Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the south of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, in the southern part of the

Podhale Podhale (; ), sometimes referred to as the Polish Highlands, is Poland's southernmost region. The Podhale is located in the foothills of the Tatra range of the Carpathian Mountains. It is the most famous region of the Goral Lands which are a ...

region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of

Nowy Sącz 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() was a unit of administrative division and local government, located in southern Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Its capital city was Nowy Sącz. Major cities and towns (popu ...

; since 1999, it has been part of

Lesser Poland Voivodeship Lesser Poland Voivodeship ( ) is a voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship in southern Poland. It has an area of , and a population of 3,404,863 (2019). Its capital and largest city is Kraków. The province's name recalls the traditional name of a h ...

. its population was 27,266. Zakopane is a centre of Goral culture and is often referred to as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular destination for

mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...

, and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. Zakopane lies near Poland's border with

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

, in a

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

between the Tatra Mountains and

Gubałówka Hill Gubałówka is a mountain in the Gubałówka Range (Polish: Pasmo Gubałowskie or Pogórze Gubałowskie), above the Polish town of Zakopane Zakopane (Gorals#Language, Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the south of Poland, in the south ...

. It is connected by rail and road to the provincial capital,

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. Zakopane lies

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

and centres on the intersection of its Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.

History

The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the 17th century, describing a glade called ''Zakopisko''. In 1676, it was a village of 43 inhabitants. In 1818, Zakopane was a small town that was still being developed. There were only 340 homes that held 445 families. The population of Zakopane at that time was 1,805: 934 women and 871 men. The first church was built in 1847, by Józef Stolarczyk. Zakopane became a center for the region's

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

and

metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

industries; by the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in the region of Galicia. It expanded during the 19th century as the

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

attracted more inhabitants. By 1889, it had developed from a small village into a climatic

health resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs. In the era before modern biochemistry and pharmaco ...

. Rail services to Zakopane began on October 1, 1899. In the late 1800s, Zakopane constructed a road that went to the town of

Nowy Targ Nowy Targ (Officially: ''Royal Free city of Nowy Targ'', Yiddish: ''Naymark'', Gorals, Goral dialect: ''Nowy Torg'' ) is a town in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is located in the Orava-Nowy Targ Basin at the foot of the Go ...

and had railways that came from Chabówka. Because of easier transportation, the population of Zakopane had increased to about 3,000 people by the end of the 1800s. In the 19th century, Krupówki Street was just a narrow beaten path that was meant for people to get from the central part of town to the village of Kuźnice. The ski jump on

Wielka Krokiew Wielka Krokiew (''The Great Krokiew'') is the biggest ski jumping hill built on the slope of mountain (1378 m) in Zakopane, Poland. It was opened in 1925. Since 1989 the hills bears the official name Wielka Krokiew im. Stanisław Marusarz, Stan ...

was opened in 1925. The cable car to Kasprowy Wierch was completed in 1936. The funicular connected Zakopane and the top of Gubałówka in 1938. Because of Zakopane's popular ski mountains, the town gained popularity which made the number of tourists increase to about 60,000 people by 1930. During the joint German-Soviet

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

, which started

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in September 1939, the town was invaded by Germany, and the ''

Einsatzgruppe I (, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the impl ...

'' entered the town on September 4, 1939, to commit various crimes against Poles. In March 1940, representatives of the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...

and the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

met for one week in Zakopane's Villa Tadeusz, to coordinate the pacification of resistance in Poland. Throughout

, Zakopane served as an underground staging point between Poland and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. From 1942 to 1943, 1,000 prisoners from the German

Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp Płaszów () or Kraków-Płaszów was a Nazi concentration camp operated by the SS in Płaszów, a southern suburb of Kraków, in the General Governorate of German-occupied Poland. Most of the prisoners were Polish Jews who were targeted f ...

were set to work in a stone quarry. In 1944, during the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

, the Germans deported thousands of Varsovians from the Dulag 121 camp in

Pruszków Pruszków is a city in east-central Poland, capital of Pruszków County in the Masovian Voivodeship. Pruszków is located along the western edge of the Warsaw metropolitan area. Pruszków is the largest city in the Warsaw metropolitan area outs ...

