its shortest period. We cannot, or maybe even do not know how to spend more time to rest from everyday matters. We are past it – trips for a month, or a few, when half of the house moved with us and the guest house became the center of our lives. It is difficult to judge whether it is good or bad. One should adapt to the conditions, catch free time to relax and benefit from it. For some, this moment will be a few days, for others only a weekend. If we decide to assign this time to stay in Zakopane, it is worth considering different variants of spending it. Because, we cannot forget that the current weather determines the type of available activity to a large extent. And this one is sometimes variable but in some measure predictable. Following popular weather services will let us know what to prepare for. In addition to long-term forecasts, it is a good idea to enter the phrase “TOPR cameras” (in Polish “kamery TOPR”) in the Internet search engine to keep track of weather conditions and visibility in selected locations.

Sheep are everywhere – on Harenda, on Rusinowa Polana, Kalatowki, and even next to Zakopianka route. You can get really close to them, but it’s better to ask shepherd for permission beforehand. Shepherd dogs can bite, it’s their job.

When the sun shines on us.

If we are lucky, we will get sunny days and good visibility, we cannot miss the opportunity to admire the magnificent Tatra panoramas. In the effortless version, it will take the cable railway to Gubałowka in order to admire the mountain ranges from Hawran in the Bielskie Tatras to the last hills of the Western Tatras. In summer, there is also a chair-lift on Harenda, which we can use to get to the road leading the ridge of Gubałowka. This view is undoubtedly worth seeing and if only clouds and fog do not eclipse it you must enter it on the list of obligatory program points. If you want to see the mountains up close, to feel the sharp and crystal clear air, here we also have variants that require a better hiking condition – or not at all. One of the most popular attractions is the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch. From there stretches a great view of the closer and further peaks. You can descend with the lift down as well or you can try to go down one of the trails, but it requires appropriate clothing and footwear, while using the cable car you can go up in proverbial flip-flops and flimsy dress. However, it is worth checking the temperatures beforehand. At the top of Kasprowy it is much lower than in the city and often there is windy. Fortunately, you can warm up in one of the bars located in the upper station of the lift. The starting place for a trip to Kasprowy Wierch is Kuznice, which can be reached by bus, taxi or on foot, but not by private car.

The highlander music band is a permanent element of various celebrations. On the photo one of the best, of Jan Karpiel Bulecka (right) – playing in the original, traditional line-up. Vernissage of the exhibition of paintings by Wladysław Jarocki at the Municipal Art Gallery in Zakopane.

Very often visited place is Morskie Oko, beautiful lake in the mountains. Its location makes it a trip for people prepared and in good physical condition to cover on foot a distance of dozen or more kilometers. Of course, you can take advantage of the offer of carts pulled by horses from Palenica Bialczanska to Polana Wlosienica. However, in the high season you can expect long queues. You should also take into account the departure of the last of the cars in the afternoon – if we do not manage to take it, we will have to cross the distance of about 9 km in the dusk. It is worth assessing your strengths and abilities beforehand, as well as dress up appropriately. Some tourists do object the idea of using heavy carts pulled by just two horses and ambitiously want to save them the effort. The road itself in the summer is not difficult, it rises gently, on the way in two places there are portable toilets and a catering point at the Polana Wlosienica. It takes about two hours one way to overcome it. It is worth explaining the frequent misunderstanding here – although on the tablets in the windscreens of buses, at the bus station in Zakopane, you will find the words “Morskie Oko” – they do not bring us exactly to the lake.

One of Wladysław Hasior’s works in his gallery.

The last point with allowed vehicular traffic is Palenica Białczańska. The time in which the buses cover 22 km of the route from Zakopane leading along a road full of turns through dense forest is various. One should prepare for substantial traffic jams. On average, we can count about 45 minutes to get there. And what about getting there by car? Unless we’re going there before 6 am, it’s better to leave our vehicle in Zakopane. Parking on Palenica fills up quickly and it is not uncommon to see cars left by the road a few kilometers in front of it. The car gives us the freedom to plan our return time and we will not be left alone in the evening in an empty parking from which the last bus left 10 minutes ago. But we also need to remember that drivers are waiting for dusk for the last marauders, and by the way in the summer being in the National Park after nightfall is not allowed. So if we follow the rules, we should be able to return to Zakopane without any problems. It is also worth asking drivers what time will be the last departure of the bus on the given day. The conclusion is that who wants to see the Morskie Oko lake, cannot sleep too long and decide to leave the hotel around noon. If we want to have time to walk around the lake, take pictures, eat something delicious in the shelter (and the kitchen is great there) – in the summer we go there at around 8 am. Earlier, even around 6, there are those who plan to enter Rysy, Przelecz pod Chlopkiem, or pass through Szpiglasowa Przelecz (Szpiglasowa Pass) or Swistowka in Dolina Pieciu Stawow (Five Lakes Valley). Attention, these trips mentioned just above are for those who feel great, have complete mountain equipment and are acclimatized, we will not recommend them to someone who was sitting at the desk in the lowlands yesterday.