Zakopane
Encyclopedia
Zakopane is a town in southern Poland
. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale
region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains
. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province
, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province
. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a center of Góral
culture and is known informally as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular destination for mountaineering
, skiing
, and tourism
.
. It lies in a valley
between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It can be reached by train or bus from Kraków
, which is about two and a half hours away.
Zakopane has an elevation of 800-1,000 meters above sea level. The town is centered at the junction of Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.
called Zakopisko. In 1676 it was a village of 43 inhabitants. In 1824 it was sold to the Homola family together with a section of the Tatra Mountains.
Zakopane became a center for the region's mining
and metallurgy
industries; in the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in Galicia. It expanded during the 19th century as the climate
attracted more inhabitants. By 1889 it had developed from a small village into a climatic health resort of 3,000 inhabitants. Rail service to Zakopane began October 1, 1899.
In March 1940, representatives of the Soviet
NKVD
and the Nazi Gestapo
met for one week in Zakopane's Villa Tadeusz, to coordinate the pacification of resistance in Poland
. Throughout World War II
, Zakopane served as an underground staging point between Poland and Hungary
.
. Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains
, the style was pioneered by Stanislaw Witkiewicz
and is now considered to be one of the core traditions of the Góral
people.
, a lake at an elevation of 1,395 meters. From Morskie Oko climbers proceed to Czarny Staw, another lake, and thence up Rysy
, whose northwestern peak is the highest point in Poland at 2,499 meters. A slightly shorter but more difficult climb is Mieguszowiecki Szczyt
. Other popular climbs include Giewont
, Mnich, and Cubryna. Most of the High Tatras are visible from these peaks on clear days.
In summer, lightning and snow are both potential hazards for climbers, and the weather can change quickly. Thunderstorms are common in the afternoons. In winter the snow can be up to a meter deep.
Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships
in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter Universiade
s in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the biathlon
World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic
combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups. It hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1939, the first outside the Alps
and the last official world championships prior to World War II
.
Zakopane recently made unsuccessful bids to host the 2006 Winter Olympics
and the 2011 and 2013
Alpine World Ski Championships.
A scene in Andrzej Wajda
's film Man of Marble
(Czlowiek z Marmuru) was filmed in Zakopane, introducing the town to a worldwide audience.
The 2006 Bollywood
film Fanaa
was also extensively shot in Zakopane
, which further heightened the popularity and fame of the place incrementally.
to foster international links.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale
Podhale
The Podhale is Poland's most southern region, sometimes referred to as the "Polish highlands". The Podhale is located in the foothills of the Tatra range of the Carpathian mountains, and is characterized by a rich tradition of folklore that is much romanticized in the Polish patriotic imagination...
region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains
Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra , are a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains...
. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province
Nowy Sacz Voivodeship
Nowy Sacz Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government, located in southern Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by Lesser Poland Voivodeship...
, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province
Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Małopolska Voivodeship , or Lesser Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, in southern Poland...
. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a center of Góral
Gorals
The Gorale are a group of indigenous people found along southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic...
culture and is known informally as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular destination for mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Location
Zakopane is located in southern Poland near the border with SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It lies in a valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It can be reached by train or bus from Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, which is about two and a half hours away.
Zakopane has an elevation of 800-1,000 meters above sea level. The town is centered at the junction of Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.
History
The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the 17th century, describing a gladeGlade (geography)
A glade or clearing is an open area within a woodland. Glades are often grassy meadows under the canopy of deciduous trees such as red alder or quaking aspen in western North America. They also represent openings in forests where local conditions such as avalanches, poor soils, or fire damage have...
called Zakopisko. In 1676 it was a village of 43 inhabitants. In 1824 it was sold to the Homola family together with a section of the Tatra Mountains.
Zakopane became a center for the region's mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
industries; in the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in Galicia. It expanded during the 19th century as the climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
attracted more inhabitants. By 1889 it had developed from a small village into a climatic health resort of 3,000 inhabitants. Rail service to Zakopane began October 1, 1899.
