What is this area✔️
Interesting places on the way✔️
Zakopane✔️
Hiking tips✔️
Located south of Poland, about two hours drive from Krakow and Balice Airport.
During the trip it is worth to stop and visit Krakow, historic city, once the capital of Poland, see the Wawel Castle, the old city, have a look at traditional products sold on the markets in the Old Town and get lost on the charming streets.
Another great place to visit in that area is Wieliczka Salt Mine from around XIII century. It is very old and unique place, also UNESCO world heritage site. You may imagine this mine as dark, narrow and dirty, but it is like an underground castle, full of huge salt-crystal chandeliers, halls, sculptures, lakes and colourful lights.
In the Tatra Mountains area, there is a lot of places to stay and book a hotel, but I think it’s a really good idea if you have never been there, to stay at least few nights in the very center of Zakopane, to feel that true and unique highlander atmosphere. Even if you’re not a fan of crowds and touristic places, it’s worth to see and feel it for yourself, as I think there is no such place as Zakopane and the unique music listened by the fireplace and tasty food will prove my point.
Zakopane is full of tradition in a modern way, restaurants with highlander live music and delicious food like dumplings and potato pancakes, stalls with traditional products, wooden architecture and engraved specifics. This place has definitely unique character, different from the rest of Poland. In Zakopane you can also hear a lot of highlander dialect and I have to admit, I don’t really understand it.
Starting from Zakopane, there are buses going in various directions, to reach the first stops of the mountain trekking routes, they are easy to locate and go quite often. So in order to go trekking to the mountains, you have to get to the starting point by the car or bus from Zakopane.
Tatra Mountains are quite big, so you should check what kind of activity is interesting to you, what level of difficulties, how much time it takes, how many kilometers you can manage and what challenges you feel like.
It is best to read some blogs, there is many with a lot of useful information and pictures, so it is quite easy to plan your trip.
Trips to the mountains of course are very dependent on the weather and season. There are cameras in some places of mountains with live feed, so you can check online what’s the conditions before leaving. These are also special websites and social media with important communications updated all the time.
I think that in winter, there is no point of going into mountains without ice cleats on your shoes, they are very helpful and useful even in less changeling places (if you don’t have it, you can rent it in many places).
When going on a mountain day trip, it is worth taking something to eat and drink, even if you’re planning to stop for a lunch in a mountain hut. There is few of them in the mountains and they serve tasty warm meals, but they are often overcrowded and you have to spend long time waiting to order something, and if you’re so impatient as myself, this option is not for you 😉
It is important to dress smart and properly – in layers, because when you walk you usually get warm and when you stand for a moment it gets cold quickly, which means you take your clothing on and off all the time.
In Tatra’s, the trekking routes are very well marked so it’s not easy to get lost, there is also highly skilled and very well organized mountain rescuers – TOPR, as the mountains could be dangerous.
I think the members of TOPR are like superheroes, they often risk their lives saving tourists in danger, all the time they have to go and rescue someone, and sometimes it is during nights, snowstorms, hard conditions, when time matters etc., sadly they have to often deal with irresponsible tourists who climb a mountain in flip flops…
Funny story, when I was going to the mountains for the first time after many years, I asked my father for an advise where to go first, and he recommended me to go to Świnica mount. So I researched the Internet to find out what is this mountain, and I couldn’t believe where my dad was sending me to! On the trail I saw many boards “the road to Świnica is closed due to dangers and rock falls”. The most interesting is that my father does such things without any problem and thinks others can do it too. Also it was his first mountain he climbed in the Tatra Mountains. So his intention was good 🙂 However, I advise you not to go there if you have no experience😅
Malvina Dunder 
Leave a Reply