Zakopane

Zakopane is a town in Lesser Poland Province, informally known as the winter capital of Poland. It is the biggest town lying at the foot of the Tatra Mountains and a big winter sports centre. What is more, a significant part of the Tatra National Park (from the Sucha Woda Valley to the Mała Łąka Valley) lies within the town's administrative borders. It is estimated that each year the Tatra Mountains are visited by 2-3 millions of tourists. The central point of Zakopane, the junction of Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets, is located at a height of 838 meters. North of it lies the Gubałówka Range, south of the town lies Mt Giewont.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Zakopane became an important cultural centre visited (or inhabited) by people of Polish cultural elite such as Henryk Sienkiewicz, Władysław Orkan, Stanisław Witkiewicz, Stefan Żeromski, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Jan Kasprowicz, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Karol Szymanowski, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz.
In 1909 The Volunteer Tatra Mountains Rescue Service (TOPR) was established.
The most important spots in Zakopane are: the wooden baroque church situated near The Cemetery of the Meritorious (Cmentarz Zasłużonych ), beautiful Góral wooden architecture, buildings in the characteristic Zakopane style (styl zakopiański), numerous villas (e.g. Koliba, Pod Jedlami, Atma, in which Szymanowski Museum is located), and many museums: The Tytus Chałubiński Tatra Museum, The Tatra National Park Museum, Kornel Makuszyński Museum, Jan Kasprowicz Museum, Martyrdom Museum, The Władysław Hasior Gallery, and Municipal Art Gallery.