In March 1940, representatives of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and the Nazi Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
met for one week in Zakopane's Villa Tadeusz, to coordinate the pacification of resistance in Poland
Gestapo-NKVD Conferences
The Gestapo–NKVD conferences were a series of meetings organized in late 1939 and early 1940, whose purpose was the mutual cooperation between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union...
. Throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Zakopane served as an underground staging point between Poland and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Zakopane Style of Architecture
The Zakopane Style of Architecture is an architectural mode inspired by the regional art of Poland’s highland region known as PodhalePodhale
The Podhale is Poland's most southern region, sometimes referred to as the "Polish highlands". The Podhale is located in the foothills of the Tatra range of the Carpathian mountains, and is characterized by a rich tradition of folklore that is much romanticized in the Polish patriotic imagination...
. Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains
Vernacular architecture of the Carpathians
The vernacular architecture of the Carpathians draws on environmental and cultural sources to create unique designs.Vernacular architecture refers to non-professional, folk architecture, including that of the peasants...
, the style was pioneered by Stanislaw Witkiewicz
Stanislaw Witkiewicz
Stanisław Witkiewicz was a Polish painter, architect, writer and art theoretician.-Life:...
and is now considered to be one of the core traditions of the Góral
Goral
Goral may refer to:* Three species of Asian ungulates in the genus Naemorhedus.* The Gorals, a people living in southern Poland, northern Slovakia and the Czech Republic....
people.
Mountaineering
The High Tatras are a popular destination for mountaineers. Many climbs begin at Morskie OkoMorskie Oko
Morskie Oko is the largest and fourth deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains...
, a lake at an elevation of 1,395 meters. From Morskie Oko climbers proceed to Czarny Staw, another lake, and thence up Rysy
Rysy
Rysy is a mountain in the crest of the High Tatras, lying on the border between Poland and Slovakia. Rysy has three peaks: the middle at ; the north-western at ; and the south-eastern at...
, whose northwestern peak is the highest point in Poland at 2,499 meters. A slightly shorter but more difficult climb is Mieguszowiecki Szczyt
Mieguszowiecki Szczyt
Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki or the Mięguszowiecki Grand Peak is a mountain in the Tatra Mountains, Poland, located on the Slovak-Polish border....
. Other popular climbs include Giewont
Giewont
Giewont is a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains of Poland, and is 1895 metres AMSL at its highest.It comprises three peaks :* Small Giewont -...
, Mnich, and Cubryna. Most of the High Tatras are visible from these peaks on clear days.
In summer, lightning and snow are both potential hazards for climbers, and the weather can change quickly. Thunderstorms are common in the afternoons. In winter the snow can be up to a meter deep.
Skiing
In the winter, thousands arrive in Zakopane to ski, especially around Christmas and in February. The most popular spots are Kasprowy Wierch, Nosal and Gubałówka Hill. There are a number of cross country skiing trails in the forests surrounding the town.Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter Universiade
Universiade
The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
s in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups. It hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1939, the first outside the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and the last official world championships prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Zakopane recently made unsuccessful bids to host the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
and the 2011 and 2013
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2013
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2013 are scheduled to be held in Schladming, Styria, Austria, in February 2013. The FIS awarded the Alpine World Skiing Championships on 29 May 2008, in Cape Town, South Africa. The other three finalists were Beaver Creek/Vail, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and St...
Alpine World Ski Championships.
Tourism
Zakopane is visited by over 250,000 tourists a year, many drawn by mountaineering, skiing, and spelunking. It is especially popular around Christmas and the New Year.A scene in Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
's film Man of Marble
Man of Marble
Man of Marble is a 1976 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It chronicles the fall from grace of a fictional heroic Polish bricklayer, Mateusz Birkut , who became the Stakhanovite symbol of an over-achieving worker, in Nowa Huta, a new socialist city near Kraków...
