Due to the open border, the border between these countries is not a hard border. You are just driving over the highway with no controls and being good, but why not make it interesting? Time to go from Poland to Slovakia, by crossing Kasprowy Wierch!
In October 2020, it was time to try it out, right in the issues with the pandemic.
Where is it located?
Zakopane, the Winter Capital of Poland!
Zakopane is a town close to the border of Slovakia in the south of Poland. The city is in the mountains, but basically at the edge of them. The mountains, which are located there, are the Tatra mountains.
The elevation of the city is high, so everywhere, where you want to go, especially when wanting to go hiking, it is rough going there. With a 80L backpack, it is even more difficult, most people are there with little hiking backpacks, or with nothing, which is smarter.
It was just not our plan, to go for a daily hike, our plan was to cross the border.
What is Zakopane known for?
Zakopane is known for being a winter paradise for millions of visitors. Many come there to go skiing. Also in other times of the year it is famous for all the possible hikes, which are there. Border crossing is from the possible activities probably not in the mind of the people.
Zakopane is a tourist spot. Due to that, it is really expensive to find a place to sleep there, that’s why we also went camping, while it was starting to get really cold.
The houses of the town were looking amazing, so it is for sure not a ugly city, that is important to mention, with many wooden houses in the whole city.
In general the city, as you can assume, is just popular for all the nature they have and the outdoor activities you are able to do.
What was the idea of the hike?
The original plan was, to wake up early, near to the entrance of the national park, the cost is six Złoty, which is less then $1,5.
It is not possible to not pay it, at least during the day it is not, there are people at all entrances. I guess during the night it could be possible, entering the national park, without paying. Also from the Slovakian side, it would be possible to get in for free.
After entering, the plan was, to hike through the national park, to make it during the day to the border of Slovakia and hike then down, to reach the edge of the mountain in Slovakia.
When making it to Slovakia, hitchhike to Banská Bystrica, to visit some friends of mine
How was the experience?
Waking up early, due to the cold air outside. We tried to get warm and went to the entry of the national park, where we were cooking some breakfast. Important to start with energy in the hike, which was supposed to take a while.
We were sure to be having to heavy backpacks, when comparing, to everyone else, on the hike. It didn’t feel good, but our trip was longer than that.
When the sun finally came out, it was automatically feeling a bit warmer, sometimes even too warm, so it was always changing the close, including in the process.
The nature at this hike was fantastic, really beautiful and nice to be there. At the lower part, there were a lot of trees, which provided a nice shadow for the sun. During the hike it was great, so it was important not to stop, stopping in the sun on the other hand was a good thing. In general we almost did not pause during the hike.
After the forest part, there was one big open space, which had so much wind that we were not able to walk some sections. Especially with the big backpacks on us, it was even harder to fight against the wind. At one point it almost happened, that I fell from the mountain. Luckily only found myself on the ground and not on the edge of the mountain.
A big part of the Polish side was walked, when we realized that the next section would become slightly harder to walk at.
Struggles during the hike!
While walking up the border to Slovakia to the Kasprowy Wierch peak, we saw that it might get harder. Ahead of us, there it was possible seeing the mountains covering in snow.
Of course not being prepared, it was clear that it wouldn’t be easy. The peak was at around 2000 meters, but there was no giving up in sight. The hike turned into something different. We walked slower and tried to not fall as often.
The walk was really slippery and with heavy backpacks it was not funny anymore. We fell down quite often, but the peak was coming closer and closer.
Before getting to the top, a blizzard was hitting us and a few others, who were in the same region as us. It was really unexpected, also not knowing what exactly to do, was not a good feeling.
Making it to the top
When making it to the top, it was a great feeling, not only to make it, but also because the view from the top, after the blizzard disappeared, was just fantastic.
Having some snow covered mountains and being able to look into the far ahead distance. It was perfect for enjoying the moment and taking great pictures as well. (The front picture for example)
Not only having the breathtaking view to all sides, also knowing the hardest part was being accomplished felt great. Now it was only necessary to walk the mountain on the other side down. The border to Slovakia was officially crossed and the new adventure was about to start.
The way down was easier, the snow started to slowly disappear, when walking down the mountain. Nature in Poland was great and the same, if not even more beautiful on the Slovakian side as well. Having a fresh mountain river nearby, with clean cold water, which was perfect to drink and also to swim in.
Slovakian side
When making it down from the mountain, there was still a longer hike ahead, to get out of the national park. Cooking some food was great to receive some energy and enjoy the time alone in nature, without people passing by. The river gave a great sound and the sun was finally there to warm us up.
We were not that rushed, so when the sun slowly started to set, it was time to build up the tent and call it a night.
In the morning being woken up by a passing car, was not the most pleasurable way to be woken up. Time for a bath in the river, which was super cold! It was perfect to not be sleepy anymore and having a great start to the day!
Summary
The region around Zakopane is a really beautiful one. It is not that far from the city of Krakow in Poland. The 100 km distance should not be an issue. Because of the popularity of the place, you can easily get there.
It is quite a touristic place, but that does not meaning, that you have the whole time tourists around you. Also it is possible to have a long time with nobody around.
Great to spend time there, for hikes, skiing and many other activities as well, it is understandable that it is so popular.
I personally was enjoying it a lot, of course, with a smaller backpack even more, but that was to be expected. So it is a place, which I can recommend, due to the fact that I would like to visit it again in the future, to spend some more quality time in nature.
I would love to hear your experiences about this place, or questions. Share it with me in the comments.
To read about another hiking story click on this text
or click here for Slovakia Stories : Poland to Slovakia – Crossing Kasprowy Wierch
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