Zakopane

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For the state, see Republic of Zakopane.
Zakopane
Zakopane at night
Zakopane at night
Coat of arms of Zakopane
Coat of arms
Zakopane is located in Poland
Zakopane
Zakopane
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Country  Poland
Voivodeship Lesser Poland
County Tatra
Gmina Zakopane (urban gmina)
Established 17th century
Town rights 1933
Government
 • Mayor Leszek Dorula
Area
 • Total 84 km2 (32 sq mi)
Highest elevation 1,126 m (3,694 ft)
Lowest elevation 750 m (2,460 ft)
Population (2006)
 • Total 27,486
 • Density 330/km2 (850/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 34-500 to 34-504
Area code(s) +48 18
Car plates KTT
Website www.zakopane.eu

Zakopane (pronounced [zakɔˈpanɛ] ( listen)) is a town in the extreme south of Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a center of Góral culture and is known informally as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing, and qualified tourism.

Zakopane is located in southernmost Poland near the border with Slovakia. It lies in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It can be reached by train or by bus from district capital Kraków, which is about two hours away. Zakopane has an elevation of 800-1,000 meters above sea level. The town is centered at the junction of Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.

History

The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the 17th century, describing a glade called Zakopisko. In 1676 it was a village of 43 inhabitants. Zakopane became a center for the region's mining and metallurgy industries; in the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in 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 of 3,000 inhabitants. Rail service to Zakopane began October 1, 1899.

In March 1940, representatives of the Soviet NKVD and the Nazi Gestapo met for one week in Zakopane's Villa Tadeusz, to coordinate the pacification of resistance in Poland. Throughout World War II, Zakopane served as an underground staging point between Poland and Hungary.

From 1942 to 1943, 1,000 slave workers from the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp are in a subcamp working in a stone quarry.[1]

Architecture

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Main article: Zakopane Style of Architecture

The Zakopane Style of Architecture is an architectural mode inspired by the regional art of Poland’s highland region known as Podhale.[2] Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains, the style was pioneered by Stanislaw Witkiewicz and is now considered a core tradition of the Góral (Mountaineer) people.[3]

Sports

Mountaineering

The High Tatras are a popular destination for mountaineers. Many climbs begin at Morskie Oko, a lake at an elevation of 1,395 meters. From Morskie Oko climbers proceed to Czarny Staw, another lake, and thence up Rysy, whose northwestern peak is the highest point in Poland at 2,499 meters. A slightly shorter but more difficult climb is Mieguszowiecki Szczyt. Other popular climbs include Giewont, Mnich, and Cubryna. Most of the High Tatras are visible from these peaks on clear days.

Zakopane is located in the bottom of a valley, and is surrounded by the High Tatra Mountains

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 a meter deep.

Skiing

In the winter, thousands arrive in Zakopane to ski, especially around Christmas and in February. The most popular spots are Kasprowy Wierch, Nosal and Gubałówka Hill.[4] There are a number of cross country skiing trails in the forests surrounding the town.

Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter Universiades in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the biathlon World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups. It hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1939, the first outside the Alps and the last official world championships prior to World War II.[citation needed]

Zakopane made unsuccessful bids to host the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2011 and 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships.

Tourism

Zakopane is visited by over 2,500,000 tourists a year. In the winter, tourists are drawn to Zakopane for its excellent conditions for winter sports: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and ski jumping. In the summer, tourists come to enjoy hiking, climbing, and spelunking. Many come to experience góral 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 kuligs and roast lamb.

A popular tourist activity is taking a stroll through the town's most popular street: Krupówki. It is lined with stores, restaurants, carnival rides, and performers. Here, you can buy unique Zakopane souvenirs, such as an oscypek or a ciupaga.

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.

Zakopane 1938

International relations

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland

Twin towns

Zakopane participates in town twinning to foster international links.

Notable structures

Kasprowy Wierch Cableway 1938
COS Zakopane

Notable residents

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See also: Category:People from Zakopane

Notable visitors

Gallery

  • Koliba villa

  • Koliba villa

  • Koliba villa

  • Interior of Koliba

  • Jaszczurówka Chapel

  • Pod Jedlami villa

  • Szymanowski Museum at the Villa Atma

  • Zakopane - view from Gubałówka Hill (Tatra mountains in the background)

  • Zakopane - Gubałówka Hill ski run

  • Zakopane - Gubałówka Hill: a nursery ski run

  • Zakopane - Gubałówka Hill funicular entrance

  • Krupówki

  • Church of the Holy Family

  • A patriot's grave in Peksow Brzyzek cemetery

  • The Katyn Memorial in Peksow Brzyzek cemetery

  • Oscypek–cheese market

  • Traditional Zakopane contemplative-Christ carving

  • Villa Konstantynówka, lodging of Polish-English author Joseph Conrad at outbreak of World War I

References

Bibliography

  • Stanisław Kasztelowicz and Stanisław Eile, Stefan Żeromski: kalendarz życia i twórczości (Stefan Żeromski: A Calendar of His Life and Work), Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1961.
  • Krystyna Tokarzówna and Stanisław Fita, Bolesław Prus, 1847–1912: Kalendarz życia i twórczości (Bolesław Prus, 1847–1912: A Calendar of His Life and Work), edited by Zygmunt Szweykowski, Warsaw, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1969.

Notes

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Seattle Times - Scenic Zakopane
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Zdzisław Najder, Joseph Conrad: A Life, translated by Halina Najder, Rochester, New York, Camden House, 2007, ISBN 1-57113-347-X, pp. 458–63.
  6. ↑ [1]
  7. ↑ Madeleine Masson, Christine: A Search for Christine Granville, G.M., O.B.E., Croix de Guerre, with a Foreword by Francis Cammaerts, D.S.O., Légion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre, U.S. Medal of Freedom, London, Hamish Hamilton, 1975, p. 24.
  8. ↑ Waclaw Szybalski, "The genius of Rudolf Stefan Weigl (1883 – 1957), a Lvovian microbe hunter and breeder": in memoriam, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
  9. ↑ Zdzisław Najder, Joseph Conrad: A Life, translated by Halina Najder, Rochester, New York, Camden House, 2007, ISBN 1-57113-347-X, pp. 463–64.

External links

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