Zakopane

Zakapone is a town situated in the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland and is one of my favourite places to visit. The town has something very special even though over the years it has changed drastically. It has nature, folklore, as well as an array of entertainment options - a unique combination of tradition and modernity. Getting to Zakopane by car can be quite a challenge, especially in the skiing season when the narrow road from Krakow becomes an unending traffic jam. Parking places can be difficult to find in Zakopane during the season. It is easier and less stressful to take a train or bus that run several times a day from Krakow. Highlanders (Mountain ...  Read the complete review

The first time I visited Zakopane was probably in 1997, 10 years later, it's grown, prices have changed and it's much much more busier. Always popular with Germans, the Brits are now there too with the cheap flights to Krakow a popular thing. The Russians come in their droves during the winter time but it's still kept a nice atmosphere. The main street goes down a hill and has local cafes, bars, pizzerias and restaurants as well as a couple of shops, a post office and the obvious like McDonald's. In the centre of the street, you will come across all kinds of street artists and a dog which sits and has been sitting for some years with a sign asking for ...  Read the complete review

Imagine a place where you can walk along the streets in a couple of feet of clean, fluffy snow; where the local taxis are horse drawn sleighs (complete with bells) and the town centre is buzzing with the excitement of Christmas and you have my perspective on Zakopane in the far south of Poland. It has been a ski resort for many years but only over the last decade or so has it been discovered by the British. I'm surprised that it hasn't become 'over-run' by British skiers as the prices for equipment hire and passes are much less than in Austria, for example. It's not only a town for the skiers and hikers among us as it is still possible to pick ...  Read the complete review