, where they were initially imprisoned, to Zakopane. Those Poles were mainly old people, ill people and women with children. In mid-October 1944, there were 3,800 registered Poles, who were expelled from

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, and probably another 3,800 unregistered expellees. In January 1945, the Germans retreated from Zakopane and the German occupation ended. Immediately after the war, a children's Home for

Holocaust Survivors Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universall ...

was established in Zakopane.

Climate

Zakopane has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Dfb''), with the main factor behind its relative coldness compared to the rest of Poland is its altitude. In general, the temperature tends to fall with altitude, therefore Zakopane is almost colder than northern

, which is more than lower than Zakopane. With higher altitudes, the climate gets even colder, therefore, on the top of Kasprowy Wierch ( above sea level), the climate is

tundra In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...

-like (Köppen: ''ET''). The tree line is located at about above sea level in the Tatra Mountains. Winters are typically frosty but are relatively sunny for Poland - in fact, Zakopane receives among the most sun in winter in the country. Snow is normally abundant, particularly in the higher altitudes, which makes Zakopane among the most popular ski resorts in Poland. Summers are cool to warm but rarely get hot. The defining feature of the local climate is the location on the northern slope of the Tatra mountains. Zakopane receives significantly more precipitation than cities on the lowlands to the north of the

Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains ...

, and just like in the mountains in general, there might be sudden weather changes from sunny to rainy, and vice versa. Occasionally, a very warm

foehn wind A Foehn, or Föhn (, , , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm downslope wind in the lee of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of its moisture on windw ...

locally known as halny may dramatically increase the temperatures, sometimes beyond in winter. Extreme temperatures range from on February 1, 1956 up to on August 8, 2013; the record cold daily maximum is , set on February 1, 1956, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is on August 29, 1992.

Architecture

The Zakopane Style of Architecture is an architectural mode inspired by the regional art of Poland's highland region known as

. Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains, the style was pioneered by Stanisław Witkiewicz and is now considered a core tradition of the Goral people. The most prominent examples of the style are: * Villa Koliba - built in 1892–93 by Stanisław Witkiewicz * Villa Oksza - built in 1894–95 by Stanisław Witkiewicz * Villa Pod Jedlami - built in 1897 by Stanisław Witkiewicz * Chapel in Jaszczurówka - built in 1904–07 by Stanisław Witkiewicz * Tatra Museum - built in 1913–24 by Stanisław Witkiewicz * Grand Hotel Stamary - built in 1903-05 by Eugeniusz Wesołowski Other important sights in Zakopane include: * Holy Family Church - Romanesque Revival church built in 1879–96 by

Józef Pius Dziekoński Józef Pius Dziekoński (born 5 May 1844, Płock – died 4 February 1924, Warsaw) was a Polish people, Polish architect and heritage conservator, a representative of the 19th-century historicism (architecture), historicism. He became the first de ...

* Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa - wooden church built in 1847, located next to the Old Cemetery in Pęksowy Brzyzek * Old Cemetery in Pęksowy Brzyzek - burial place of many artists, architects, writers, sculptors and mountaineer, among them Stanisław Witkiewicz, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Władysław Hasior and Sabała. There is also a cenotaph of Witkacy. * Modernist stations of the Kasprowy Wierch cable railway (1935–36) and the Gubałówka Hill funicular (1938) File:Willa drewn. „Koliba”, Zakopane, A-1125 M 01.jpg, Museum of Zakopane Style at Villa Koliba File:Willa „Oksza”, Zakopane, A-68 M 02.jpg, Villa Oksza

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

File:Willa pod Jedlami w Zakopanem.jpg, Pod Jedlami villa File:Muzeum Karola Szymanowskiego w willi Atma w Zakopanem, fot. K. Schubert MIK 2019 (49140610748).jpg,

Karol Szymanowski Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 3 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernism (music), modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century. Szymanowski's early w ...

