Monday, August 18 – Zakopane
Our guide for the day was Sebastian and he drove us to Zakopane, a town south of Krakow near the Tatra mountains. It has a ski resort and is Poland’s most popular winter destination. The drive was mostly on divided highways. One reason we wanted to see Zakopane is that is in the highland region of the country, a contrast to the flat farmlands we’ve seen so far.
The area approaching Zakopane is a long developed area stretched along miles of the main highway through the area. One of the first towns we hit (Chocholow) is known for the many wooden houses (as opposed to brick or stuccoed brick).
I also observed a unique architectural style to the homes and buildings in the region. These are typically three or four floors, with steep roofs with dormers sticking out, sometimes being the entire side of the building. The main entrance is not in the front, but on the side or in back. There would be balconies and extended overhangs. I don’t know if the style has a name, but I thought it was very distinctive.
Our first actual stop was at a small cheese stand near Kościelisko. It was just a tiny cottage (shack?) with a small window with a couple of women selling small slabs of smoked (goat and cow) cheese (“Oscypek”). We bought a couple of pieces. It was dense and dry, with a mild flavor.
Continuing towards the town of Zakopane, we climbed in elevation got nice views of the hills above and villages in the valleys. We made a stop at a shrine to Pope John Paul II and later the oldest wooden church in Poland. We checked out the adjacent cemetery, with its many wooden grave markers.
Closer to the center of town, we stopped at a ski place, and took the chair lift to the top. There were many vendors at the top with food and souvenirs. We enjoyed the great views. There was even a small flock of sheep on the slope.
Following the ski area, we stopped for lunch at a small cafe. Then the guide dropped us off at an outdoor market where we could look for souvenirs or whatever. I picked up some trinkets to use as gifts and we saw more cheap souvenirs but also a lot of food products like cheese and preserves.
After that, we took a quick drive past the Olympic ski jump, which is really right in the middle of town. The buildings in Zakopane had some very interesting architecture.
Then it was time to head back to Krakow. We found a traditional restaurant in the square and I had potato pancakes with beef goulash. It was very good. The other photo is the Basilica of St Mary in the main square.
