Today we went up into the Tatra mountains by Zakopane. This area is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts year round with skiing in the winter, and hiking in the summer. There are countless routes among the valleys and mountain tops and it would take a lifetime to see them all. Because we were only here for two and a half days, we opted to take the cable car up to Kasprowy Wierch (Kasprowy Peak) so we could take in the view of the Tatra mountains from the top.
The trip to the top lasted about 10 minutes with a transfer to a second cable car half way up the mountain range. Upon reaching the top, we were 1959 meters above sea level!
The Western Tatras mountain range makes up part of Poland's southern border with Slovakia. Because both countries are in the Schengen zone, the border is nothing more than an uncontrolled series of markers. It's therefore possible to hike back an forth between the two countries to experience both the Polish Tatras and the Slovak Tatras.
Down in the valleys, among the Tatra foothills, you can see the many small towns and villages of southern Poland. Among the largest is Zakopane, where we stayed. The view from the top was amazing, with the snowy mountains and rocky peaks. There isn't much to write about this next set of pictures other than that we couldn't have asked for a better day on top!
It's best not to lose one's footing when hiking or climbing the peaks since there is very little by way of protection and it's a looooong way down.
After a few short hours at the top it was time for our cable car ride down.
We returned to Zakopane in the afternoon, and walked around the little village. This is a view of the main pedestrian street at night.
We had dinner at another restaurant that served traditional polish mountain food. Once again, a band of musicians played folk music while we ate.
Tomorrow we leave Zakopane and return to Kraków for a couple of hours, before leaving for Vienna!
xo
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