Zakopane exists between two seasons and two personalities. In winter it is Poland’s skiing capital — the slopes on Kasprowy Wierch and Gubałówka fill with skiers from across the country and from neighbouring Slovakia, and the Ski Jumping World Cup has been held here on the Wielka Krokiew hill since 1929. In summer it becomes a hiking base, with the Tatry National Park offering trails from easy valley walks to serious ridge scrambles.
The most famous destination is Morskie Oko, the glacial lake at 1,395 metres, reached by a 9-km walk (or horse-drawn carriage) from the road end at Palenica Białczańska. Kasprowy Wierch is reached by cable car from Kuźnice and has ridge walking in summer and reliable skiing from November to April. The town itself rewards wandering along Krupówki Street, where traditional Góral architecture — dark timber villas with elaborate carved gables — is visible in churches, hotels, and private houses.