(Czlowiek z Marmuru) was filmed in Zakopane, introducing the town to a worldwide audience.
The 2006 Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film Fanaa
Fanaa
Fanaa can refer to:* Fanaa , a part of Sufi philosophy* Fanaa , a film directed by Kunal Kohli* "Fanaa" , a popular song from the movie Yuva...
was also extensively shot in Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
, which further heightened the popularity and fame of the place incrementally.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Zakopane participates in town twinningTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
to foster international links.
| Sopot Sopot Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000.... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, commonly referred to as Saint-Dié, is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:... (France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... ) Bavel Bavel (Netherlands) Bavel is a village in the southern Netherlands. It is located in the Dutch province of North Brabant, largely within the municipality of Breda with some rural areas in the municipality of Alphen-Chaam.... (Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... ) |
Notable structures
- Gubałówka Hill FunicularGubałówka Hill FunicularThe Gubałówka Hill Funicular is located in Zakopane, Poland and ascends the Gubałówka mountain. It is operated by PKL, Polish Cable Lines or Polskie Koleje Linowe.-Description:...
- Zakopane-Gubałówka transmitter
- Wielka KrokiewWielka KrokiewWielka Krokiew is a ski jumping venue in Zakopane, Poland. It is a regular venue in the FIS Ski jumping World Cup....
ski jumpingSki jumpingSki jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
ramp - Kasprowy Wierch cable carAerial tramwayAn aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
Notable residents
- Jan Bachleda-Curus, Olympian.
- Tytus Chałubiński physician
- Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska, one of the founders of Scouting movement in Poland
- Władysław Hasior, sculptor
- Jan KasprowiczJan KasprowiczJan Kasprowicz was a poet, playwright, critic and translator; a foremost representative of Young Poland.-Life:...
, poet, playwright - Kornel MakuszyńskiKornel MakuszynskiKornel Makuszyński was a Polish writer of children's and youth literature.-Life:Makuszyński attended the Jan Długosz gymnasium in Lviv . While in school he wrote occasional poetry , and had his first poem published in 1902 in the newspaper Słowo Polskie , for which he soon became a theatrical critic...
, children's writer - Jan Marusarz, Olympian
- Stanisław Marusarz, Olympian
- Władysław Orkan
- Karol SzymanowskiKarol SzymanowskiKarol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'...
, composer. His house in Zakopane, the Villa AtmaVilla AtmaThe Villa Atma in Zakopane, Poland, is a chalet housing the Karol Szymanowski Museum, a department of the National Museum in Cracow. It was built about 1890 in 'Zakopane style' for Józef Kasprusie-Stoch to designs by the architect Stanisław Witkiewicz...
, is now a museum dedicated to the composer. - Stanisław Witkiewicz, painter and architect
- Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), playwright, novelist, philosopher, photographer and painter
- Mariusz ZaruskiMariusz ZaruskiMariusz Zaruski was a Brigadier-General in the Polish Army, a pioneer of Polish sports yachting, an outstanding climber of the winter and caves of Tatra Mountains...
mountaineer and yachtsman - Jerzy Żuławski, poet, writer
External links
- Urban and pactical Guide of Zakopane
- / Lodging and Accommodation in Zakopane with Discount
- Interesting places to visit in Zakopane
- Ski and Sports Guide in Zakopane
- Zakopane.com
- Zakopane
- General information, available in Polish, English, German
- Zakopane ICT - Travel Guide
- Photos from Zakopane in summer
- Symphony No. 3 of Henryk GóreckiHenryk GóreckiHenryk Mikołaj Górecki was a composer of contemporary classical music. He studied at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice between 1955 and 1960. In 1968, he joined the faculty and rose to provost before resigning in 1979. Górecki became a leading figure of the Polish avant-garde during...
using text found in a Gestapo cell in Zakopane. - Zakopane - showplace