Zakopane
Zakopane at a glance
Zakopane is a ski resort in Poland, part of the Kasprowy Wierch / Nosal ski area. It offers 16 km of slopes served by 12 lifts, with skiing between 1,010 m and 1,987 m (977 m vertical). That makes it the 2nd largest of the 3 ski resorts in Poland listed on Intski. The season usually runs from December to April.
Top features of this resort
Snow forecast
About 5 cm of new snow at the top (1,987 m) in the next 3 days, none at the base.
New snow and temperature at the top station. Estimated by Intski from the MET Norway forecast, updated every few hours. Where it snows most this week
Email me when it snows
An alert when 15 cm or more is on the way at Zakopane, and a heads-up before it opens.
Getting there & lift pass
Nearest airport
Poprad-Tatry (TAT) — about 33 km from the resort, straight-line distance, allow more by road.
Lift pass
Adult day pass around 170 PLN (2025/26 season). Polana Szymoszkowa skipass dzienny, high season rate.
Compare lift pass prices at all resortsPrice source, checked 2026-09-14
Driving to Zakopane
Rules for a car in Poland, checked 30 September 2026 against official sources.
Road charge
Tolls on three private motorway sections
Winter tyres
No legal requirement
Studded tyres
Banned
A4 Katowice–Kraków (concession, plazas Mysłowice and Balice): PLN 18
Silesia/Czechia/Germany to Kraków and on to Zakopane and Białka Tatrzańska Per plaza, from 1 April 2026; two plazas, 36 PLN for the whole section. Category 2 and 3 (twin wheels or car with trailer) 32 PLN, category 4 and 5 55 PLN. Cash (PLN, EUR/USD notes), cards, fuel cards, videotolling apps. Free for vehicles up to 3.5 t from 16 March 2027.
Zakopane resort facts
About Zakopane
Zakopane is a town of 27,266 people (2017) in the Podhale region of southern Poland, at the foot of the Tatra Mountains and close to the Slovak border.
Resort Highlights
Poland’s winter capital
Zakopane is a town of 27,266 people (2017) in the Podhale region of southern Poland, at the foot of the Tatra Mountains and close to the Slovak border. It is often referred to as the winter capital of Poland, and it is the centre of Goral culture. The town lies in a valley between the Tatras and Gubałówka Hill, at 800 to 1,100 m, and centres on the crossing of Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets. Since 1999 it has been part of Lesser Poland Voivodeship, and it is linked by rail and road to Kraków, the provincial capital.
The skiing
Zakopane is a town that skis rather than a ski resort, and the numbers reflect that. Our data lists 16 km of piste on 12 lifts, between a base at 1,010 m and a top at 1,987 m, under the ski area name Kasprowy Wierch / Nosal. The name points to two separate hills rather than one linked domain, so the headline figures describe the combined offer rather than a single mountain. Twelve lifts for 16 km is a dense ratio, which fits a picture of short lifts on two modest areas rather than long cableways on one big one. With a top just under 2,000 m, Zakopane does not have altitude on its side and is not flagged snow-sure in our data; the December to April season is a working range rather than a promise. There is no difficulty split in our records.
What Zakopane offers instead is everything around the skiing. Our data flags après-ski, traditional character and scenic views, and a town of 27,000 with a real centre delivers on the first two in a way no purpose-built resort can. It is a base for trekking, mountaineering and climbing in the Tatras as well, so a week here is as much a mountain-town holiday as a skiing one, and the 977 m of vertical between the base and the top lift is the mountain part of it.
The town
The town’s position, wedged between the Tatras on one side and Gubałówka Hill on the other, gives it mountains in both directions, and its 800 to 1,100 m elevation means the streets themselves are at a height most Alpine valley resorts would envy. The Goral culture is the other thing that sets Zakopane apart: this is a regional capital with its own identity, not a settlement that exists because of the lifts.
Getting there
The nearest airport in our records is Poprad-Tatry, roughly 33 km away as the crow flies, but it is on the Slovak side of the border. From within Poland, the rail and road links to Kraków are the usual approach. The resort’s official website is the town’s own.
Frequently asked questions about Zakopane
Wikipedia notes it is often referred to that way. It is the centre of Goral culture and a hub for skiing, trekking, mountaineering and climbing at the foot of the Tatra Mountains.
Our records list the ski area as Kasprowy Wierch / Nosal, which points to two separate hills rather than one linked domain. Between them there are 16 km of piste on 12 lifts.
The town lies between 800 and 1,100 m above sea level, in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill.
Zakopane is connected to Kraków, the provincial capital, by both rail and road.
The town centres on the intersection of Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.
Zakopane has 16 km of marked slopes, served by 12 ski lifts.
The skiing in Zakopane ranges from 1,010 m at the base to 1,987 m at the top — a vertical drop of 977 m.
The ski season in Zakopane typically runs from December to April. Exact opening dates vary by year and snow conditions.
An adult day pass in Zakopane costs around 170 PLN (2025/26 season). Polana Szymoszkowa skipass dzienny, high season rate.
The nearest airport to Zakopane is Poprad-Tatry (TAT), about 33 km away (straight-line distance, allow more by road).
Skier reviews
Been to Zakopane? Tell other skiers what it is really like.
Sign in to leave a review
We ask for an account so every review comes from a real person. It takes about ten seconds and keeps this page free of spam.
Nearby Resorts
Other ski resorts you might enjoy
