Zakopane cable car - how to arrange your own day trip from Kraków
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| View from the top of Kasprowy Wierch cable car |
Lots of visitors to Kraków are increasingly looking at the option of going on a day trip to the mountain town of Zakopane. Located 66 miles south of the city, Zakopane is nestled amongst the dramatic peaks of the alpine Tatra Mountains. These mountains straddle the border between Poland and Slovakia and are a designated national park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy). The park covers an area of 81.71 miles and is home to brown bear, grey wolf, Eurasian lynx, European otter, Tatra chamois and marmot amongst other species. There many beautiful valleys, lakes, rivers, forests, jagged peaks, waterfalls and lofty ridges with stunning views.
A popular day trip activity to Zakopane is to ascend the cable car to the top of Kasprowy Wierch to enjoy the dramatic mountain views. Agencies offering these trips from Kraków are charging pretty hefty amounts of money for this experience. The good news is that Zakopane is brilliantly served by public transport so it is actually very easy to get there. It is also very easy to book tickets in advance for the cable car so that you can skip the queue.
Want to find out more? Read on!
Cable car journey in spring footage - click and enlargeGetting there
To get to Zakopane, you have to option of using the train or the bus. The train service has improved greatly recently meaning the journey time has reduced significantly. Click here for timetables and ticket costs. The cheapest trains take longer of course!
Bus is also a great option, but the journey time can be extended significantly as a result of roadworks or sheer volume of traffic during holidays. For more information on how to get to Zakopane by bus, follow this link.
Once you get to Zakopane, the bus and train stations are in the same area. Right beside them are stances that have a variety of minibuses. Look for the ones going to Kuznice as this is where the cable car is. Cost is currently 4zl and they literally run almost every 10 minutes in high season. Pay the driver cash when you get off.
Buying cable car tickets
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Kuznice
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It is definitely a good idea to purchase your tickets for the cable car in advance. Firstly, online tickets are cheaper than buying them at the base station at Kuznice. Also, when you buy your ticket online, you choose a time slot for your visit. Make sure you go into the base station 20 minutes before this time slot. The beauty with these pre-booked online tickets is that you enter through a separate line and it means you totally jump the queue.
When you purchase your ticket online, it will be emailed to you. It will have a bar code on it and it is this that you scan to enter the base station for your journey.
Ticket costs, time slots and links to buy your "tourpass" (ticket) are in English with this link.
What is there to see at the top?
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| Views from the top of the cable car |
Is it worth going up the cable car? The answer is absolutely!
At the top station you will find a shop, restaurant, superb panoramic views and access to ascend to the top of Kasprowy Wierch (1987 metres) peak by means of some steps.
If you are feeling more adventurous there are a couple of ridge walks you can access which give airy traverses across other peaks with continuous spectacular views. One of the more famous ridge walks is Orla Perc, but it really is not for the faint hearted!
If you are not going to take the cable car back down, there are a variety of marked trails into lovely valleys you can opt for, which will take you back down to the base station at Kuznice.
It is also worth noting that there is skiing on Kasprowy Wierch. Click on this link if you are interested in finding out more.
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| Admiring the views |
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| Mountain scenery |
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| Airy ridge walk |
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| Airy ridge walk |
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| Views to the west from Kasprowy Wierch in winter |
Getting back to Kraków
On return to Kuznice, there are a couple of nice bars/restaurants for a refreshment. One of the best is the wonderful Leśniczówka Resto Bar (Forester's Lodge) which has a fabulous outdoor seating area with swing, deck chairs and tables located next to a gushing mountain river. Good food and fresh Budvar beer. Not to be missed!
If you are itching to get back to Kraków, simply reverse your outward journey. Minibuses at Kuznice are in abundance and generally wait until they are full before moving off. They will transport you back to the train/bus station if you are returning immediately to Kraków. If you are lingering in Zakopane, get off at Watra stop and walk to Krupowki Street (main street for Zakopane).
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