The Highs and Lows of the Tatras

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I traveled by train to Zakopane from Krakow, a mere 3 1/2 hours to go 120 km. Let me know if you cannot read this blog entry because I am using a Slovak keyboard and I have to use some letters in the wrong locations. I arrived in Zakopane in the Tatras region of the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains. Lonely Planet says that no one stays in hotels because there are some many private rooms available - they will meet you as the train arrives. And they did meet us, but walked right by me. I approached a group of these people advertising private rooms by holding signs. I asked if they have any rooms. "Tonight?" "Of course, tonight" was my reply. "No we have no rooms available"

Confused I walked away and walked to the tourist information. They are supposed to find us rooms. While they gave me a map, the woman at the counter said they don´t find rooms, but they do at the help desk across the road. I walked across the road to find this place was closed, and for how long I could not tell, perhaps 5 minutes, perhaps closed on Sundays or perhaps closed for the busy season - I don´t know. I walked about and into a few hotels, and no of these places had rooms. I approached a couple more people advertising by the side of the road that they have rooms available. One man starts yelling at me "dva, dva" I then figure out that these private accomodations are not interested in single travellers, they will only let rooms to doubles or families. I then found a sign board near the tourist information stating which hotels in the area had rooms. The hostel some distance away had space available. I took a taxi there, and they had a bed for me. I spent the same for the bed as I did for the taxi ride, about 15 dollars equivalent. I had a bed in a nice log cabin building, and an entire three bed room to myself, as I could have been sharing.

Zakopane was so busy. The main streets were absolutely packed with Polish holiday seekers. There is a main restaurant and shopping zone for pedestrians only. And lots of people coming and going from their hiking into the mountains. Now that I had a bed, after 3 hours of wandering around town, I asked the woman in charge of the hostel if I could stay a second night. This was unavailable. It is almost as if I was not wanted in Zakopane. So early the next morning I took the bus over the mountain pass through the High Tatras to Poprad, on the Slovakian side of the mountains. I walked straight into the first hotel I saw near the bus station and train station. I got a good, comfortable and cheap room and I was in there by 10:30 am. And with a good view of the mountains. Poprad was much more calm, with far fewer people. And in my estimation, a better view of a more rugged Tatras Mountains. Although this day, the cloud cover was quite extensive.

I took the train up to the base of the mountains to a tiny resort of Strbské Pleso. There is a glacial lake, a few resort hotels and a ski jump. I walked part way around the lake taking photos. I stayed up at the base of the mountains, 30 km away from my hotel in Poprad, for about two hours wandering about. No hiking for me on this trip to the Tatras Mountains. The sunset behind the mountains that evening was quite dramatic, and the sunrise the next morning shining onto the mountains equally good. The mountains were formed about 15 million years ago, and were responsible for the formation of the salt mine, Wieliczka, I had seen last week. There was a vast tropical lake in an area we now know as southern Poland, but as the Tatras Mountains formed, the lake drained leaving behind all the salt. The Tatra Mountains are part of the larger mountain range, the Carpathians Mountains. But here in east Slovakia, the Tatras just seem to rise from almost flat land - quite spectacular.

The next day, the weather had improved, but I had already decided to move onto Bratislava. I took the four hour train ride in the afternoon, leaving behind the High Tatras, not quite what I had expected when I arrived two days before in Zakopane. But this experience is all part of the travelling experience in general. No one can expect ten weeks of travel with no pre-planning or pre-booking to go completely smoothly and uneventfully, this is a part of travel. I had relied on Lonely Planet as they claimed that there were lots of rooms available, and there were. But their research failed to reveal that these private rooms are for familes or doubles. And I am not sure why Zakopane in Poland is so popular, while Poprad across the border has equal access to the mountains, but is simply a sleeply small town in eastern Slovakia. And with a better view of the mountains, I think Poprad is a little gem waiting to be discovered.

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Photos

Zakopane sunset
On the long road to my hostel

The High Tatras from the Slovak side
The view from my hotel window, but this photo was actually taken from the train station.

Comments

[Les]

Zakopane
Hi Chris, Nice pictures. So, they didn't want you in Zakopane, eh? I had the same experience every time I went there when I was living in Poland back in the 80's. I am glad you liked Krakow. You did survive Poland, that's an accomplishment! See you later. Les