Zakopane Travel Forum

is it easy to get maps of the walking trails around zakopane and are they easy to follow as i will just be going with my partner and we are just getting into the walking trips

GO TO KRYNICA much nicer

Mind you ‘gustibus non disputantum (hahahaha)’.I don’t like Zakopane itself (Krynica is only nicer- both too commercial for me- as I prefer calmer and smaller places).But there are many interesting places to see close to Zakopane
I find Polish part of Tatry as overcrowded (specially in summer and weekends).I think that June is better than other months (the best is October- also due to lower rain probability).
Generally maps are pretty good here also for Tatry (a wide choice and easy accessibility). I use Tatrzanski Park Narodowy map, but also you can find others -more and less detailed. No doubt you can buy maps of Tatry also in internet.
Hiking- there are some short trails 2-3 hours loops possible, but medium and demanding (also due to fear of heights) ones. The winter is till end of May in Tatry (or even mid-June). You are allowed to hike in Polish side in winter time, but not till 15-th June in most of Slovakian trails need more skills and mountain equipment in that season (but not for valley trails).
There are also lower but also scenic mountains accessible from broad Zakopane area like Gorce, Pieniny, Beskid Zywiecki (Babia Gora).
The trails are pretty well (for me) marked here.

Hello Elle!
I do not get people complaining about Zakopane not being a perfect place. It is the number 1 for holiday! There are LOTS of walking trails, Zakopane itself is an interesting place to see with some wooden churches, traditional-designed restaurants, folklore music in the evening. There are buses cruising every now and then to all the points around Z from the train station. You just get closer to the mountain and start your hike. Does not have to be a hard hike to the mountains, you can walk the valley and get to a mountain hut where you get a warm dish or tea, then walk back. Great views. Dolina Koscieliska, Dolina Chocholowska, Morskie Oko.
Sorry, I did not answer your question! Yes maps are very easy to find in many quiosques or shops. Just search for a map with the best approximation (for example 1:25,000 is better than 1:75,000) and they've got all the trails (szlak) marked, and they're very easy to follow, especially that you're never alone on the trail.
Wish you lots of nice time in there!

I realize that I have to rewrite some my sentences.

Hiking- there are some short and easy trails- 2-3 hours loops possible. There are also others-medium and demanding (in sense of length but also due to fear of heights) ones.

You are allowed to hike on Polish Tatry side in winter time, but not till 15-th June in most of Slovakian trails.You need more skills and mountain equipment in winter season (but not for valley trails).

Coming back to Zakopane.There are few sybolic places for Polish tourist in Poland one of them is Krupowki st. in Zakopane-ugly but full of shops, places to eat (kebab including KFC Mc... including).
There is many good food restaurants with live local folk music in Zakopane (also on Krupowki).
There is one old wooden church in the centre and another one on Kalatowki, few houses built in specific architecture style, and others wooden houses, but most of modern houses are not so interesting.There is probably one interesting museum (Tatrzanskie Muzeum)Zakopane is a good place for entertaiment with relatively good night life and thermal water swimming pool, and Gubalowka and Kasprowy lifts.
This is a very much tourist orientated place - lots of accommodation possibilities, and a local transportation hub.
You can find also some nice areas apart from commercial noise there there.
The main strength of Zakopane is Tatry's access and proximity, as other features not differs much from other similar places.
You can also consider staying in neighbourhood villages.

Morskie Oko lake is a nice place but crowded like Piccadilly Circus all year round.So go there very early or relatively late.The long asphalt-pedestrian road
is a bit boring, but there are a kind of horse-trams for loaded tourists.

Piec Stawow Dolina (valley)is one of my favourite and with relatively easy- 2,5- hours access from Morskie Oko road place in Tatry.

Not enough it is easy to get a map, but it is a National Park and all the rutes to hike have signs and there is plenty of other hikers.
No worry ;-)

whos complaining about zakopane?