Museum at the Villa Atma File:Kaplica w Jaszczurówce.jpg, Chapel at Jaszczurówka File:Muzeum Tatrzańskie”, Zakopane, A-1130 M 05.jpg, The Tatra Museum in Zakopane File:Zakopane, Grand Hotel Stamary - panoramio.jpg, Grand Hotel Stamary File:Zakopane kosciol Swietej Rodziny dron (1).jpg,

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

Church of the Holy Family File:Zakopane - Cmentarz Na Pęksowym Brzyzku 01 fot. Hanna Ozimek.JPG, Old Cemetery in Pęksowy Brzyzek with the Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa in the background

Culture

Since the end of the 19th century Zakopane was an important place for many artists, who frequently visited, worked or lived here, especially during the

Young Poland Young Poland ( ) was a modernist period in Polish visual arts, literature and music, covering roughly the years between 1890 and 1918. It was a result of strong aesthetic opposition to the earlier ideas of Positivism. Young Poland promoted tre ...

period. Today the city hosts many museums and galleries: * Tatra Museum * Museum of Tatra National Park * Museum of Zakopane Style at Villa Koliba * Villa Oksza Art Gallery *

Museum in Villa Atma * Jan Kasprowicz Museum in Villa Harenda *

Kornel Makuszyński Kornel Makuszyński (; 8 January 1884 – 31 July 1953) was a Polish writer of children's literature, children's and Young adult literature, youth literature. Dorota Piasecka. ''Proza Kornela Makuszyńskiego dla młodego odbiorcy: zarys problematyk ...

Museum * Władysław Hasior Gallery * Kamil Stoch Museum Galeria Kamiland * Museum of the Armed Resistance in the former Hotel Palace

Sports

The Tatras are a popular destination among hikers, skiers, ski-tourers and climbers.

Mountaineering

There is a network of well-marked hiking trails in the Tatras and according to the national park regulations the hikers must stick to them. Most of these trails are overcrowded, especially in the summer season. The

High Tatras The High Tatras or High Tatra Mountains (; ; ,'' Vysoki Tatry''; ; ), are a mountain range along the border of northern Slovakia in the Prešov Region, and southern Poland in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. They are a range of the Tatra Mountains ...

offer excellent opportunities for climbing (up to X UIAA grade). 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 several meters deep.

Skiing

In the winter, thousands arrive in Zakopane to ski, especially around Christmas and in February. The most popular skiing areas are Kasprowy Wierch and Gubałówka. There are a number of

cross country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

trails in the forests surrounding the town. Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter

Universiade The FISU World University Games, formerly the Universiade, is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The former name is a Blend word, portmanteau of the wor ...

s in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...

World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups. It hosted the second

Alpine World Ski Championships The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships is an alpine skiing competition organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS). History The inaugural world championships in alpine skiing were held in 1931. It consisted of Downhill (ski competition), ...

in 1939, the first outside the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

and the last official world championships prior to

. Zakopane made unsuccessful bids to host the

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...

and the

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

and

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

Alpine World Ski Championships.

Football

In Zakopane, there are two football clubs – one of them is KS Zakopane, which was established in 2007 as a result of the merger of ZKP Zakopane and Jutrzenka Zakopane. It currently competes in the B-class league, in the Podhale II group. Its matches are played at the facility located at Orkana Street 6. In the 2015/2016 season, the Football Club Zakopane was reactivated. After a successful 2015/16 season, in which the ZKP players managed to secure a promotion-eligible spot in the Podhale C-class, they are now playing in the Podhale B-class league.

Tourism

Zakopane is visited by over 2,500,000 tourists a year. In the winter, Zakopane's tourists are interested in winter sports activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoe walks, and Ice skating. During the summer, Tourists come to do activities like hiking, climbing, bike and horse ride the Tatras mountain, there are many trails in the Tatras. Tourists ride quads and dirt bikes that you can rent. Swimming and boat rides on the Dunajec river are popular. Many come to experience Goral culture, which is rich in its unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and costume. Zakopane is especially popular during the winter holidays, which are celebrated in traditional style, with dances, decorated horse-pulled sleighs called kuligs and roast lamb. A popular tourist activity is taking a stroll along the town's most popular street: Krupówki. It is lined with stores, restaurants, carnival rides, and performers. During the winter and summer seasons, Krupówki Street is crowded with tourists visiting the shops and restaurants. In the summer, a local market along Krupówki Street offers traditional Goral apparel, leather jackets, fur coats, shoes, and purses. Venders also sell foods like the famous '' oscypek'' smoked sheep cheese, fruit, vegetables, and meats. There are also many stands with Zakopane souvenirs. Zakopane is popular for its nightlife. At night there are always people walking around town checking out the different bars and dance clubs. Most of these bars and dance clubs are located on Krupowki stree

Other activities include also Zakopane's Thermal Baths - a modern aquapark with outside swimming pools with thermal water. A scene in

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "P ...

