Mountains in Poland with children

The Tatra Mountains in Poland, the closest mountains to Lithuania, are a wonderful destination for the whole family in all seasons. Although we’re not avid hikers or mountain climbers, we adore the Polish Tatras and the Zakopane region. A trip to the mountains in Poland with children is a great plan for all seasons. We’ve put together a travel plan with recommendations for Zakopane – what to see, where to stay, what to do.

Going to the mountains in Poland with children – what to see on the way to Zakopane

A trip to the mountains in Poland with children can take up to a full day from Lithuania, and if you are travelling with younger children, you can also choose to stay overnight. Warsaw is always a good stopover for Zakopane if you are planning a break. You can find our complete guide on what to do, see and do in Warsaw with kids in the article Warsaw with kids.

If you intend to go without an overnight stay, we highly recommend a stopover in Kraków, at the Wieliczka Salt Mines, and if you are going in summer, at Zakrzowek Park in the suburbs of Kraków, with its impressive natural swimming pools.

If you decide to spend a whole day in Krakow, we have prepared a guide to Krakow with kids.

Going to the mountains in Poland with children – PodKotelnica hotel for family holidays

You often ask us where to stay in Zakopane. Our top recommendation is the PodKotelnica hotel. It is the perfect place for a family holiday in the Mountains in Poland with children. We chose it because of its extremely good location. It is located in the very nice and quiet resort of Bialka Tatrzanska. The hotel is right at the foot of the mountains, just a few hundred metres from the spectacular Terma bania water park and all the attractions. It is much nicer and quieter than Zakopane in our opinion, but all the hiking trails and main attractions are within 20 kilometres.

PodKotelnica is housed in a beautiful building, just as you’d imagine in all those pictures of mountains – wooden, with sloping roofs and flowers on the windowsills. Both the outside of the hotel itself and all the beautiful wooden interiors inside are stunning. There are various rooms (we chose a larger one with a living room). The hotel has free parking, a very nice playroom for the kids and its own small spa. But most importantly the hotel windows offer a wonderful panorama of the Tatra Mountains. So when you wake up in the morning, your day starts with a perfect view from the window.

The hotel offers a very tasty breakfast buffet. We loved it and booked the whole package – bed, breakfast, dinner and a visit to the Terma Bania thermal pools and water park. We really enjoyed it so much that we are planning to come back here with our family in the winter.

We can confidently recommend PodKotelina to anyone looking for a place to stay with children and family in Zakopane or the Tatra Mountains.

Zakopane town

If you are going to the Zakopane region, we would definitely recommend visiting the town of Zakopane, but we do not recommend staying in Zakopane as it is very noisy, busy, a bit chaotic and reminds us of Palanga and Sventoji in one. However, Zakopane is a must-visit town. The town is distinguished by its special architecture. The main street of Zakopane, Krupowki, is one of the top five most famous streets in Poland. It runs for about 1 kilometre towards the famous Mount Gubaluwka. The rustic houses have pointed roofs and small windows, often decorated with flowers. The main street is lined with cafés and shops where you can buy souvenirs, mountain merchandise and Polish delicacies. A little further afield is the Zakopane Market, where you can find a variety of goods. We highly recommend trying the traditional baked cheese with jam.

Parking in Zakopane is complicated and the closer you are to the centre, the more expensive it is. There is a lot of parking available at the Gubalowka cable car. Choose the ones with unlimited time for a fixed price (we paid 30 zlotys for the whole day).

Attractions in Zakopane and what else to do with kids besides the mountains

Visit the Wielka Krokiew ski jumping complex, the pride of Polish winter sports.

In summer, Zakopane has a great trampoline and amusement park. In winter, be sure to visit the ski centres. If you visit Zakopane in the winter, we highly recommend a sleigh ride. There are two types of sledging in Zakopane: dog sledging and horse sledging! Children will especially enjoy this activity.

By the way, Zakopane is home to a huge variety of events.

If you’re not going hiking, we highly recommend that you at least go up to the top of the mountain, where there are lifts. The most comfortable, especially with babies, is the indoor Gubaluwka cable car. We went up to the top of Kotelnica. There was a café at the top, with a wonderful view of the mountains.

When in Zakopane, a visit to the thermal pools is simply a must. There are plenty of them. The one we liked best was Terma Bania.

Zakopane Waterpark and thermal pools

Zakopane has an excellent water park and a number of thermal pools. And it’s a great activity to do with children. Besides, what could be more fun than after a long hike to take a dip in the outdoor pool and admire the mountains. Thermal pools have lots of activities for children, slides. They are open all year round.

Zakopane has 7 main thermal pool parks:

1. Terma Bania
2. Chocholow Thermal Baths (the largest)
3. Goracy Potok
4. Aqua Park Zakopane
5. Termy Szaflary
6. Bukovina Thermal Baths
7. Kapielisko Szymoszkowa.

Terma Bania thermal pool

Termia Bania is a spectacular thermal pool complex and water park. We highly recommend visiting it when you’re in Zakopane or the Tatra Mountains. The water park is situated in a wonderful location at the foot of the mountains, so you can enjoy the panoramic view while swimming in the pools, and the lifts rise above the pools.

Tickets to the park are cheaper to buy online. Tickets are slightly more expensive at the ticket office. By the way, tickets for most of the thermal pools in the region are significantly cheaper in the evening. Tickets for Terma Balia are also cheaper after 16.00. We also chose to visit in the evening. It was great fun, as we enjoyed the water slides and entertainment while it was bright, and when it got dark, we swam in the warm thermal pools.

