Zakopane, Tatra, and its Beautiful Wooden Buildings

 Zakopane was on my bucket list for about 30 years, from the day on when I read about the wonderful wooden buildings for the first time.  And I finally made it to this attractive place!

Tatra Mountain Tops

Zakopane is a resort town in southern Poland, at the base of the Tatras Mountains - part of the Carpathian Alpes.  It’s a popular departure point for winter sports and summertime mountain climbing and hiking.  I drove with my rental car from northern Slovakia towards the Tatra Mountains - late in the afternoon and this was my first view, a bit obscured by clouds.

Most Polish travel itineraries start in Warsaw and end in Krakow. However, venturing two hours further south brings you to one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe – Zakopane, which borders the Tatra National Park.  I had booked a place in one of the traditional built Bed&Breakfast places where even the interior was completely made of wood.  The only pieces made of plastic in this house were the shower curtain and the coffee maker.

Zakopane Style (or Witkiewicz Style) is an art style, most visible in architecture, but also found in furniture and related objects, inspired by the regional art of Poland's highland region known as Podhale. 

Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains, this synthesis was created by Stanisław Witkiewicz.  He designed a number of original buildings in Zakopane, including the "Dom pod Jedlami" in the Koziniec district, the chapel in the Jaszczurowka district, Villa "Oksza" on Zamojski Street, the building of the Tatra Museum, the chapel of St. John the Baptist in the parish "Church of the Holy Family" on Krupówki Street, and the "Korniłowicz Family Chapel" in the Bystre district.  Learn more about this in Zakopane's "Tatra Museum" of the history, culture, nature, and ethnography of the Polish Tatras.

Best place for Brunch in town...

As the Podhale region developed into a tourist area in the mid-19th century, the population of Zakopane began to rise.  The new buildings to house these new well-to-do inhabitants were built in the style of Swiss and later Austro-Hungarian chalets.

Many new pensions, villas, and highlander homes are built according to the architectural model devised by Witkiewicz to the present day - at least the front part of the buildings...

See more of Zakopane in this video (text in German):  "Sagenhaft - Die Hohe Tatra - in Polen und der Slowakei" http://bit.ly/36xCIbb

Hiking in the High Tatra Mountains:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_AhZ6yy_OA

Discover Zakopane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkD8BcOQcR4

Zakopane is nestled right next to the Tatra National Park and trails are abundant.  Most trails are day-long hikes. Try a full day hike up to a peak, then a return to town to relax with a mulled wine in hand.  Hot Mulled wine, or "grzaniec galicyjski", is prevalent throughout the mountains. When the temperatures drop, it’s perfect to warm you on those cool fall evenings. 

Try the Smoked Cheese
"Oscypek" is a delicious smoked sheep’s milk cheese. It is a local staple and you will find stands selling the stuff all over the town of Zakopane and various mountain lodges throughout the region.

See One of the World’s Most Beautiful Lakes
Lake Morskie Oko, or the ‘Eye of the Sea’, is the largest in the Tatras at 862 meters in length, and it will require a bus ride to the base of the trail. From there, it’s about a two-hour walk through the area’s impressive permaculture.

Hiking
Follow the trails up the mountain and you'll pass through wildflowers and lush green mountains.  After a while, you will come across the Murowaniec Tourist Shelter where you can get refreshments and delicious food and sweets.  The "emerald lake" (Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy) is only another 30 minutes from the shelter.  The round-trip hike to the lake and back to Kuźnice (south of Zakopane) is about 12.5 km and will take 4-5 hours.

Soak at the Thermal Spas
Especially popular in the wintertime, the hot pools at Terma Bukowina are a nice place to rest after a day on the slopes!

Enjoy your trip to Zakopane - and take at least a week to explore the town and the mountains around!

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Many Canadians stuck last year in foreign countries due to Corona, some as far as Asia or South America. Friends of mine drove with a rental car from Santiago de Chile to Argentina, and then South into Patagonia. In the middle of nowhere, they learned about border closings.