's film '' Man of Marble'' (''Człowiek z marmuru'') was filmed in Zakopane, introducing the town to a worldwide audience. The mountain scenes from the

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

film '' Fanaa'' were filmed around Zakopane.

International relations

Zakopane participates in

town twinning A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

to foster international links. *

Bansko Bansko ( ) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, located in Blagoevgrad Oblast near the city of Razlog. Once mainly a stockbreeding and travelling merchant community, the town is now an international centre for winter and summer tourism. More rec ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

San Carlos de Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche (from the Mapuche name ''Vuriloche'', meaning "people from the other side of the mountain"), commonly known simply as Bariloche (), is the largest city in the Argentine province of Río Negro and the seat of the departm ...

(

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

) * Bavel (

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

) * Polonezköy,

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Poprad Poprad (; ; ) is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatras, High Tatra Mountains, famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. The largest town of the Spiš region and the largest of all towns in the vic ...

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (; , before 1999: ''Saint-Dié'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Vosges department, Grand Est, northeastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Saint-Dié is locat ...

(

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) *

Sopot Sopot (; or ) is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomerania Province and has the City with powiat ri ...

Stryi Stryi (, ; ) is a city in Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine. It is located in the left bank of the Stryi (river), Stryi River, approximately south of Lviv in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. It serves as the administrative center of Stryi R ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

* Vysoké Tatry,

Siegen Siegen () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg (region), Arnsberg region. The university town (n ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Notable structures

* COS Zakopane speed-skating rink * Gubałówka Hill Funicular * Kasprowy Wierch cable car *

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...

ramp

Notable residents

* Tytus Chałubiński (1820 – 1889 in Zakopane), Polish physician and co-founder of the Polish Tatra Society *

Klemens Bachleda Klemens "Klimek" Bachleda (13 November 1851 - 6 August 1910) was a pioneering Polish mountain guide and mountain rescuer in Austria-Hungary. He died during an unsuccessful mountain rescue attempt in the High Tatras. By . Biography Early and p ...

(1851–1910), Polish mountain guide and mountain rescuer, worked from Zakopane * Stanisław Witkiewicz, (1851 – 1915) Polish painter, architect, writer and art theoretician * Jan Kasprowicz, (1860 – 1926) poet, playwright, critic and translator; a foremost representative of

* Mariusz Zaruski, (1867–1941) Polish Brigadier-General, a pioneer of Polish sports yachting, a climber of the Tatra Mountains, a photographer, painter, poet, a seaman, a conspirator, a social activist and teacher *

Jerzy Żuławski Jerzy Żuławski (; 14 July 1874 – 9 August 1915) was a Polish literary figure, philosopher, translator, Alpinism, alpinist and patriot whose best-known work is the science fiction, science-fiction epic, ''Trylogia Księżycowa'' (''The Lun ...

, (1874 – 1915) Polish literary figure, philosopher, translator, alpinist and nationalist * Władysław Orkan, (1875 – 1930) Polish writer from the

period *

Mieczysław Karłowicz Mieczysław Karłowicz (, 11 December 18768 February 1909) was a Polish composer and conductor. Life Mieczysław Karłowicz was born in Vishneva, in the Vilna Governorate of the Russian Empire (now in Belarus) into a noble family belonging to ...

