POLAND: ZAKOPANE

June 24, 2019

One of the great things about Krakow is that there are so many nearby places that make good day trips.  One such destination is Zakopane, a resort town sometimes called "the winter capital of Poland" that lies about 70 miles south of Krakow on the Slovakian border.

The drive there was at least as fun and interesting as Zakopane itself. 

Our first stop was Chochołów, a 16th-century village of wooden cottages built by the highlanders living in the region. The homes are still occupied today.

And some of the high points are occupied by storks.

Log cabin + Swiss chalet:

Our guide Chris told us that the village is on the waiting list to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Current residents continue to be known for their exquisite wood-working skills, which extend even to their fences.

This is the perfect place for a woodcarver, and lucky for us, there is one whose family has lived in the region for at least 300 years. The carved sign above the entrance to his studio translates as "Regional Chamber of Chocholowie. Sculpture Handicraft by Jan Zieder."

It isn't a big shop, but it's packed.  The woodcarvings are all Zieder's, but I'm not sure where the painted mugs are from:

I bought these carvings of Joseph the Carpenter and Mary and Jesus made right here in this shop . . .

. . . by this man, Jan Zieder:

There is a fun interview with him on YouTube.

I also bought six of these eight painted wooden eggs there, but I don't know which six. I bought the other two later in the trip.

Attached to Zieder's shop is a small museum, a representation of the old way of life in the village. "Anno 1818" is carved into one beam.

Another beam is dated "1902."

The locals are skilled at all kinds of handiwork. Check out this embroidery, and imagine cooking dinner on that stove top:

At the edge of the village is a Neo-Gothic church built out of local sandstone in the 1970s. It looks like it belongs in a fairy tale.

And yet, there is something about this church that reminds me of the Lego castles my kids used to build. (The architectural style doesn't quite match those log cabins in town, does it?)

The inside was small but ornate, and much brighter than the traditional bleak Gothic interior:

Back on the road, we came across this turnout for smoked Polish cheese. "Bacowka Sery" means "Shepherd's cheese."  The salted and smoked sheep milk cheese is made exclusively in this region of Poland.

The proprietors have smokehouse with a little shop right next to it where they sell what they make.

Curds are pressed into wooden molds, brined, and then cured in hot smoke for up to two weeks. The flavor changes depending on the length of time the cheese is smoked.

An array of samples was available for us to try, and I tried every one.

Of course, there were all kinds of shapes and flavors available for purchase.

We bought a bottle of cheese marinating in oil, some cheese pockets, and a real life rusty sheep bell on a thick leather collar, one of my favorite purchases of the entire trip. The shop had sheep bells hanging as decorations around the shop, and they seemed surprised when I had our guide ask them if I could buy one. They consulted with each other and then pulled a few out of the back room and let me choose one.

Aw, isn't he cute? I wish I could have fit him in my suitcase, but I'm guessing he wouldn't look as quaint on my front lawn as he did in this spot.

Our next stop: Zakopane, population about 30,000. At an elevation of about 2600 to 3200 feet, it is known for its summer hiking and winter skiing and is a major tourist destination, attracting 2.5 million tourists a year.

The first thing we saw (but did not visit) was this Romanesque revival-style Church of the Holy Family, built in the mid-19th century.

For day-trip tourists like us, the main attraction is walking (or riding) up and down Krupówki Street, the main shopping thoroughfare of the town.

Zakopane definitely has an alpine atmosphere.

After enjoying the sights for a while, we stopped for lunch. I had what I described in my journal as "fabulous potato pancakes, smothered in a pork and mushroom goulash and topped with cheese and a sprinkling of dill." Just looking at my photo makes my mouth water.

I also had a side of fried cabbage that seemed more like soup but that was also very tasty.  Bob had lamb chops that, according to my journal, were just okay.

Next we hopped on a funicular that took us to the top of the mountain in an area that must be a ski resort in winter. There were other people in the car, but it was definitely NOT crowded.

After disembarking, we had a nice view of the valley and a partial view of the cloud-shrouded Tatra Mountains.

The elevation at the top of Gubalołówka Hill is 1,123 meters, or 3,684 feet, not very high by our standards, but the highest point in Poland, not far from here, is just 8,200 feet.

We strolled along a nice path that led from the top of the funicular to the top of a ski lift, a distance of perhaps 1.5 miles. Along the way we noticed some mushrooms (which I'm always on the lookout for because I have a son obsessed with mushrooms) and we bought some ice cream. (Yeah, I know that might not come as a surprise.)

In addition, I may or may not have succumbed to this sign advertising "chocolate delicacies":

It was nice to ride the ski lift back down to the parking lot, although we felt just a bit guilty when we saw people walking the route.

However, we figured we got a better view from our seat than they did from the grass.

In addition, we didn't have to deal with any wild animals:

I read somewhere that Zakopane has 20 ski lifts, and the one we were in had SIX seats. The resort must be crowded in winter, but it does look like fun skiing.

And it's tough to beat this breathtaking scenery!

I wouldn't mind trying a few runs myself.