Zakopane
Poland's highest town, with the Tatras inside its own boundary, a cable car to nearly two thousand metres and a starred table looking at Giewont.
- Arrival
- Kraków Airport · KRK
- To the town
- About 87 km south of the airport, in a straight line
- Private jets
- KRK, or Poprad-Tatry (TAT) in Slovakia, 33 km away
- Best time
- January to February · June to September
The city
Under the Tatras, in every season.
Zakopane is the highest-lying town in Poland, and its boundary climbs into the Tatras as far as Świnica, at 2,301 metres. Skiing took hold early: the first course was held here in 1908, and every January the town hosts the country's biggest gathering for ski jumping.
The town also gave its name to a way of building. Czerwony Dwór on Kasprusie, raised in 1901 and 1902 by Wojciech Rój, is a showpiece of the Zakopane style. In autumn the walks move down into the Kościeliska and Chochołowska valleys, and the Jesienny Redyk marks the end of the grazing season.
- Kasprowy Wierch A year-round cable car from Kuźnice, opened in 1936, rising to a top station at 1,959 metres.
- Gubałówka A funicular railway from the town up to the Gubałówka ridge, with a marked walking route at the top.
- Krupówki The town's main street, the start of the walk the town itself suggests along Krupówki and Zamoyskiego.
Arriving
Two airports, either side of the mountains.
The mountain town has no runway; flights land at Kraków or across the border at Poprad. Kraków Airport, about 87 kilometres to the north as the crow flies, takes airline and private flights at any hour; Poprad-Tatry, on the Slovak side of the Tatras, is 33 kilometres away.
- Vienna 45 min
- Frankfurt 1 h 25
- Tunis 2 h 25
- Ibiza 2 h 45
- Nairobi 7 h 55 long-range jet
When to go
January to February, and June to September.
A mountain climate with two seasons worth the trip. In January and February the highs stay below freezing and the town turns to skiing and ski jumping; from June to September the afternoons reach thirteen to seventeen degrees, the season for the high trails, though June and July are also the wettest months of the year.
- -3° J 66
- -2° F 62
- 1° M 66
- 7° A 82
- 12° M 115
- 15° J 157
- 17° J 155
- 17° A 129
- 13° S 87
- 9° O 71
- 2° N 78
- -2° D 78
Where to stay
Three Keys at the foot of the Tatras.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- EN Hotel Two MICHELIN Keys, the highest distinction held by any hotel in the town.
- Bachleda Residence Zakopane One Key and 128 rooms built in local wood, sandstone and granite, with views of the Tatras and Gubałówka.
- Stary Niedźwiedź Fourteen rooms in a mountain chalet with a pool and spa, and one MICHELIN Key.
Where to dine
A star by the mountain, two tables in town.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Giewont One Michelin star Modern €€€€ ul. Nędzy Kubińca, Kościelisko
- Marilor MICHELIN Guide Contemporary €€€ Nosalowy Park Hotel & Spa
- Grand Kasprowy MICHELIN Guide Meats and grills €€€ Zakopane
Elsewhere in Poland
More reasons to come.
Flying to Zakopane?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.