, (1876 – 1909) Polish composer, conductor, mountaineer and photographer of the Tatra Mountains *

, (1882 – 1937) Polish composer and pianist, member of the modernist movement

; his house in Zakopane, the Villa Atma, is now a museum *

, (1884 – 1953) Polish writer of children's and youth literature, elected member of the Polish Academy of Literature in interwar Poland * Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885 – 1939), ''Witkacy'', a painter, philosopher, playwright, novelist and photographer * Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska, (1888 – 1979 in Zakopane), with her husband, founded scouting in Poland * Count Edward Bernard Raczyński (1891 – 1993) Polish diplomat, writer, politician and President of Poland in exile * Aniela Chałubińska (1902–1998), Polish geographer, geologist and university professor * Anna Zofia Krygowska (1904–1988) Polish mathematician, known for her work in mathematics education *

Wawrzyniec Żuławski Wawrzyniec Jerzy Żuławski (14 February 1916, in Zakopane – 18 August 1957, in the Alps), also known as ''Wawa'', was a Polish alpinist, educator, composer, music critic, and musicologist. He was a professor of Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Muzyc ...

(1916 in Zakopane – 1957) ''Wawa'' Polish alpinist, educator, composer, music critic, and musicologist * Władysław Hasior, (1928 – 1999) Polish contemporary sculptor from Podhale region, a painter and theatre set designer * Teresa Bogucka (born 1945 in Zakopane), journalist, writer, a democratic opposition activist in Communist Poland * Andrzej Gąsienica-Makowski (born 1952 in Zakopane) politician, led the

Nonpartisan Bloc for Support of Reforms The Nonpartisan Bloc for Support of Reforms (, BBWR) was an officially nonpartisan organization (but, in fact, a political party) affiliated with Lech Wałęsa. The party was established in 1993, and became part of Solidarity Electoral Action in ...

* Janusz Waluś (born 1953 in Zakopane) assassinated

Chris Hani Chris Hani (28 June 194210 April 1993; born Martin Thembisile Hani ) was a South African military commander, politician and revolutionary who served as the leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and chief of staff of uMkhonto we S ...

, General Secretary of the

South African Communist Party The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded on 12 February 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by t ...

* Liz Glazowski, (born 1957 in Zakopane) Polish-American model, Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month in April 1980 * Sergiusz Pinkwart, (born 1973) Polish journalist, writer, classical musician and traveler, Magellan Award winner * Małgorzata Mirga-Tas (born 1978), Polish-Romani visual artist * Małgorzata Babiarz, (born 1984 in Zakopane) professionally known as ''Megitza'' is a singer, double bass player and composer

Sport

* Stanisław Marusarz (1913 in Zakopane – 1993 in Zakopane) Polish Nordic skiing competitor in the 1930s * Jan Wojciech Bachleda-Curuś (1951 in Zakopane – 2009) Polish alpine skier who competed in the

1976 Winter Olympics The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games (, ) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1976 (), were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from February 4 to 15, 1976. The games were awarded to Inn ...

* Wojciech Fortuna (born 1952 in Zakopane), ski jumper, Olympic gold medallist * Kamil Stoch, (born 1987 in Zakopane) Polish

ski jumper Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fin ...

, world champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist * Oskar Kwiatkowski, (born 1996 in Zakopane), Polish snowboarder

Notable visitors

Henryk Sienkiewicz Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as The Trilogy, the Trilogy series and especially ...

(1846–1916) *

Bolesław Prus Aleksander Głowacki (20 August 1847 – 19 May 1912), better known by his pen name Bolesław Prus (), was a Polish journalist, novelist, a leading figure in the history of Polish literature and philosophy, and a distinctive voice in world ...

(1847 – 1912) *

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

(1857 – 1924)

Zdzisław Najder Zdzisław Najder (; 31 October 1930 – 15 February 2021) was a Polish literary historian, critic, and political activist. He was primarily known for his studies on Joseph Conrad, for his periods of service as political adviser to Lech Wałęsa ...

, ''Joseph Conrad: A Life'', translated by Halina Najder, Rochester, New York, Camden House, 2007, , pp. 458–63. * Stefan Żeromski (1864 – 1925)

, ''Joseph Conrad: A Life'', translated by Halina Najder, Rochester, New York, Camden House, 2007, , pp. 463–64. *

Bronisława Dłuska Bronisława Dłuska (; ; 28 March 186515 April 1939) was a Polish physician, and co-founder and first director of Warsaw's Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology. She was married to political activist Kazimierz Dłuski, and was an ol ...

