Zakopane Poland | Tatra National Park | Lake Morskie Oko
 |
| Wooden Zakopane Sign - Dolna Rowien Krupowa |
After spending a couple months in the city, we were in the mood for some nature. We love to hike, it's great exercise and we forget we are putting in work because we are so distracted by the amazing views and nature surrounding us. Visiting Zakopane and Tatra National Park was just what we needed. Zakopane is a small alpine city in southern Poland, with a populations of about 27,000 people. It sits deep in southern Poland at the foothills of the Tatra Mountains, very close to the border of Slovakia.
 |
| View of the Tatra Mountains from Zakopane Poland |
Getting from Krakow to Zakopane:
It's only a 2.5 hour train ride, the time on the train flies by because the views of the Polish countryside are stunning. The regional trains in Poland are extremely comfortable and modern. We love taking trains, it feels so stress-free when compared to flying. Round trip rail tickets from Krakow to Zakopane were about $44 for two adults.
We arrived at the Zakopane train station at about 3:30pm. The perfect time to check-in to our hotel. Our hotel was a 5 minute walk from the train station, yes, we planned it that way. We wanted to make sure we were close to the train station because the bus station was on the other side of the train station, more on that later. Our hotel was only about a 10 minute walk from Zakopane's adorable downtown area.
 |
| Grand Hotel Stamary - Zakopane Poland |
Grand Hotel Stamary is the name of the hotel we stayed in and it is a gorgeous property. The building dates back to 1905 and it is nothing short of grand. We stayed for 2 nights. The hotel has a restaurant and a spa as well, we didn't use their amenities. Our room was very comfortable and well equipped. Our window faced the street, but Zakopane is small and quiet so that was just fine. It was actually nice being able to open the windows and enjoy the pace of life in a small mountain town. We loved our two nights here and would definitely return.
 |
| Grand Hotel Stamary - Room 404 |
After a quick and smooth check-in, we went to our top floor room and unpacked. The Paris Summer Olympics were on, so that was playing in the background. Dinner time was approaching as well as sunset and we were itching to check out the town. We headed toward town and took a route that took us through a large park. As we entered the park we noticed a huge wooden "ZAKOPANE" sign. So that's definitely a great photo opportunity. It's lit up at night which is neat. The downtown area is touristy and quaint, but it's beautiful.
 |
| Beautiful Summer Weather - Zakopane Poland |
 |
| Downtown Zakopane Poland |
We explored the adorable downtown area looking for a restaurant. Everything looked excellent albeit a bit "touristy" for our liking. Nothing wrong with that at all, I don't think we could have made a bad dinner choice. But we tend to go against the grain. So we ventured off-course and left that main area in search for a local spot. And boy did we find one!
A "Bar Mleczny" is a Polish Cafeteria. It's a place to get DELICIOUS local food (and a lot of it) at a great price. That home cooked comfort food we all love. The food that warms your soul. This bar mleczny we found in Zakopane is named "Bar Mleczny" and the line was long so we knew it was going to be good.
 |
| Bar Mleczny - Zakopane Poland |
The line moved quickly and the food came out fast. They did not mess around. The food was delicious and we overdid it. We left stuffed! But there was no question where we were going to have dinner on our second night in Zakopane. We are proud to say we came back for a second round and it was just as amazing. Both times, the line moved quickly and the food came out fast. We loved being the only foreigners there, at least it seemed that way. Many Poles visit this area to do exactly what we were there for, to enjoy the gorgeous nature and get some fresh mountain air.
Tatra National Park | Lake Morskie Oko:
Aside from enjoying this beautiful town and getting a taste of a new area, our true reason for coming to Zakopane was to explore Tatra National Park and walk/hike to Lake Morskie Oko. This picturesque lake is the largest in the Tatra Mountains. Morskie Oko stands for "Eye of the Sea". During vacation season, this lake sees about 50,000 visitors. In 2014 the Wall Street Journal recognized this lake as one of the 5 most beautiful lakes in world. I don't disagree.
 |
| Tatra National Park Trail Sign |
As I stated, our hotel was just a short walk from the train station and bus terminal. We planned it this way because we needed to take bus transportation to Tatra National Park to access the trail to Lake Morskie Oko. The bus ride was 15 zl, about $3 USD per person each way. The bus ride took about 45 minutes each way, a bit longer on the way back due to some traffic.
The hike itself is definitely more of a walk. You start at the Tatra National Park visitor center where you pay to enter. The bus drop off and pick up is right there. The National Park entrance fee is 8 zl, about $2 USD per person. Take a day for this and bring lots of water. The walk is a steady incline to Morskie Oko and takes about 2.5 hours, its roughly 5 miles in; so 10 miles in and out. There is another option, there are horse-drawn carriages that will take you most of the way up to the lake, you still to walk about 20 minutes to the lake after the carriage drops you off. The carriage ride costs 100 zl, about $25 USD per person on the way up. This carriage ride takes 1 hour (versus the 2.5 hour walk).
 |
| Tatra National Park - Hike to Morskie Oko |
The walk is worth the effort. It's beautiful the whole way. You get great views at every corner as well as a nice waterfall part of the way up. There is a restaurant next to the lake. We packed a lunch and ate at the provided picnic tables. After our lunch, we enjoyed some time by the lake taking tons of pictures and taking in the beautiful views. The lake water is so clear you can see trout swimming.
 |
| Lake Morskie Oko - The Water is SO Clear! |
We didn't research other trails in this area, our main focus was Morskie Oko, but we loved seeing all of the trailheads and places along the way where the trails branched off to take more rugged routes. We didn't take any of these other routes, but after seeing these, we made a vow to come back to this area for an extended period of time (maybe 1 or 2 months) and just hike our butts off.
 |
| Lake Morskie Oko - Tatra National Park |
The walk back to the park entrance is much easier and takes a bit less time because it's all downhill. On our way back out, it was very sunny and warm. Make sure to take sun protection. We broke out our umbrellas for some added shade.
Our train back to Krakow didn't leave until a little after noon. We really wanted to see a wood church, something common in this area. We made our way over there, approximately 15 minutes from our hotel. What a gorgeous place, just wow! The design and craftsmanship is so impressive. It's so unique to see an church completely made of wood.
 |
| Rektoralny Church of Our Lady Queen of the World |
After visiting the church we made our way back to the area of our hotel to sip some coffee at Cukiernia Samanta Cafe. It is highly rated on Google, so we wanted to check it out before our train ride back. When we stepped in and say the sweet treats they baked in-house, we knew we needed to treat ourselves. We sat outside under on their patio under the shade of umbrellas while we enjoyed our coffees and delicious homemade baked goods. All while being surrounded by beautiful nature and fresh mountain air. Ugh, what a dream! Even though it was August, the mornings had a slight hint of cool air. It was just lovely.
 |
Cukiernia Samanta Cafe - Zakopane Poland |
After our coffee we checked out of our hotel and walked over to the train station. We had a wonderful 2 night stay and loved exploring this beautiful area. We are already planning a trip back to stay longer and do A LOT more hiking. Poland, we love you!
Comments
Post a Comment