Terma Bania is unique because it has a lot of outdoor activities for children. Although we have been to many water parks in Poland, no other park has so many outdoor activities.

Our recommendations and tips for planning a trip to Zakopane with children

Zakopane is a very popular destination, so the number of tourists and visitors is really high. If you have the opportunity and know your plans, book everything in advance (lifts, hotels, parking).

• Most tickets can be booked online or at terminals in the city. This will save you time and sometimes money.

• Choose accommodation a little further away from Zakopane than in Zakopane itself. You’ll have more peace and quiet, lower prices and better quality.
• Start your hikes and arrive as early as possible. The sites are often already full by 8am.
• Make sure you have the right footwear for your children and yourself.
• Have snacks for the children.
• Have some band-aids, they will come in handy.
• The weather in the mountains is always changeable – so have warmer and waterproof clothes.
• Make sure you have sun protection. The sun is very hot in the mountains and, unfortunately, your holiday may be over after the first hike as you can get a very bad sunburn. We choose Dermedic sun cosmetics, which you can read about in our article Best sun cosmetics for children.

• Read our articles – Zakopane with children and Hiking trails in Zakopane with children. You’ll find lots of information.
• You can also find a lot of useful information in the Trails Tatra Mountains app.

Hiking in Zakopane and main attractions

Zakopane has 60 km of well-prepared trails with slopes of varying difficulty. The trails are marked with colours. You will also see the colour of the trail on the roadside stones so you don’t lose your way.

There is a fee for visiting the Tatra National Park! There are ticket sales points at the main entrances to the park. The price of a ticket is PLN 9 per person.

VERY IMPORTANT! The colour of a track does not indicate its difficulty, unlike ski slopes. Do not be fooled. A black track for hiking in the mountains does not mean that it is the most difficult track. Black trails are usually short trails. Blue are long runs. Red are the main routes leading to the most popular courses.

Be sure to download the Trails Tatra Mountains app.

Our recommendations for hikes to try and things to see in Zakopane with kids. If you want to hike more seriously with your kids, we highly recommend you read mum Asta’s recommendations in the guide – Hiking trails with kids in Zakopane.

Gubalowka

If you have limited time when you arrive in Zakopane, or if you just want to admire the mountains but don’t want to hike, then Gubalowka is the perfect choice.

You can go up this mountain by cable car, which goes up almost from the centre of Zakopane. There are mini markets at both the cable car and at the top of Gubalowka, with a wide variety of trade. There are cafés at the top of the hill where you can refresh yourself and have a meal. This route is also suitable if you have half a day to spare – arriving in the afternoon or leaving in the evening.

Morskie Oko

Probably one of the most popular and most visited attractions in Zakopane, both with and without children.

The road from the car park to Morskie Oko is paved and can be easily navigated with a stroller or, for younger children, a scooter. Please note that adults or other vehicles are not allowed on electric scooters. Arrive as early as possible at the car park, which you can reserve online, as the car parks are often full by 8am. You will have to park further away from the car park and add a few kilometres to your route. It’s also very convenient to take the bus from the city and you won’t have to worry about parking. For more information, routes and times, please visit the bus network’s website.

Morskie Oko can be reached by horse-drawn carriages, both round trip and return. The cost per person is 90 zlotys round trip and 50 zlotys return.

Once you reach Morskie Oko, you can go around the lake and climb to Czarny Staw pod Rysam or to Rysy, the highest peak in the Polish Tatras. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get there with a stroller or scooters.

Rusinowa Polana

This valley is said to offer the most beautiful view of the Tatras. Mum Dovilė, who recently visited this valley, shares her recommendation of Rusinova Polana. The valley is surrounded by mountains, with goats grazing, goat cheese for sale and picnic areas. It is now common to say that a hike to Rusinowa Polana is particularly suitable for beginners and families with small children.

Five Polish Ponds Valley/Piêdzy Stawów Polskich Valley

Another very popular route in Zakopane, the Five Ponds Route is surrounded by mountain peaks. The route is not easy, but is manageable for children. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for strollers. Depending on how you hike, you will need to cover about 20 kilometres. The hike starts at the Palenica Białczańska car park (price: 65 zl/day). As with all car parks, be sure to book in advance. And arrive as early as possible in the morning. The hike to the Five Polish Ponds Valley starts on the same paved road that leads to Morskie Oko. After about three kilometres, turn right on the green route towards Five Polish Ponds Valley. On this route you can also see the Wielka Siklawa waterfall, the largest waterfall in the Polish Tatras, which plunges down from a height of 70 metres.

Kasprowy Wierch

Another extremely popular destination in Zakopane. If you are planning to take the cable car, we highly recommend buying your tickets online well in advance. They will either simply not be available or will not arrive at the desired time. It is also possible to buy tickets on the spot. But you may have to wait in really long queues and there is always a chance that you may not get your tickets or that you may only get them at a time that is not convenient or suitable for you. Ticket prices vary according to time and age. For children and young people, return tickets cost 109 zlotys, one way 89 zlotys. Adults: 129 zlotys each way, 109 zlotys one way. Tickets are best purchased online on the official website.

If you are looking for more tips on travelling to the Polish Tatra Mountains and Zakopane with kids, read our prepared article A Trip to the Tatras with Children and a Baby.

For more information about travelling in Poland, see – Amusement parks in Poland with children, Holidays in Poland, Traveling Route through Poland by Car for Families with Children.

This article “Mountains in Poland with children” was written by “Travel 4 kids®” . Copying and use without permission is strictly prohibited.

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