Zakopane is a widely popular mountain resort at the foot of Mt. Giewont, noted for its characteristic timber architecture and regional souvenirs.

The highest range in the Carpathians, the Tatras are Poland's only alpine mountains. They are divided into the High and West Tatras, which hold a profusion of glacier-created lakes and long and beautiful valleys. The High Tatras, with their treacherous steep paths, rugged crests, rock towers and precipices, are for intrepid hikers only, but the splendid views are absolutely unforgettable. The West Tatras are safer, offering broad, gently rounded ridges, less strenuous trails, more vegetation and space.
The capital of the Tatras and Podhale is Zakopane, which is also Poland's highest town (730-1000 m above sea level). It became fashionable in the late 19th century, attracting many writers, poets, painters and sculptors, who contributed to its extraordinary atmosphere by designing fine villas and creating works of art inspired by local traditions. These works are now displayed in galleries and some rather unexpected places around the town.
Every year Zakopane is visited by about 2 million people. The most prominent mountain is Mt. Giewont, the most characteristic peak in the Tatras.
Life and action in Zakopane focuses on the pedestrianized Krupówki. Following a fire in the late 19th century, many old wooden buildings along it were replaced by stone houses. It is the most popular place in Zakopane, attracting lively, international crowds at all times of the year. Lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and souvenir stands, it offers everything one may need.
The Tytus Chałubiński Tatra Museum presents local wildlife, geology and ethnography. The ground floor has three rooms containing photographs of well-known people associated with Podhale and a reconstructed highlander's house with traditional interiors and utensils. One room is devoted to a collection of old and new regional costumes, music instruments, painted glass, vessels, shepherd's equipment etc. Upstairs is an exhibition on Tatra flora and fauna, combined with a geological display.
The lower part of Krupówki is dominated by the 1896 neo-Gothic Church of the Holy Family, its dark interior crammed with sculpture and paintings. The nave features the Chapel of the Rosary Virgin, designed in the Zakopane Style by Stanisław Witkiewicz.
Many visitors simply stick to Krupówki, taking only the obligatory funicular ride to the top of Mt. Gubałówka. However, try also to have a walk along Kościeliska Street. This is the original center of Zakopane, which was once a shepherds' settlement. From the 16th century onwards highlander families built their homesteads here, followed by the first church, shop, restaurant, hotel and cemetery.
The focal point on Kościeliska Street is the 1847 Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa. The wooden structure with a low ceiling and rather austere interior is filled with figures of saints and flowers. Adjacent to the church is the 19th-century Old Cemetery. Many eminent people are buried here, including Stanisław Witkiewicz, Tytus Chałubi.ski, the poet Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, and wellknown local families such as the Marusarzes and Chramiecs. Many tombstones are little gems, featuring sculpted wooden crosses and painted glass.
Some sections of Ko¨şcieliska Street look like a museum, as many of its timber houses are true masterpieces of local architecture. A bridge over the Cicha Woda leads to Villa Koliba, the first house built in the Zakopane Style to a design by Stanisław Witkiewicz (1892). The spacious building made of pale timber has been thoroughly restored. Now it contains the Museum of Tatra Style, which has an ethnographic display and a collection of items designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz, who developed the Zakopane Style not just in architecture, but also in textiles, ornamentation and everyday objects.