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Adventure sports around Zakopane
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Poles have been enjoying the winter
ski slopes
in Zakopane for as long as there's been a resort, and in the case of the
gorale
, for a good deal longer. The winter season traditionally runs from December to March, though the snow has been very unpredictable in recent years. Slopes in the area vary greatly in difficulty and quality. In accordance with international standards, they are graded black, red, blue and green in order of difficulty, with the cross-country routes marked in orange. Many otherwise closed areas of the national park are open to skiers once the snows have set in, but you must remember to avoid the avalanche (
lawina
) areas marked on signs and maps, and check conditions before leaving the marked routes.
The most popular runs are on Nosal and Kasprowy Wierch , as these are the ones with ski lifts. From the village of Kuznice (a few minutes by bus from the centre of Zakopane) you can travel by vintage gondola (over 60 years old but still reliable) to the top of Kasprowy Wierch (1967m) and ski back down to the village (5-7km, depending which trails you use) or ski to one of the surrounding valleys, Goryczkowa or Gasienicowa, from where you can take the lift back up again. Tickets up in the gondola cost 20zl and can be bought in advance in Zakopane. The Nosal slope is short and steep (650m with a 233m height difference), while on the other side of town Gubalowka offers a much gentler slope reached by funicular. It's south-facing, so you can rent beach chairs (even in winter) and sunbathe on its slopes. You can also get skiing lessons - the instructors at the Nosal ski school speak English and charge 50-60zl per hour. Ski rental costs about 35zl per day. Mountain-biking is a popular summertime pursuit, with legions of enthusiastic bikers heading for the slopes. After an initial flush of enthusiasm, the national park authorities woke up to the environmental threats posed by unregulated biking access to the slopes, and there are now five designated cycle routes within the park area: around Morskie Oko; up to Hala Gasienicowa; to Kalatowki; along the Koscieliska and Chocholowska valleys; and up to Droga pod Reglami. In addition, there are a number of cycle routes in the hills north of Zakopane - some 650km of them in total. You can rent mountain bikes at a number of places around town, including Bzyck, ul. Krupowki 37 (tel 018/201 4707), Rent a Bike, ul. Sienkiewicza 37 (tel 018/206 4266), and the Pod Krokwia campsite. Bike rental costs around 50zl a day. Paragliding , is also popular, though it's confined to areas outside the national park, including the Nosal slope, Gubalowka and Walowa Gora. If you've never tried it before, there are several instructors in town who also rent all the necessary gear. Try Air Sport, ul. Strazyska 13 (tel 018/201 3311, ).
Finally, there's a
toboggan run
(
rynna
) on the Gubalowka slope. Rides down the 750-metre-long slide reach speeds of up to 40kph, and cost around 30zl a time. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Poland,
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