Zakopane Poland

[notacooldad]

Has anyone been?
Dh fancies going in February for winter walking. Ive heard it's got nice bars and restaurants and the scenery is supposed to be amazing?
Has anyone got recommendations or tips please.

It's beautiful. You must try the smoked goats cheese they sell on the slopes. It's kind of chewey and comes in all different shapes. The strings are the best.
Go on a kulig. It's a very fun tobogan ride but you get pulled by horses and hold a huge torch of fire. They give you a BBQ after and some mulled wine.
It's like a cheap version of Austria/Bavaria, but bear in mind it is the most expensive destination in Poland so you might be surprised at how pricey it is. Zakopane to the poles is what north Cornwall is to the English. The current exchange rate is amazing, if you are definitely going I would change some money now.

Everything Meadowbreeze said.

It's gorgeous, enjoy.

I've been there skiing. Bars and restaurants I thought were ok, cheap (for Brits) although not overly exciting/ different/ delicious. I do like good food though and tbf food was not the main attraction for the holiday anyway. I got the bus from Krakow airport. Went up the cable car, wouldn't really recommend that as you can walk!

Bear in mind it'll be absolutely rammed in Feb. They have the same half term system as France. Each region has a different 2 week period starting from mid Jan to end of Feb. The area of Zakopane is on half term during UK Feb half term 2023 so it'll be insanely packed.

Oh it definitely gorgeous, you won’t regret it

It's fab, definitely go!

I was there in summer (a few years ago) so probably a very different experience to Feb and snow, but it's beautiful. Gorgeous mountain walks, and the 'eye of the sea' lake is lovely for a visit.

We walked up to the highest point and then got the cable car down but you could just as easily do it the other way depending on your energy levels haha.

It is a big tourist destination for Poles so it is more expensive than much of the rest of the country but still reasonable compared to the UK!

It's very pretty.

All these posts sound very positve. I dont have to go half term so I can miss half terms.
The pictures of the area look great. We won't be using a car. Does anyone think that will be a problem?

@notacooldad depends where you're staying but it shouldn't be. They have really good public transport. Watch out for pickpockets. I had £100 stolen from me on the train from Krakow to Zakopane.
If you Google: 'ferie zimowe 2023 daty mapa' and click on pictures. It'll give you the map and dates of half terms next year. I suggest going anytime in Jan. Only three areas have half terms during Jan and one is far north and the other is poor. The third is likely to come but it's just one small area so shouldn't make a difference. It's also quite low so late Jan gets the best snow.
By the way, Oscypek (pronounced o-tzipeck) is the name of the cheese. They sell it outside and serve warm. You can also get lots of trinkets made out of wood there as well as sheepskin and felt products. They last years and are very affordable. Especially the slippers. Ciupaga is a traditional stick used to walk in the mountains. You'll see lots of that there. There's also lots of natural thermal clothes you can get cheaply, especially angora socks and gloves.
They also sell lovely wicker baskets that lots of people use for shopping. They're also cheap, especially in a market in Krakow, away from the square. They call these markets giełda if you need to Google it.
If you get sick whilst you're there go to the chemist and ask for theraflu sachets. Theraflu zatoki is for sinuses if that's a bother. They're godsend. In fact even if you aren't sick get them to take back to the UK. So much better than any lemsip and I've only seen them in the states. NeoFuragina if you get a UTI. It works just as well as antibiotics.

Anything synthetic like skiing gloves, ski coat, shoes, goggles etc is double the price of the UK. Don't forget to bring it with you.

I've been in the summer and it was lovely. Beautiful area.

I went in the summer 35 years ago. I can't be of any help, but it was beautiful! Have a great time.

Make sure you find accommodation, there isn't a huge amount of it. There is a great thermal pool there to relax those muscles after your walking.