Zakopane with kids

Zakopane with a child - how to spend time with bigger and smaller children in the city at the foot of the Tatra Mountains?

The last days of holidays are ahead of us. If you are planning to visit Zakopane with your child, here are some inspirations on how to actively spend time in the capital of the Polish Tatra Mountains and its surroundings.  

Zakopane with children is quite a challenge, as all parents want to spend their time in the mountains as pleasantly as possible, providing their children with as many experiences as possible. In addition to the popular attractions that the mountain town offers at every step, it is definitely worth going for a walk to one of the valleys or hills, which you can easily visit with your children.  

Among the places we recommend for a walk, which will work well if you are visiting Zakopane with a small child, there are: Chochołowska Valley, Kościeliska Valley, Morskie Oko, Strążyska Valley, Kalatówki, or the popular Gubałówka cable car.  

Chochołowska Valley with children.  

The Chocholowska Valley is the largest, longest and also one of the most beautiful valleys located in the Tatra Mountains. It is about 10 kilometres long. At the start (at the edge of the valley), we can see a sign informing that the crossing time is less than two hours.  We suggest, however, to put more time on the trip. The Chochołowska Valley was once the main centre of shepherding. There are several chalets, a highland buffet, and seasonal sheep grazing is also carried out there. In the upper part of the Chochołowska Glade, there is a wooden Chapel of John the Baptist built in the highlander style. It was built for the TV series "Janosik" and has been left there ever since. The Chochołowska Valley is the perfect answer to the question of which place to choose for a longer walk when visiting Zakopane with a child. In addition to the mountain views and the regional atmosphere of the walk, a great asset of the Chochołowska Valley is the possibility to move around it by bicycle and the regularly running tourist train. The trip can be classified as easy and we recommend it especially to beginners visiting Zakopane with children.  

Dolina Kościeliska Zakopane.  

Dolina Kościeliska is situated almost parallel to Dolina Chochołowska. The entire Valley is a deep gorge shaped initially by a glacier, and finally by Potok Kościeliski, which years ago flowed through it. A trip to this Valley is a route ideal even for parents with toddlers in prams. It is one of the longer suggestions for a trip with children that appeared in our list - it is 9 km long. The route offered by the Kościeliska Valley is pleasant, rather straightforward, mountainous in places, but at the same time extremely picturesque and interesting. During the hike, we can admire numerous rocks, caves (among them, the Mylna, Mroźna or Raptawicka cave) and, of course, typical mountain flora. In the heart of the Kościeliska Valley, waiting for you will be the climatic and very popular Ornak Shelter, where you can not only rest, but also taste highlander delicacies, drink tea, or simply enjoy the wonderful views, which are not lacking in the glade. If you are planning to visit Zakopane with a small child, we wholeheartedly recommend this place. 

Morskie Oko Zakopane.

Located at 1,395 metres above sea level, Morskie Oko is the largest lake in the Polish Tatra Mountains and is also said to be one of the most beautiful in the world, and it's hard to disagree.  The path to Morskie Oko is an ideal place for a walk with children, as it is also perfectly suitable for children travelling in pushchairs. The trail starts from Polana Palenica, which you can reach by bus without any problem. The entire route is asphalted, leads gently uphill and is about 9 km long, which you can cover in about two and a half hours.  The view and the mountainous surroundings that await at the end are well worth the hike. Above Morskie Oko, in addition to the breathtaking views and the crystal-clear water of the lake, which is home to trout, a popular hostel in the area will be waiting for you, where you can taste, among other things, delicious homemade apple pie. 

Strążyska Valley and Siklawica Waterfall Zakopane.  

This is a beautiful 3 km route topped with a view of Giewont, which is actually crossed along its entire length by bridges over the Strążyski Potok. In front of the Valley there is a road leading to the top of one of the most recognisable hills in southern Poland called the "Sleeping Knight", which makes it very popular, especially in high season. En route, about 15 minutes from the Strążyska Glade, there is the 23-metre Siklawica Waterfall, where children will spend a longer moment. On the glade itself, you will find a shelter where you can rest and eat something warm, drink tea or taste delicious highlander cakes while enjoying the breathtaking view. The whole route takes about 40 minutes and is suitable already for children aged 4-5 years.  

Kalatówki Zakopane.  

We start our trip to Kalatówki from Kuźnice. Initially the route is quite straightforward, then it gets a bit steeper. On the way to the hostel, located on the clearing we are heading to, we will pass the picturesquely situated Albertine Brothers' Monastery with a small museum, chapel and Albert Chmielowski's hermitage. The road from Kuźnice to Kalatówki takes about 40 minutes, where PTTK's largest and highest located mountain hotel stands. Although the route is short, due to the higher ascents, we recommend it for a walk with slightly older children.  

Gubałówka with a child.  

Gubałówka does not need to be introduced to anyone. A characteristic hill at the foot of which lies Krupówki. For a child, a ride up the mountain in a cable car will undoubtedly be a huge attraction, and the view of the Tatra Mountains from the top will certainly be memorable not only for children, but also for their parents.  There are restaurants, cafés and small stalls selling regional souvenirs with typical Zakopane character. Older children can enjoy a ride in the gravity railway. It is worth going up Gubałówka, but you can easily do it at the end of a day full of family mountain hikes, whose suggestions we have described above.  

The presented places are only a part of what the Polish Tatra Mountains offer for families with children. Perhaps soon we will be tempted to expand our blog to include more places worth visiting. So if you are still hesitating on how to spend the last days of your holidays, we sincerely recommend Zakopane with children and an overnight stay in the regional Willa Motylek (link to the accommodation-zakopane subpage), which will complement the highland character of the trip. Alternatively, we also recommend the entry A weekend in Krakow with a child