Winter Activities Beyond Skiing

The best way to access the winter mountain environment without skis or technical equipment. Snowshoes attach to any walking boot, require about 10 minutes to learn, and open up the valley floors and lower forest trails that are inaccessible on bare feet in deep snow.

Best routes for snowshoeing:

Dolina Kościeliska — the valley floor in winter is one of the quieter, more beautiful experiences available from Zakopane. Snow-covered larches, the frozen stream, the limestone gorge walls. 3–4 hours return from the trailhead at Kiry.

Hala Ornak area — the upper section of the Kościeliska valley, around the Ornak shelter. Requires more elevation gain but rewards with open terrain.

Dolina Chochołowska lower section — accessible from Siwa Polana, quieter than Kościeliska in winter.

Snowshoe rental: available from outdoor gear shops in Zakopane.

Note: stay on marked routes and below the avalanche risk zones. The valley floors are safe; the slopes above them can be hazardous in unstable snow conditions. Check TOPR's daily avalanche bulletin before going into any terrain above the flat valley floor.

The traditional highland sleigh — a wooden sled pulled by one or two horses, with passengers wrapped in furs and blankets — is a genuine Podhale tradition rather than a tourist invention. A kulig can be a short village ride or a full evening event with a bonfire, food, and music at the destination.

What's available to tourists:

• Short valley rides (30–60 minutes) from trailhead areas and some guesthouses
• Full evening kulig events organized by local farms — usually includes a bonfire, traditional food, and music at a bacówka or highland farm

We're not naming a single operator yet. Plenty of companies run kuligi in the region, from short rides around town to full evening events with a bonfire and food. Before we recommend one by name we want to check safety practices, insurance, price transparency and the welfare standards applied to the horses — and that audit hasn't been done.

What to check yourself: whether the operator carries insurance, whether the price is clear before you commit, and how the horses are kept and worked. A serious operator will answer all three without hesitation.

What to avoid: the most tourist-facing horse carriage operators on Krupówki in winter are offering a sanitized version of the experience at premium prices. The more authentic version is found at guesthouses and highland farms outside the town center.

Zakopane has an outdoor ice rink operating seasonally in winter, typically from December through February.

Skate rental is available at the rink. Suitable for families and casual visitors — not a competition facility.

Several small snow tubing and sledge runs operate near the main ski areas in winter. Szymoszkowa and the Gubałówka area both have options. These are explicitly casual activities — not technically demanding, good for children and non-skiers wanting the snow experience without learning to ski.

Zakopane and the surrounding area are genuinely good for cross-country skiing when the snow cover allows it. The two best-known locations:

• COS (Centralny Ośrodek Sportu) trails in Zakopane — the national sports centre network
• Kiry, Kościelisko — several loops of varying length are prepared here

Track preparation depends entirely on conditions and changes through the season.

The correct answer for a cold day, a rest day, or an après-ski evening. Three major complexes within easy reach of Zakopane — and all of them are substantially better in winter than in summer. The outdoor pools in -5°C with steam rising and the Tatra peaks visible above the mist are the experience that justifies the thermal bath entry fee.

Aqua Park Zakopane (in town): the practical option if you don't have a car — central, with a Tatra view. An aquapark rather than a thermal spa, which is the right expectation to set.

Termy Bukowina Tatrzańska (15 km): the largest family-focused complex. Open year-round.

Terma Bania Białka Tatrzańska (25 km): modern complex with panoramic mountain views from the outdoor pools. Combines naturally with a ski day at Białka.

Termy Chochołowskie (30 km west): largest pool area. The drive west adds some travel time but the scale is worth it for a dedicated thermal day.

This requires clarity: hiking in the Tatras in winter is a serious undertaking. Summit routes require crampons, ice axes, avalanche awareness, and experience. TOPR closes routes regularly. This is not a casual extension of summer hiking.

What is accessible for prepared walkers:

• The lower sections of valley routes, below the permanent snow line
• Dolina Kościeliska floor to the first shelter (Ornak) — with microspikes on icy sections
• Dolina Strążyska lower section
• Routes within the town boundary and Kuźnice approach

Microspikes are the right basic addition for easier, icy paths once snow and ice arrive — and they are not a substitute for crampons. In higher and steeper terrain you may need proper crampons, an ice axe, and — more importantly than either — the experience to use them and to assess avalanche hazard.

The winter Tatras are dangerous even for experienced people. Equipment without training does not make you safe. If you don't have the competence, pick an easier route or hire a guide.

TOPR's daily conditions report will specify which routes are currently open and what level of equipment is required. Check before every mountain walk in winter.

Christmas markets: a small market runs on Krupówki in December, typically from the first or second week until Christmas Eve. Not on the scale of Kraków or Warsaw, but atmospheric in context — wooden stalls, candles, the smell of oscypek and mulled beer, the mountain town backdrop.

Pasterka (Christmas Midnight Mass): the midnight mass on December 24/25 at Zakopane's churches — particularly the wooden chapel at Jaszczurówka and the older church buildings — is worth attending for the atmosphere. Dress warmly; the old chapels are cold.

Sylwester pod Krokwią: the New Year's Eve celebration at the foot of Wielka Krokiew ski jump draws tens of thousands of people.

Winter is arguably the best season for photography in Zakopane — if you're willing to be out before 8am.

Fresh powder + clear sky: the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch on the morning after a snowstorm, with blue sky, is among the most photogenic scenarios in the Polish mountains. The light on fresh snow in the early morning is different from any other time.

Krupówki in snow: early morning on a weekday in January — before the shops open, before the crowds — the wooden architecture, the snow-covered roofs, the empty promenade. One of the better Zakopane photography moments.

Tatra wall at golden hour: from Gubałówka or any elevated point with a clear southern view. January and February sunsets hit the Tatra peaks at a low angle that turns the snow orange-pink for 15 minutes. Set your alarm, be in position early.

A note on Pęksowy Brzyzek: the old cemetery is a remarkable place year-round, but we don't recommend treating it as a photography location. The atmosphere is at its most striking on the evening of 31 October and on 1 November, when the graves fill with candles and families — and that is precisely when it should be visited as a living tradition rather than a photo opportunity. Keep quiet, don't use flash, and don't photograph people at prayer.

Genuine winter storms — whiteout conditions, strong winds, road closures — happen in Zakopane. When they do:

• The thermal baths are the first choice. Interior pools available even in worst weather.
• The Tatra Museum is warm, worthwhile, and always open during advertised hours
• Zakopane's cafes and karczmas come into their own — there's something right about kwaśnica and a mulled beer when a storm is against the windows
• Day trip to Kraków by bus (the road to Kraków is normally passable even when Zakopane is under heavy snow)
• Villa Atma, Witkacy Theatre (check schedule)

Pro Tip: book thermal bath tickets online in advance for weekend winter visits. The complexes — particularly Bania and Termy Chochołowskie — reach capacity on winter Saturdays and turn people away. A pre-purchased time slot means you don't drive 30 km to find a "full" sign.