Nature & mountains
Mountain air, wooden villas, smoked sheep’s cheese and highlander music. Away from the busy main street.
Photo: GSN Travel / Pexels
Zakopane is the Polish capital of the mountains, with its own architecture, food, music and dialect. The main street is touristy, but five minutes away you find wooden churches, villas in the Zakopane style and quiet trails into the valleys.
I plan a stay in a highlander guesthouse, a valley walk that fits your legs, the cable car or funicular for the views, and dinner where the music is live.
It can be done, but two days let you see the mountains in the morning light and avoid the busiest hours. I recommend one night there.
Turquoise water between limestone cliffs, a short tram ride from the Old Town. Bring your swimsuit.
A flat riverside bike path from Wawel to a Benedictine abbey on a white cliff. Monks’ beer and cheese at the end.
Poland’s smallest national park: white rock towers, caves, castle ruins and a Renaissance castle on a cliff.
