Nestled in the foothills of the Tatras, Zakopane is Poland’s most fashionable mountain resort. It’s an excellent base for hiking in summer and skiing in winter, though in high season it can get positively overrun with visitors.
In addition to outdoor pursuits, Zakopane is known throughout Poland for the size and beauty of its wooden mountain villas, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of these now house museums, while others have been converted into hotels or pensions, or remain in private hands. Some remain inexplicably abandoned, apparently awaiting suitors with deep enough pockets to restore them to their original splendour.