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As late as the mid-nineteenth century Zakopane was still an undiscovered village in the wilds. And besides a cluster of wooden cottages, only a tiny chapel and a few wayside shrines betrayed a link to the outside world. However, Zakopane's discovery by the famed doctor Tytus Chalubinski changed all of this, and soon the village was drawing visitors from across Poland, inspired as they were by the magnificent scenery and the rich folk culture.
Above all it was artists and writers that embraced the region, and Zakopane became something of a mecca for Polish thinkers, a place where dreams of a reborn Poland were forged. Social conventions were blurred and artists developed profound bonds with the local 'gorale' - the highlanders - and not a few romantic liasons were launched too.
By the 1930's Zakopane had evolved into one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country, with a flourishing winter sports scene and hiking all the year round. It is this character that has endured - above all Zakopane is a place where people come to have fun. Zakopane town itself is a crazy cocktail of fairground commercialism and folkloric charm, where spirited old ladies in patterned headsquares, loaded down with pickled mushrooms and lumps of ewe's cheese, jostle side by side with outsiders selling heavy metal t-shirts and football strips. The main street especially, Krupowki, is a love it or loathe it place, a riot of commercialism set against a backdrop of elegant wooden villas and fin-de-siecle mansions.
Yet away from the bright lights of the main streets there are some revelatory surprises that can still enchant, transporting the viewer back to the magic of one hundred years ago.
But of course it is the great outdoors that is the main attraction of the town. Zakopane is Poland's top mountain resort, and thus a haven for skiers and hikers. The Tatra mountains, the highest stretch of the Carpathian range, rear up over the town in all their ancient majesty. There are a plethora of trails, both in the foothills and valleys as well as up in the craggy peaks. In Spring, the alpine meadows of the Podhale are flooded with carpets of flowers, making this an idyllic place for walking.
A little further afield there are plenty of opportunities for a fine day out. East of Zakopane at Czorsztyn, lies the splendid medieval castle of Niedzica, which is perched above a vast lake. Within easy striking distance from here are a sprinkling of wooden churches of genuinely breathtaking beauty, whilst a little further east lies the Pieniny mountain range, a favourite amongst Poles and foreigners alike. | |
Above: A cross on Mount Giewont
Below: Archway in winter
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