Zakopane - Krakow
My family trip to Zakopane (Poland). 06-15.01.
The first day. 1 dollar = 3 zł .
The plane took off from Kyiv to Katowice (Wizzer) at 09:35. At 15:30 we were already in the hotel room.
Transfer from the airport was not booked. At the exit from the airport, a bus was found in Zakopane - PLN 75 for an adult, PLN 15 for a child. Our baby was considered as a child, although he is no longer inferior in size to his mother)))).
The border guards at the airport were almost the last to pass, where they stood in line for 40 minutes. In the airport exchange office, the dollar exchange rate is terrible (2.4). It's good that they took dollars in the bus.
At the entrance to Zakopane, the driver took the addresses of hotels from everyone, drove into the city, turned around and said that he was not local and did not know the city! ? As a result, I took everyone to the bus station area (having lost half an hour of our time), from there we took a taxi to the hotel.
After a short rest, we went out into the city - to eat and to carry out reconnaissance. From the hotel to Krupovki street (local Deribasovskaya or Khreshchatyk) is a 5-10 minute walk. Life on Krupovka is in full swing - a lot of people, lights, shops, restaurants, cafes, souvenir markets and shops. Everything is very worthy. Ride on a cart around the city for half an hour - PLN 80. We realized that it makes no sense to go beyond Krupovka. Not to be sad, no. Just an ordinary town. And on Krupovka - an eternal holiday.
Second day . Polyana Shimashkova.
There are two lifts - small and large. Accordingly, there are only two routes.
Small - very short (400m), wide, straight, very gentle. It is considered blue, but I have not yet seen a greener track))). The condition is very decent - for these weather conditions. From 11 to 13 - the queue for the lift is about 15 minutes?! ! The son rolled down 4 times and went into denial - he was tired (to stand in lines). After 14 people greatly decreased - the son returned to the track))).
Ride with the family, went to the big lift. The track is straight, medium length, considered red. However, there is no information about this on site. Hence a large number of somersaulting teapots and just very small children. In addition, local instructors teach complete beginners on it ??? ! Relatively red can be called only the upper third of the track, which was also completely plowed - solid mounds and snowdrifts of wet snow. Below, in gentle areas, relatively normal.
Skis were rented right next to the ticket office - 38zl a complete set - everything is of excellent quality - the boots fit like family, the skis are new, the edges are sharpened.
In the same building as the rental, they ate and drank tea - a nice place, prices are not much higher than in the city.
Taxi from the hotel to Shimashkova - PLN 22, back - PLN 30.
In general, the impressions are that the wife is happy (for her, the small track is what she needs), the son is happy, I am happy that the wife is happy. And then we usually have the first day of a family ski vacation includes tears and a slight hysteria of the wife on the topics “Damn the day when I got up on these stupid skis! ”, “The last time I go skiing with you - you only think about yourself! ”
The first day of skiing was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that my mild cold, with which I left the house, gradually turned into a temperature of 38.5 in the evening...
Been sick all day in the room. My wife and son went for a walk (i. e. shooting for shopping) to Krupovka.
In the evening we went to evening skiing in the same Polyana Shimoshkova (18:00-20:00, PLN 30, you can ride on both lifts). Riding in the evening is cool, there are very few people, there are no queues. The son rolled 25 times. The condition of the small track is plowed in places, but without hillocks.
I decided to take my family to Gubalovka in order to diversify the experience. Upon arrival - a shock - the main and only track does NOT work - there is no snow, and this year, it seems, there was not. What to do - we went up just to look... From above, a road passes along the top of the ridge, along it there are tourist things - souvenirs, bars, cafes, etc. Of the declared 6 lifts, five are ski lifts, very short, with artificial snow (more precisely, ice).
Sat with mulled wine on the terrace with gorgeous views of the mountains. I was out of shock there.
We went down from the mountains and walked around Krupovka and souvenir markets. I have been looking at the pundyks sold on the streets for several days, and finally bought them. Pundyk turned out to be... local cheese - like suluguni! But that's not all. The wife recognized this cheese as similar to what she once bought while living in Riga. She once pecked a temechko to me with this cheese, explaining how tasty it is, and then she found it quite by accident! In general, nostalgia. ru along with "Find me"!
In the evening - again Shimoshkov with evening skiing. Son ride already on the big track. I feel like I've begun to get a certain perverse pleasure from driving over bumps.
