Zakopane Sports & Outdoors

Everybody can find the track that suits his skiing skils. Bigginers should be happy with some tracks near Hotel Kasprowy, more advanced should try Gobalowka slopes and the best skiers will certenly enjoy skiing down from Kasprowy Wierch.

Zakopane is the host of the world cup event in ski jumping. Who watches this sport must know about polish fans following their best man Malish all over the world. I can only immagine what the atmosphere is like on his home hill among his own crowed. I would like to experiance it!
The hill is pretty old but was updated recently.

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Kasprowy Wierch has the best slope in Zakopane. It really is great and the views add up to it. The problem is getting up there. There is a cable car going up every 30 minutes but most tickets are being sold before in the tourist agencies as the group tickets so there are not that many left for those standing in the line. Other sollution is walking up to the lifts which takes at least 45 minutes if you are fit. And sometimes it's the only sollution if you really want to do some skiing up there as the waiting time for the cable car can go up to 4-5 hrs.
So I did hiked there wearing my ski boots last time I was there, luckily there was my better half to carry my equipment :) And again, as always, I was saying this was the last time I did it and my muscles were aching so bad that skiing was no fun that day.
All in all, Zakopane is a beautiful place and can be a great adventure but for real skiing go to the Alps.

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The best Polish ski jumper Adam Malysz won World Cup in 2001 and really he was flying then, not jumping. Then he won it in 2002 again and got 2 medals in the Olympic games in Salt Lake City. 5 years later Adam still rules, he's got GOLD in the World Championship in Sapporo today (03.03.2007).
All polish people are great fans of Adam and are so proud of him. He's not only the best Polish sportsman in years but also an extremly modest and down to earth person.
Go Adam!!!

Equipment: The World Cup in Zakopane is organized on 18th of January!!!

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Zakopane is the best place for skiing in Poland. As a result the queues on the slopes can be ridiculous here, sometimes it takes even 2 hours to wait for the skilift. Sounds crazy? I guess... But you must know that the second activity here, except for skiing is meeting people. And standing 2 hours in the line you sure have time to talk to people around you.

Probably not all who come to Zakopane (me too) try the climbing to mountains or just walking to any top of the mountain. That needs more to than one day in Zakopane I think, plus strenght and the love of being in nature. I saw lot of tourists, scouts prepared for walking into hills and they are doing so.

There are the maps of mountains in tourist information office - it is a really important suggestion not to miss your way at these mountains.

Equipment: Climbing ecquipment, good shoes, special wearing, photo camere and so on.

If you want to learn to ski try a place called Polana Szymoszkowa which is just outside of the main town. You can catch a "bus" there from the centre of Zakopane, or to be honest by the time one turns up you could have walked it and warmed up your leg muscles (about 30 mins maximum). I had a one hour very professional lesson with an instructor costing 60 Pln. The nursery slope is ideal for learning on and you can then progress to the bigger slope nextdoor when you pluck up the courage! Skis, poles and boots can all be hired there under the main restaurant (27 Pln for 4 hours). The guys that ran the place seemed not to realise I was gone much longer and the price always seemed to remain the same...handy. For 3 Pln you can leave your rucksack in their safe hands.

Zakopane is a good place to learn to ski/snowboard. You can take lessons and rent all your equipment from many different places.

Equipment: Feel free to bring whatever equipment you have but you can easily rent as well.

Full snowboard kit - boots, boards and bindings cost only 35 zloty per day.