Zakopane 5 day trip
Hey Guys,Was thinking about making my first trip to Poland to do some Hiking and sight seeing in Zakopane.
Anyone know what this place is like in April, I was hoping to rent a cabin/cottage with my GF.
my budget for the 5/6 days plus the flight(From Dublin €95) would be about €500.
Is there enough to keep you occupied? I'd like to just get out into the open and do some hikes, maybe some skiiing
1
There may or may not be enough snow to ski in April.In Zakopane the main attraction is the mountain. Plenty of hotels and cafes in the town but not much else. you could easily hike for 5 days in the national park around Zakpane without retracing your steps - there's a lot of trails.
There is some chance in april that you have 5 days of torrential rain. In that case, you need a plan B. the obvious plan B is Krakow which could also occupy you for 5 days once you include the museums, a concert or 2, the salt mines, Oswiecim.
Your budget will easily cover it BTW if you stay in a local pension / wolne pokoj.
2
The whole area is very beautiful so if you like hiking and the weather is fine then you will be definitely pleased. Don't forget to visit the Morskie Oko lake and other must-see places that in April won't be that much crowded as in the summer time. Skiing in April is usually possible high on the Kasprowy Wierch mountain but this year it's very warm right now so I think the snow will melt until April. You also need to remember that spring in the mountains can be wet - not only because of rain but also melting snow so the routes can be quite boggy in shaded places.4
You could also consider doing some cycling...I remember looking down from Mt Gubalowka on the countryside below and thinking it was wonderful terrain for the bike...Also, the area of Szczawnica and the Pieniny National Park is well regarded...
5
As others have replied before, in April there may not be enough snow for skiing, but on the other hand I'm not sure the mountains would be sufficiently clear of snow for hiking, which is the main attraction in the summer (think English Lake District on steroids). I agree with rocking_pony about the trip to Morskie Oko, it's very beautiful and a tarmac road leads pretty much all the way up to Morskie Oko hut, that would be around 2 hr walk from the last bus stop. But to go any higher, it may be difficult.You could also try taking the cable car up to Kasprowy (1900 meters above see level or so), if it's running.
6
So what's the best time to visit Zakopane and this region in general if I don't like skiing but love sighsteeing? It would be nice to don't have to see thousands of shouting children.7
Gasconhobbit: early September. School in Poland ends on 31 August. First weeks of sept still give you decent chances of catching good weather, but there won't be the same crowds as in July and August.10
Thanks ;) Just one more thing: could you recommend me less known attractions than Morskie Oko lake or Kasprowy Wierch? Are there lesser mountains with good routes? Or less known lakes? Something like that.12
Smreczyński staw cannot compare with Morskie Oko or the 5 Lakes Valley (Dolina Pięciu Stawów) in terms of scenery. A hike to Morskie Oko via the 5 Lakes Valley is highly recommended - the crowds on this route are not as bad as on the direct Morskie Oko route.Dolina Kościeliska won't be empty too - it's also a popular destination.
Generally the Tatras have a relatively small area, and there are little (if any) less known places there, at least on the Polish side. Assume from the beggining that hiking in the Tatras means metting many people on the trails.
13
Another point worth mentioning is that most of the slightly more ambitious routes are closed until the end of May, because of risk of deep snow. We were there last year mid May, beautiful weather, very quiet and though the route was closed, we hiked up through the Dolina Pięciu Stawów via Dolina Roztoki and across a higher pass (which was supposedly closed) into Morskie Oko and back down on that long, winding road.Taking the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch and walking down via Hala Gąsienicowa would be a great warm on the first day. The whole trip should not last more than four to five hours.
Early June, before school holidays start should be a good time to travel. It is beautiful and you can get inexpensive accomodation and good food for reasonable prices. Have fun!
