Hidden Gems in Zakopane
Most visitors to Zakopane follow the same well-worn path — funicular, Krupówki, Morskie Oko, done. And those are all worth doing. But Zakopane rewards the people who wander a little further. Here are some of the lesser-known corners of the town and surrounding area that are genuinely worth your time.
Peksowy Brzyzek — The Old Cemetery
This sounds like an odd recommendation, and yet it consistently surprises visitors who stumble across it. The old highland cemetery just off the main drag is unlike any graveyard you’ve likely seen — the headstones and crosses are carved from wood and stone in a folk art style that feels more like an open-air gallery than a burial ground. Many of the graves belong to notable figures from Tatra history. It’s quiet, beautiful, and entirely free to visit.
Dolina Strazyska — The Valley Most People Skip
While crowds queue for the cable car and the road to Morskie Oko, Dolina Strazyska sits largely overlooked on the western edge of town. It’s an easy, scenic walk through forest that opens up to a small waterfall — Siklawica — with views of Giewont above. No queues, no minibus convoys, no entry fee. Just a genuinely peaceful bit of Tatra countryside within walking distance of the town centre.
Jaszczurowka Chapel
Tucked into the forest on the road towards Morskie Oko, this small wooden chapel is one of the finest examples of Zakopane Style architecture — a design movement from the late 19th century that drew on highland folk tradition to create something distinctly Polish. The chapel is tiny, beautifully crafted, and sits in a clearing that feels completely removed from the busy town nearby. Worth ten minutes of anyone’s time.
Chocholow Village
About 20 kilometres west of Zakopane, Chocholow is one of the best-preserved highland villages in Poland — a long street lined with traditional wooden farmhouses that look much as they would have a hundred years ago. The village is known for its annual spring cleaning tradition, when locals scrub the wooden fronts of their homes until the timber shines. If you have transport and an hour to spare, it’s worth the detour.
Kalatowki Meadow in Spring
Most people take the cable car up Kasprowy. Fewer walk the trail from Kuznice up to Kalatowki Meadow — a gentler, shorter hike that in spring is carpeted with crocus flowers. It’s one of those simple pleasures that feels disproportionately rewarding: an easy walk, a mountain meadow, and a view that reminds you why people keep coming back to the Tatras.
Antalowka Hill
For a view over Zakopane with almost no one else around, the walk up Antalowka is worth knowing about. It’s short enough for most fitness levels, the path winds through forest before opening up to a panorama of the town below and the Tatras behind, and on a clear day you can see why Zakopane has been drawing visitors from Krakow for well over a century.
The best things about Zakopane have always been the things that don’t need much planning — a turn off the main road, a trail that isn’t on the tourist map, a quiet spot that happens to have a remarkable view. The town has plenty of those, if you’re looking for them.
One advantage of travelling with a private guide who knows the area well is that the day can go wherever the conversation takes it. If Dolina Strazyska sounds more appealing than another hour on Krupówki, that’s where you go. That kind of flexibility is harder to come by on a group tour, and it’s often how the best days happen.