This is a splinter article of our bigger, better ultimate guide to skiing in Poland. Head that way if you’re after info on more resorts, hotels, and the like.
Set on mount Chelm which rises above the small town, the Myslenice ski arena is one of the closest ski resorts to Krakow. You can easily hop on the car and hit the slopes within less than an hour’s drive from the city centre. This might not be the biggest or the best ski resort in the area, but it’s a great spot if you haven’t got enough time to go all the way to the Tatras. Tempted? Read on…
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The skiing in Myslenice ski
We’re not going to lie, Myslenice isn’t a match for Kasprowy Wierch or Bialka Tatrzanska, but it’s one of the closest slopes to Krakow so it’s worth a try. It only offers a humble 2.2 kilometres of pistes and a maximum elevation of just over 600 metres. That means, it’s not an ideal spot for long ski trips, but it’s a decent enough resort worthy of a day trip from Krakow.
There are technically four slopes in Myslenice ski resort, but two of them are only tiny nursery slopes serviced by a short platter lift or a mini belt lift for children. The other two are longer and slightly more challenging, but still, nothing to satisfy more advanced skiers. Both are a mix of blue and red and together they add up to around 2 km of slopes. The longer one goes all the way to the bottom station, but it’s not always open, especially if there hasn’t been much snow (as was the case when we skied there). However, the resort does use snow machines.
There are two chairlifts that take you to the top station, one from the bottom car park and the second one from the upper car park, where you’ll also find a ski rental. You can only buy your passes on the spot. The prices start from around 50 PLN/65 PLN for two hours (weekday/weekend). You can also buy evening-only passes because the two longer slopes are lit after dark.
Myslenice ski season
The top station in Myslenice is at only 625 m above sea level, which means you can’t expect a ski season to be as long as it is in higher-altitude resorts. That said, there are snow machines, so even if there is no snow, the slopes might be open. That’s of course if the temperatures are low enough for the snow not to melt.
Typically, the Myslenice ski season starts sometime in December and lasts until late March. In the season 2021/2022 the resort was open from the 17th of December until the 28th of March, but the precise dates each year depending on weather conditions.
Myslenice ski accommodation
Thanks to the close proximity to Krakow, finding fantastic accommodation near Myslenice ski resort is easy. It’s only about an hour’s drive to the bottom of the slopes from the centre of the city. Although not having a car can make this commute a little challenging, we’d say that Myslenice isn’t a good enough resort to justify staying right by the slopes.
Here are a couple of lovely hotels in Krakow:
Dom Pugetow
A gorgeous historic hotel that puts you in an old palace on the edge of the Old Town.
PURO Kraków Kazimierz
Very cool, with a boho bakery downstairs, also on the south side of Krakow for good access to the skiing.
The Bridge Suites
Spacious and chic apart hotels that get you close to the historic part of south Krakow (Podgorze) but also near the motorways that link to ski resorts.
Après in Myslenice
We’ll warn you here, Myslenice ski is a tiny resort, so we mainly recommend it for those looking for slopes accessible from Krakow. There is actually not much around the slopes there, so après is close to non-existent. You can head to Myslenice town for something to eat or drink, but we’d recommend heading back to Krakow if you’re looking for a lively night out. It might not be exactly what you’re after if you’ve seen the alpine-style bars on the snow, but sadly Poland isn’t the right place for that.
However, if you’re hungry or looking for something to drink while skiing, there is one restaurant on the slopes. Karczma na Górze Chełm has a choice of hot meals and snacks, so you don’t need to worry too much if you didn’t bring your packed lunch.
How to get to Myslenice ski from Krakow
If you’re planning to ski on Myslenice’s Chelm mountain, you’re likely looking for the best ways to get there from Krakow. Luckily, it’s super easy if you have access to a car, because it’s less than an hour’s drive from the city. You should just head on the popular Zakopanka Road and exit for Myslenice.
Getting to Myslenice slopes from Krakow on public transport is a little more complicated, but not impossible (we’ve done it). There are plenty of buses heading towards Myslenice from the main bus station in Krakow. However, the bus stop (known as Estakada) is nowhere near the chairlift, so from there we’d recommend getting a taxi. We decided to walk, but it was a bit of a trek, which would be a nightmare if you were to carry your own equipment.
