Zakopane - Gubalowka - Tatra Mountains

Route: Krakow - Zakopane - Gubalowka - Tatra Mountains - Krakow
Duration: 8 h
During this tour We will visit to Zakopane which is the highest located town in Poland. Its administrative borders also embrace part of the Tatra Mountains range, where the summit of Mr Świnica at 2301 m above sea level makes the highest point. The mountain resort town of Zakopane is a headquarter for outdoor recreation, boutique shopping, gastronomy, festivals, nightlife, health resorts, and spas. Three centuries ago, Zakopane was a tiny village in an impassable forest, populated by Poles and Vlachs—shepherds from the Balkans, who brought with them a distinct culture and folklore. In the 18th century, it was discovered by naturalists and geologists, health enthusiasts, and mountain lovers. The next century saw Zakopane become fashionable with the upper class and bohemians. Political, artistic and social life flourished, and guesthouses and public infrastructure were built. Skiing and mountaineering drew adventurous people to the surrounding Tatra Mountains. Sightseeing in Zakopane starts on the most famous pedestrian zone in Poland—Krupówki Street—where you can buy souvenirs and local specialties from sheepskin coats, wool slippers, sweaters, scarves, mead, ewe's milk cheese, and wooden walking sticks with axe heads, a symbol of Tatra highland robbers. You'll hear the local highland dialect and music from loudspeakers—an intriguing mixture of folk and disco. Continue up the street by foot or horse-drawn carriage, and be dazzled by the number of shops, stalls, restaurants, and performers. Zakopane is full of history and tradition, and unique architecture. At market square, turn off of Krupowki onto Kościeliska Street to see cottages of the oldest highlander families, which are now important monuments. Visit the oldest inn in Zakopane, "U wnuka" (the Grandson's), opened 170 years ago, and then, to Villa Koliba, the first house kept in the Zakopane style.  After walking tour through Zakopane we will reach the Gubalowka by the funicular railway. The funicular railway to the Gubalowka ridge was built in 1938, presently managed byPolish Cable Car company, just like the cableway to the summit of Mt Kasprowy Wierch. The length of the route is 1301 meters, elevation: 300 meters. The Gubalowka ridge (1123 m. a.s.l.) is located within the Gubalowski Range, demarcatingfrom the north the Zakopiański Trench (part of the Sub-Tatra Trench), in which Zakopane nestles. Its northern slope falls gently towards the Podhale region villages of Zab, Suche, Nowe Bystre, and Dzianisz. Its southern slope commands a stunning view of Zakopane and the towering Tatra Mountains range in the background, with prominent peaks of Czerwone Wierchy, Mt Giewont, Mt Kasprowy Wierch, Mt Swinica and Koszysta, including part of the Bielanske Tatras range in the neighbouring Slovakia. A visit to Zakopane, combined with an excursion into mountains, is a truly unforgettable experience.After free time we return to Krakow.
Price: per person