Zakopane is a town in southern Poland with some 28,000 inhabitants (2004), situated in Lesser Poland Province since 1999 (in 1975–98, it was part of Nowy Sacz Province). The town, a place of Goral culture and informally known as “the winter capital of Poland,” lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, the only alpine mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains.
Zakopane is in Tatra mountains in Poland. Zakopane’s hiking trails and ski slopes make it a tourism mecca for all seasons. The downtown bustles with outdoor-wear shops, ski-rental stores, and oscypek stands. Many of these activities aren’t in the centre Zakopane itself.
However, minibuses, leaving when full, depart from different points in Zakopane all day. Most minibuses leave from the front of the train station. Zakopane lies in a large valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubatowka Hill.
It is the most important Polish center of mountaineering and skiing, and is visited annually by some three million tourists. The most important alpine skiing locations are Kasprowy Wierch, Nosal and Guba?ówka Hill.
Zakopane has the highest elevation (800-1,000 m) of any town in Poland. The central point of the town is at the junction of Krupówki and Kosciuszko Streets.
Zakopane’s hiking trails and ski slopes make it a tourism mecca for all seasons. The downtown bustles with outdoor-wear shops, ski-rental stores, and oscypek stands. To escape the crowds, one puts on a pair of hiking boots or rents a bike.
The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the 17th century, describing a glade named Zakopisko. In 1676 it was a village of 43 inhabitants. In 1824, together with a section of the Tatra Mountains, it was sold to the Homola family.
Zakopane’s further history was connected with the development of the mining and metallurgy industries in the region in the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in Galicia and later with that of tourism. It grew greatly over the 19th century, as more and more people were attracted by its salubrious climate, and soon developed from a small village into a climatic health resort of 3,000 inhabitants (1889).
Rail service to Zakopane began on October 1, 1899. During World War II, Zakopane served as an important Polish underground staging point between Poland and Hungary.
In March 1940, representatives of the Soviet NKVD and German Gestapo met for one week in Zakopane’s Villa Tadeusz, to coordinate the pacification of resistance in Poland.
Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter Universiades in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the biathlon World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups.
It hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1939, the first outside the Alps and the last official world championships prior to World War II. Zakopane recently made unsuccessful bids to host the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2011 and 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships.
Zakopane’s main road, called “Krupowki” in Polish is dotted with many small shops and restaurants. Although there are not many bars, many restaurants have traditional polish live music played by musicians in folk costumes. Many shops are located at the Krupówki promenade. The majority of stores sell outdoor gear and apparel. Hand-knit mittens and hats are available in some of the specialty stores.
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