Zakopane (Tatra Mountains) by DocentX

[DocentX]

Zakopane

Zakopane is a town in southern Poland with approximately 30,000 inhabitants.

The town, called the Winter capital of Poland, lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the feet of the Tatra Mountains, which is the only alpine mountain range in the Carpathians.

It lies in a big glen between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. Zakopane is the most important Polish centre of mountaineering and skiing, and is visited by about three million tourists annually.

The beginnings of this place are not exactly known. It was founded between XVI and XVII c. as shepherds' settlement named "polana Zakopiska". Zakopane as a town name appears for the first time in documents in 1605 and it has its origin in the Polish word "kopane" ("zakopane"), which once meant the area grubbed up for glade.

The Settlement prerogative was issued by Polish King Stefan Batory in 1578. Later history of Zakopane is associated with the development of metallurgical and mining industries.

The beauty of Zakopane was discovered in the XIX century and soon became populat tourist and health resort.



Photos that I took a few days ago in Zakopane:


early morning - typical architecture in Zakopane

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/4906/img7256mediumzu4.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7184/img7262mediumft9.jpg

http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/2687/img7257mediumve2.jpg

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/655/img7258mediumld8.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/8442/img7260mediumuq5.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9150/img7261mediumcp4.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/4360/img7265mediumeg4.jpg

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2140/img7266mediumqa0.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/205/img7267mediumzi4.jpg

Krupowki street - main pedestrian street in Zakopane - rare view - the street is almost empty (early morning)

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/483/img7268mediumur5.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1636/img7269mediumzq1.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3056/img7270mediumbm5.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/249/img7271mediumzw1.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9271/img7275mediumqi1.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9918/img7276mediumhr8.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1232/img7277mediumpj2.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3905/img7278mediumzp6.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3523/img7279mediumbl2.jpg

http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/2023/img7288mediumkr3.jpg

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/995/img7290mediumsh6.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5681/img7291mediumnu0.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3020/img7292mediumwr9.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/8049/img7293mediumtf8.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8312/img7294mediumlm0.jpg

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/659/img7295mediumif4.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5430/img7296mediumdu9.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8956/img7298mediumxp7.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4908/img7391mediumoz7.jpg

some other views

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7858/img7299mediumce5.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/4507/img7300mediumet2.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3867/img7301mediumyy6.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/5849/img7303mediummh3.jpg

Krupowki street in the evening - crowds of people

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8122/img7365mediumoo8.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6308/img7373mediumxa7.jpg

Morskie Oko (Eye of the sea)

Morskie Oko is the largest and one of the most beautiful of the Tatra lakes.

It covers about 35 hectares in all, stretching some 860 metres in length, and 566 in breadth. The lake is entered through a small pass, and once inside, you are entirely surrounded by the mountains. It is very much as if you are in a huge crater, and hence the name, the eye of the sea.

photos that I took on the way to 'Morskie Oko'

http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/8872/img7306mediumro6.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/2374/img7307mediumnx0.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/1120/img7310mediumxg0.jpg

http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/7660/img7314mediumdi7.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/9107/img7318mediumxk0.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8568/img7326mediumad1.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/9369/img7328mediumgh3.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4646/img7337mediumsu7.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3537/img7340mediumjv3.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6990/img7342mediumfw2.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3701/img7343mediumqs0.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4069/img7360mediumrt1.jpg

'Morskie Oko' - frozen during the winter :)

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1522/img7353mediumes6.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/2595/img7355mediumpd6.jpg

http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/1968/img7356mediummx9.jpg

[Rem-51{France}]

it's BEAUTIFUL !!! :cheers: :notacrook: :worship:

[RustNeverSleeps]

Nice to see some snow in Europe, we could use some over here. Great pics and Zakopane looks like an excellent winter retreat.

[The Dear Leader]

Those wooden houses look really nice. Interesting to see that Poland's got some Alpine feel to it as well.

[bvpcvm]

Poland is awesome and Zakopane especially! Great pics - I need to go back with a better camera...

[drozdzu]

Kolejne świetne zdjęcia :D

[Ciekawski]

Nice photos Docent although they don't do the town justice.

There are infact 2 distinct wooden architectural styles in Zakopane - so called "Swiss Alpine" and "Zakopianski styl". The Zakopianski one is unique to this part of Poland and can't be found anywhere else in the world.

Good example of a similar wooden style can be found in nearby town of Krynica Zdroj.

http://www.poczta-polska.pl/mw/mwjpg.php?n=4_Krynica_13.jpg&y=533&x=800

[bloburgher]

Zakopane is great. A must do day trip if in krakow. I love the St. Bernard puppies for sale on the main walk.

[Bergenser]

Lovely nature! :)

http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/7660/img7314mediumdi7.jpg

[Alpha]

For tower freaks

http://www.dxradio-ffm.de/Zakopane-Gubolowka_1.jpg
Zakopane Radio Tower, height: 102 metres

[olga]

Beautiful! Dziekuje!

[Alpha]

To the summit of Gubałówka Mountain ( where also Zakopane Radio Tower is) runs a cable car. Does someone have some technical data of it?

[detroit_alive]

ah wonderful. i will be in zakopane next weekend. hopefully the snow lasts.

[Didusieq]

Some more photos from Zakopane, Gubałówka cable tram and Kasprowy Wierch cable tram:

Zakopane:

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/929/dscn0987if5.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn0987if5.jpg)

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4461/dscn1032ix6.th.jpg (http://img296.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn1032ix6.jpg)

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/7730/dscn1044to0.th.jpg (http://img249.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn1044to0.jpg)

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9058/dscn1058gs9.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn1058gs9.jpg)

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3350/dscn1071jj6.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn1071jj6.jpg)

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/5142/dscn1081px3.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn1081px3.jpg)


Gubałówka cable tram:

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/139/dscn0984id5.th.jpg (http://img241.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn0984id5.jpg)

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6494/dscn0985sq9.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn0985sq9.jpg)

technical data:

Time of ride: 3,5 min
Length: 1298 m
Capacity: 120 persons
2000 persons/h

Kasprowy Wierch cable tram:

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8970/dscn1046qo5.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn1046qo5.jpg)

Enjoy! :)