🇵🇱Poland · Places to discover
What to see in Zakopane?
30 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Landmarks & heritage
7 places
1Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima – Krzeptówki
A modern Marian sanctuary built in Zakopane style on the city's northern edge, an active pilgrimage site. The massive wooden architecture and atmosphere of genuine devotion contrast sharply with the tourism of the centre.
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Landmark
Landmark
Old Town of Zakopane - Krupówki Street
Zakopane's main pedestrian thoroughfare and beating heart of the town, lined with local crafts shops, cheese vendors and restaurants. Avoid kitsch souvenirs and seek out authentic oscypki from local producers.
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Landmark
Landmark
Cemetery Na Pęksowym Brzyzku
A nineteenth-century historic cemetery where the greatest figures of the Tatras rest: mountaineers, artists, and poets. The carved wooden crosses are works of art in their own right.
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Landmark
Landmark
Villa Pod Jedlami
Stanisław Witkiewicz's masterpiece, built in 1897 and considered the finest expression of the Zakopane style. The hand-sculpted interior displays astonishing artisanal richness.
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Landmark
Landmark
Villa Koliba
The first building designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in the Zakopane architectural style, dating from 1894. Now a museum celebrating this unique vernacular style that influenced the entire region.
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Landmark
Landmark
Krupówki – Main Promenade of Zakopane
The lively pedestrian thoroughfare in the town centre, lined with wooden chalets in the distinctive Zakopane style. Best visited early morning to watch bakers selling oscypek bread before the tourist crowds arrive.
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Landmark
Landmark
Pęksowy Brzyzek Cemetery
Historic necropolis of Zakopane where great figures of Tatra Polish culture are laid to rest: artists, mountain guides, climbers. The wooden carved funeral sculptures are genuine works of art.
Museums
4 places
8Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Museum
Museum of the Tatras (Muzeum Tatrzańskie)
Zakopane's principal museum dedicated to the natural and cultural history of the Tatras. Collections of highland ethnography (górale), alpine fauna, and the history of mountaineering in the Tatras.
9Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Museum
Museum of the Tatras (Muzeum Tatrzańskie)
The essential museum for understanding the natural and human history of the Tatras. Collections encompass Highland ethnography, local wildlife, and the history of Polish mountaineering from the nineteenth century onwards.
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Museum
Museum
Villa Atma – Szymanowski Museum
The residence of composer Karol Szymanowski, now a museum dedicated to his life and work. An intimate and authentic atmosphere in this early twentieth-century chalet, away from the usual tourist circuits.
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Museum
Museum
Villa Koliba - Museum of Zakopane Style
The first villa built in the Zakopane architectural style by Stanisław Witkiewicz in 1893. An essential museum for understanding the cultural and artistic identity of the Tatras region.
Religious sites
3 places
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Religious site
Religious site
Church of the Holy Family (Najświętszej Rodziny)
Zakopane's main parish church, built entirely in wood in the pure architectural style of the region. Its silhouette rising against snow-capped peaks is one of the town's most iconic images.
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Religious site
Religious site
Chapel Na Równi Krupowej
A small wooden chapel from 1847, one of Zakopane's oldest, nestled in a quiet residential quarter away from the crowds. The hand-sculpted wooden interior architecture is well worth visiting.
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Religious site
Religious site
Holy Cross Wooden Church in Zakopane
A small eighteenth-century wooden church, one of the oldest in the region, nestled within Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery. Authentic Highlander architecture, far from modern reconstructions.
Nature
2 places
15Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Nature
Black Pond beneath Rysy (Czarny Staw pod Rysami)
Glacial lake at 1,580 metres elevation, a waypoint on the route to Rysy, Poland's highest peak. Its dark, deep waters contrast starkly with grey cliff faces—a landscape of the world's end.
16Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Nature
Morskie Oko Lake
The largest and most famous lake of the Tatras, nestled at 1395m altitude in a spectacular glacial cirque. The hike from Palenica Białczańska (9km) offers panoramic views of the highest peaks.
Viewpoints
5 places
17Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Viewpoint
Kasprowy Wierch Peak
Iconic summit at 1987m on the Polish side, accessible by cable car from Kuźnice. Natural border between Poland and Slovakia, departure point for numerous hikes along the main ridge.
18Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Viewpoint
Giewont Summit (1,894 m)
The emblematic peak visible from Zakopane, crowned with a 15-metre iron cross erected in 1901. The ascent from Kondratowa is demanding but rewarded with sweeping views across the entire town below.
19Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Viewpoint
Hala Gąsienicowa
Alpine plateau at 1520 metres surrounded by glacial lakes (Czarny Staw, Zielony Staw) and imposing peaks. A hiking crossroads and summer pasture where shepherds still bring their flocks to graze.
20Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Viewpoint
Gubałówka Viewpoint
Panoramic ridge at 1123 metres above Zakopane, accessible by funicular railway or on foot in 45 minutes. A classic, uninterrupted view of the entire Tatra range—ideal at sunset.
21Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Viewpoint
Panorama from Gubałówka
Hill accessible by funicular from Zakopane's centre, offering the classic view over the Tatra range and the town sprawling below. Visit at dawn or dusk to avoid tour groups.
Activities
7 places
22Wikimedia CommonsActivity
Gubałówka Funicular
A funicular built in 1938, among Poland's oldest still in operation. The ascent of 1,280 metres vertical gain in 3 minutes 40 seconds remains an attraction in itself for vintage engineering enthusiasts.
23Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Activity
Wielka Krokiew Ski Jump
Zakopane's grand ski jump, one of Europe's largest, hosts the World Cup each January. Outside competition season, you can tour the structure and grasp Polish obsession with the sport.
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Activity
Activity
Aqua Park Zakopane Thermal Baths
Thermal complex fed by geothermal waters from the Tatras, with outdoor pools heated to 36°C open year-round. Bathing in the open air beneath snow with views across the peaks is a memorable experience.
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Activity
Activity
Kasprowy Wierch Funicular – Kuźnice Station
Starting point of the historic funicular opened in 1936, departing from the hamlet of Kuźnice 2 km from the centre. Queues can be lengthy in season – book online or arrive at opening time, 7.30 am.
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Activity
Activity
Via Ferrata Tatry – Orla Perć
The most difficult high mountain route in the Polish High Tatras, linking several peaks along the main ridge. Reserved for equipped mountaineers, it is the ultimate experience for experienced mountaineers.
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Activity
Activity
Thermes Aqua Park Zakopane
A thermal complex fed by hot springs from the Tatras, featuring outdoor pools overlooking snow-capped peaks. A local alternative to the major Slovak spas, ideal after a long day of hiking.
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Activity
Activity
Tatry Ski School - Kuźnice
Departure point of the historic cable car to Kasprowy Wierch and base for the Zakopane ski slopes. In summer, starting point for hikes to Hala Gąsienicowa and Czarny Staw lake.
More to discover
2 places
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Place
Place
Wood Carving Workshop – Ulica Kościeliska
Kościeliska street hosts several Góral craftsmen carving traditional Tatra motifs in real time. Watch a master sculptor at work and take home a unique piece, not a supermarket copy.
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Place
Place
Krupówki Craft Market – Oscypek Stalls
Góral shepherds sell their smoked oscypek (PDO) direct from wooden stalls along Krupówki. Taste before buying and beware imitations – true oscypek is made exclusively from sheep's milk.
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