Day 5 On Shimoshkova closed a large lift - no snow
Wieliczka is a salt mine. Well done Poles - from just a mine they made an object of attraction for tourists, and even a universal scale - a UNESCO monument, must see... We have already visited the rocket mine, now we visited the salt mine... I won’t climb into a coal mine or any other mine... Art objects carved from salt in the spirit of primitivism were not impressed.
Bus ticket to Krakow – PLN 15 Taxi from the bus station to Wieliczka - PLN 36, back - already 70 (to the Barbican), Wawel - bus station - PLN 15.
After Wieliczka, we walked around the evening Krakow (Dear of Kings) - it was impressive, beautiful. While reminded more of Vienna than Prague. The problem is that every 50 meters there are jewelry stores - the wife can hardly just walk by!!!
The tour of Krakow started from Wawel. We were determined to visit all the expositions. We started with the fact that near the entrance - from the Cathedral. We took audio guides - a chic thing, I advise everyone. The cathedral itself is quite decent, but the main feature is that it is stuffed with all sorts of artifacts of antiquity. Plus, there are a lot of very attractive chapels in it, which are independent units.
Tired of the influx of information and walking up the stairs (we climbed the tower with bells), we went to a cafe. We rested, refreshed ourselves, and I went to get tickets for the remaining interesting things. Unexpected news - everything closes at 16:00, the last visitors are let in at 15:00, and the ticket offices are closed in front of my nose! Yes... you need to get up earlier... On the other hand, what kind of rest is it if you get up before dawn?! ))))
But don't worry, there is still a lot of interesting things in Krakow!
Attempts to move away from the Royal Road only led to the realization that this is not worth doing (if you only have a couple of days in Krakow).
We went to the Church of Peter and Paul. But the St. Mary's Church is something grandiose! Outside, only the tops of the towers are remarkable. But inside - complete splendor. I don’t know if all Catholic churches used to be painted inside and now the walls are bare… But St. Mary’s Church is so stylish and beautiful inside…! I will clarify - all styles and ceilings are painted, the colors are mostly dark, gothic, in a word! A very rich altar.
In general, good impressions from Krakow, the same as yesterday. Wawel and St. Mary's Church - really must see.
Once at the end of the day in the Barbican area (this is one of the ends of the Royal Road), we saw a sign saying that it was only 700m to the train stations ? ! So yes, from the railway station to the historical center, 5-10 minutes walk, the bus station is right behind the railway, you need to go, following the signs underground.
I went to Bialka Tatrzanska (bus 6.5zl, 30 minutes).
By local standards, the number of slopes and lifts just rolls over! 6 lifts, runs worked... I would say from 4 to 7 (depending on what is considered a track). It was a sunny day and everything was very beautiful - forest, fir trees, gorgeous views from the peaks to the valleys and other ridges.
The queue at the main 6 seater station was 12 minutes at 10 am, 6 minutes at 1 pm, after 3 pm it was almost non-existent (Monday). There were practically no queues on the other lifts (1-3min). The blue runs are wide, straight, evenly flat, of medium length. There are two short red runs - wide. On one of them (the one that leads to the far six-seat) concrete hillocks quickly formed, which, with a large number (for the red route) of slow-moving, standing or already fallen skiers, forced me to finally abandon it.
Day hike in Krupovka with light shopping and buying souvenirs. Evening skiing on Shimoshkova - the big track started working again on Sunday.
Very good - inexpensive and tasty. We went to ethno establishments (sterns, huts) - the surroundings are in a wooden style, there must be a hearth! Polish cuisine includes many dishes with sauerkraut, dumplings, potato pancakes, potatoes and much more. Soups in bread, golonka (pork knee with cabbage) - you must definitely eat. Hot beer didn't work (especially with raspberry syrup).
Buses are cheap, clean, comfortable, and run on schedule.
Taxis are expensive in Zakopane, cheap ones can be found in Krakow (look at stickers with taxi fares - less than PLN 2 per km - good).
In my opinion, there is almost everything.
Actually "ski".
A typical place for skiing in Zakopane is one medium-length piste and under it several tow ropes for students. In addition, bundles of similar yokes are scattered around the city. Usually the track is lit and is open until 20:00. This is good, especially for those who like to sleep well in the morning and are not worried about the plowed track.
Such skiing is suitable for those who do not mind skiing on one track all day (and preferably all week). For example, my wife really liked the trip, and she is already asking me to return here next year.
