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Zakopane (Podhale Goral: Zokopane) is a town in the south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been part of Lesser Poland Voivodeship. its population was 27,266. Zakopane is a centre of Gorals culture and is often referred to as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular tourist destination for many types of mountain activities such as skiing, trekking, mountaineering and various forms of climbing.
Zakopane lies near Poland's border with Slovakia, in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It is connected by rail and road to the provincial capital, Kraków. Zakopane lies above sea level and centres on the intersection of its Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.
Zakopane became a center for the region's mining and metallurgy 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 attracted more inhabitants. By 1889, it had developed from a small village into a climatic health resort. Rail services to Zakopane began on 1 October 1899. In the late 1800s, Zakopane constructed a road that went to the town of Nowy Targ 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 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.
From 1942 to 1943, 1,000 prisoners from the German Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp were set to work in a stone quarry. In 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising, the Germans deported thousands of Varsovians from the Dulag 121 camp in Pruszków, 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, 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 was established in Zakopane. The Children's Home in Zakopane, Poland: Lena Küchler's Children, Yad Vashem website
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, 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 locally known as halny may dramatically increase the temperatures, sometimes beyond in winter.
Extreme temperatures range from on 1 February 1956 up to on 8 August 2013; the record cold daily maximum is , set on 1 February 1956, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is on 29 August 1992.
The most prominent examples of the style are:
Other important sights in Zakopane include:
Today the city hosts many museums and galleries:
The High Tatras 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.
Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the biathlon World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic skiing combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups. It hosted the second Alpine World Ski Championships in 1939, the first outside the Alps and the last official world championships prior to World War II.
Zakopane made unsuccessful bids to host the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2011 and 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships.
In February 1933 the Winter Maccabiah Games were held in Zakopane.
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.
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 street.[2]
Other activities include also Zakopane's Thermal Baths - a modern aquapark with outside swimming pools with thermal water.
A scene in Andrzej Wajda'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 film Fanaa were filmed around Zakopane.
Climate
Zakopane has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb), with the main factor behind its relative coldness compared to the rest of Poland is its altitude. In general, the temperature Lapse rate, therefore Zakopane is almost colder than northern Kraków, 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-like (Köppen: ET). The tree line is located at about above sea level in the Tatra Mountains.
Architecture
The Zakopane Style of Architecture is an architectural mode inspired by the regional art of Poland's highland region known as Podhale. 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.
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 period.
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.
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 trails in the forests surrounding the town.
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.
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 Gorals 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 and roast lamb.
International relations
Zakopane participates in town twinning to foster international links.
Notable structures
Notable residents
Sport
Notable visitors
Gallery
See also
Notes
Bibliography
External links
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