Zakopane district is considered the most attractive tourist region in Poland. The Tatras, the hills of Podhale as well as the town itself are ideal places for walks or longer or shorter hikes. A walk around the town can be combined with visiting its monuments and other interesting places. Here are some of them that we would like to recommend:

* Northern Part Of The Town

the centre of Zakopane - Krupówki St - The Tatra Museum - market at the foot of Guba³ówka - taking a tram up Guba³ówka (panorama of the Tatras and Zakopane!) - walking downhill along the yellow trail - Droga na Szymoszkow± - Ko¶cieliska St (the old church and cemetery) - the centre. About 5 hours.

* Southern Part Of The Town

the centre of Zakopane - Krupówki St - Zamoyskiego St - Bulwary S³owackiego St - Anta³ówka hill - Koziniec (Dom pod Jedlami, art. Gallery) - Bystre - Ku¼nickie roundabout (Natural Museum TPN) - COS Sports Centre complex (ski jumps etc.) - Dolina Bia³ego - Grunwaldzka St - the centre. About 4,30 hours.

* Along The Ridges Of Guba³ówka

Chocho³ów (by bus, visiting the village and the Chocho³ów Uprising museum) - Ostrysz - Butorowy Wierch - taking the cable car downhill. About 4 hours.

* The Tatra walk at the foot of The Tatras:

the centre of Zakopane - Orkana St - Kasprusie St ("Atma",

Karol Szymanowski Museum) - Str±¿yska St - Czerwona Prze³êcz - Prze³êcz Bia³ego - Kalatówki (Albert Sisters' convent) - Ku¼nice. About 5 hours.

* Through the valleys of The Western Tatras:

Gronik (by bus) - Dolina Ma³ej £±ki - Przys³op Miêtusi - Dolina Ko¶cieliska - Hala Pisana - visiting Zimna cave - Ko¶cielisko-Kiry. About 5 hours.

* The Tatra Lakes

Ku¼nice - Kasprowy Wierch (by cable car) - Dolina Stawów G±sienicowych - Karb - Czarny Staw G±sienicowy - Murowaniec chalet - Ku¼nice. About 5,30 hours.

* To Morskie Oko Lake

Wierch Poroniec (by bus) - Rusinowa Polana - Gêsia Szyja - Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza - Morskie Oko - back to £ysa Polana (by bus to Zakopane).

Advanced tourists can take trails along the ridges of The Zachodnie (Western) Tatras (e.g. from Kasprowy Wierch reached by cable car to the west, climb up Czerwone Wierchy, around Dolina Chocho³owska) or trails in The High Tatras (from Kasprowy to ¦winica, from Zakopane through Zawrat and Szpiglasowa Prze³êcz to Morskie Oko, difficult trails of "Orla Peræ", climb up Rysy). The trails in The Tatras are marked well with plates and colour stripes. In difficult areas there are special buckles, chains and even ladders. However, to use them you must not be afraid of heights, need to be fit and have good health.

In the Tatras you can also do some winter hiking. However, it requires high tourist qualifications, good equipment (clothes, boots, alpenstock and crampons) and good skills in using them. You should take your first steps under supervision of some qualified Tatra guides.

The Tatra National Park has made some trails available for cyclists. These are Droga Pod Reglami, Dolina Chocho³owska and Suchej Wody G±sienicowej, trail to Kalatówki.

The Tatras are high mountains and can be dangerous. You must always remember about the changeability of the weather - even in midsummer there may be some snowfall, beautiful sunny weather may turn to thick confusing fog. Another serious danger is storms; when you see there is going to be a storm you must take the nearest trail down from the ridge to the lower areas. When planning climbs in the higher parts of the mountains you should ask some experienced people for advice or hire a guide. In case of an accident you should call for help by using the international signal - light or voice signals six times a minute. The injured or lost in the Tatras are rescued by TOPR which uses a helicopter if necessary.

Zakopane can be a starting point for longer trips - to the Gorce Mountains, to Babia Góra and to the Pieniny Mountains. On such trips you can find unique monuments in the nearby villages: Chocho³ów, Dêbno, Orawka and Zubrzyca (heritage park). Another attraction is rafting along the gorge of the Dunajec River in the Pieniny Mountains, which has been popular for 150 years.