, (1865 – 1939) Polish physician, older sister of physicist

Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...

(1867 – 1934) *

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

(1867 – 1935) *

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

(1870 – 1924) *

Alfred Döblin Bruno Alfred Döblin (; 10 August 1878 – 26 June 1957) was a German novelist, essayist, and doctor, best known for his novel '' Berlin Alexanderplatz'' (1929). A prolific writer whose œuvre spans more than half a century and a wide variety of ...

(1878 – 1957) * Aniela Zagórska (1881 – 1943) niece of

* Rudolf Weigl (1883 – 1957) *

Edward Rydz-Śmigły Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz also called Edward Rydz-Śmigły, (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941) was a Polish people, Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland's armed forces, as well as a painter and ...

(1886 – 1941),

Marshal of Poland Marshal of Poland () is the highest rank in the Polish Army. It has been granted to only six officers. At present, Marshal is equivalent to a field marshal or general of the army (OF-10) in other NATO armies. History Today there are no living ...

, who painted some Zakopane sights * Artur Rubinstein (1887 – 1982) * Julian Tuwim (1894 – 1953), died in Zakopane *

Krystyna Skarbek Maria Krystyna Janina Skarbek, (, ; 1 May 1908 – 15 June 1952), also known as Christine Granville, was a Polish agent of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. She became celebrated for her daring exploi ...

(1908 – 1952) *

Stanisław Lem Stanisław Herman Lem (; 12 September 1921 – 27 March 2006) was a Polish writer. He was the author of many novels, short stories, and essays on various subjects, including philosophy, futurology, and literary criticism. Many of his science fi ...

(1921 – 2006) *

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

(born 1948)Photo of HRH The Prince of Wales
Thursday 13 June 2002, walking "around the lake Morskie Oko during a walk at Tatras National Park on the final stage of his tour of Poland"

Gallery

File:2018-07-03 Zakopane from air 05.jpg, Aerial view of Zakopane File:Zakopane at night.jpg, Zakopane at night File:Zakopane - skiing (28).JPG, Zakopane - view from

( Tatra mountains in the background) File:Wielka Krokiew 2012.jpg,

ski jumping hill File:Zakopane - skiing (35).JPG, Zakopane - Gubałówka Hill ski run File:Zakopane - skiing (14).JPG, Zakopane - Gubałówka Hill: a nursery ski run File:Kolejka linowa Polana Szymoszkowa T58.jpg, Polana Szymoszkowa ski lift File:Katyn Memorial at Zakopane.JPG, Katyń Memorial in Peksów Brzyzek Cemetery File:The contemplative Christ of Zakopane.JPG, Traditional wooden shrine File:Zakopane Jan 2014 017.JPG, Traditional oscypek cheese File:Zakopane Poland 1938.jpg, Zakopane, mountain massif

Giewont Giewont () is a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains of Poland. Its highest peak, Great Giewont (''Wielki Giewont''), is above Height above sea level, sea level and one of the highest peaks of the Western Tatras (Polish language, Polish: ''Tat ...

(1938) File:Rydz.JPG, ''Old Church in Zakopane'', oil painting by

Notes

Bibliography

*Stanisław Kasztelowicz and Stanisław Eile, ''Stefan Żeromski: kalendarz życia i twórczości'' ( Stefan Żeromski: A Calendar of His Life and Work), Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1961. *

, ''Joseph Conrad: A Life'', translated by Halina Najder, Rochester, New York, Camden House, 2007, . *Krystyna Tokarzówna and Stanisław Fita, ''Bolesław Prus, 1847–1912: Kalendarz życia i twórczości'' (

, 1847–1912: A Calendar of His Life and Work), edited by Zygmunt Szweykowski, Warsaw, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1969.

External links

Official website

Zakopane

Jewish Community in Zakopane
on Virtual Shtetl

An English guide to Zakopane

Twin towns
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lesser Poland Voivodeship Tatra County Ski areas and resorts in Poland Spa towns in Poland Resorts in Poland