But too late: All the re-patriate flights were already back to Canada. They were stuck, could not travel to Chile, not return their rental car, and were not able to fly back home.  Finally in November, eight months later, they were able to snitch back into Chile and in December they found a way to fly home.  It cost them a fortune... A registration of "Canadians Abroad" would have helped them right away.

Registration of Canadians Abroad

Registration of Canadians Abroad is a free service that allows the Government of Canada to notify you in case of an emergency abroad or a personal emergency at home. The service also enables you to receive important information before or during a natural disaster or civil unrest.

We encourage you to register whether you are planning a vacation or living abroad.

The personal information obtained through registration is confidential and is used in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

 

You can also register in person at a Canadian government office abroad.

For group registrations, complete the online registration with the first 10 co-travellers, save and create your account. Log in again to add more co-travellers.

Why register?

• Registration of Canadians Abroad FAQ

Why should I register?

The Registration of Canadians Abroad service enables government officials to contact you to provide important information in preparation for an emergency (such as a natural disaster or civil unrest), instructions during emergencies, important changes or updates to the Travel Advice and Advisories for the country for which you registered, and more.

In addition to signing up for the service, we strongly recommend that you do the following before you leave so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency:

• Leave a detailed travel itinerary and contact details with family or friends in Canada
• Provide family or friends with the telephone number for our Emergency Watch and Response Centre and
• Carry contact information for the Canadian government offices abroad in the countries you plan to visit

When should I register?

The best time to register is before you leave Canada, but you can also register while abroad.

How do I register?

You can register online or in person at a Canadian government office abroad.

For group registrations, complete the online registration with the first 10 co-travellers, save and create your account. Log in again to add more co-travellers.

How do I register a trip with multiple destinations?

You may register for multiple countries in the same trip. Once you have entered the registration details for your first destination country, select the option “I will be visiting other countries” in the “Other Information” section.

How do I update my registration?

If you registered online, you can sign in to update your account information.

If you registered by mail, fax or in person, you must:

• contact the responsible Canadian government office abroad to update your account information, and
• complete a new registration form for each trip abroad.

What information do I have to provide?

You must provide travel information and personal details, such as your date of birth, where you will be staying in the destination country or countries and emergency contact information in Canada.

How do I know that my information will be safe?

Your information will only be used in accordance with the provisions of Canada’s Privacy Act. 

Our site is secure and will protect your personal information during transmission. If you have any concerns, you can register for Registration for Canadians Abroad in person. For further privacy information, please read the Government of Canada privacy notice. 

All of the personal information on you and your co-travellers will be destroyed 18 months after the date you originally indicated that you would be returning to Canada when you registered for Registration for Canadians Abroad. If you register for a new trip during this 18-month period, your personal information will be destroyed 18 months after your new return date.

If I don’t register, but I need emergency consular assistance while travelling, will the Government of Canada still help me?

You do not need to register for Registration of Canadians Abroad to receive consular services. The Canadian Consular Services Charter outlines the assistance the Government of Canada can provide in an emergency situation.

We strongly recommend that all Canadian citizens travelling or living abroad sign up for Registration of Canadians Abroad. It allows us to contact you to provide important information in advance of an emergency abroad and to send you information on how to stay safe and secure as you travel.

The Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously, but signing up for Registration of Canadians Abroad does not guarantee that you will receive consular assistance. The decision to travel is your responsibility. You are also responsible for your personal safety abroad.

Remember to:

• Consult the Travel Advice and Advisories for your destination at least twice: once while you are planning your trip and again just before you go.
• Purchase the best travel insurance  you can afford.
• Find the location and contact information for the Canadian embassy or consulate closest to your travel destination. Always keep this information close at hand while travelling in case you need emergency assistance.

For American citizens:  https://step.state.gov/step/

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.