The Ultimate Guide to Gubalowka, Zakopane

Gubalowka is the hill that sits on the north side of Zakopane town. You can walk there from the center to ride a vintage funicular and get some of the best views of the Tatra Mountains.

No trip to Zakopane could possibly be complete without a jaunt up Gubalowka.

Rising on the north side of the city, this relatively low hill (at least compared to the mighty Tatras opposite) offers up some of the most fantastic views in the valley.

Getting up there is a joy in itself, since it’s a chance to ride the Gubalowka Funicular – a classic mountain railway that’s fun for the whole family. Or, you could pull on the hiking boots and do one of the easier walks in town.

At the top, there are lookout points, bars, and even some enticing hotel options.

In this ultimate guide to Gubalowka, we’ll take a look at all aspects of this top Zakopane attraction. We’ll outline the practicalities of getting there and also showcase what there is to do on and around the famous hill. Let’s begin…

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This is just one part of our complete travel guide to Zakopane

What’s in this guide to Gubalowka?

What exactly is Gubalowka?

Gubalowka is a hill.

Yep, that’s it. A hill.

It sits on the northern side of Zakopane town and looks straight over the High Tatra peaks, which rise opposite, on the south side of the town.

Gubalowka starts right at the end of the famous Krupowki Street, which is the main drag in the winter capital and the main hub for bars and restaurants.

But Gubalowka is also much more than simply just a hill.

It’s also a major attraction and must-do for most first-time visitors to Zakopane. First off, it’s the home of a vintage hill funicular (more on that below), hosts a number of traditional Polish food taverns, offers a series of walks with great views, and even comes topped by an array of quality hotels.

The Gubałówka Hill Funicular

Perhaps the main attraction on Gubalowka hill is the namesake Gubałówka Hill Funicular.

It was built way back in the 1930s, just before the onset of WWII. It’s still going to this day and offers to whisk passengers from the base station at the south end of Krupowki Street through the forests to a top station that’s some 1,200 meters above sea level (that’s a vertical difference of about 600 meters).

In all, the ride takes around five minutes. As you go, you’ll notice the views getting better and better, with the jagged outline of peaks in the High Tatras – Giewont, Kasprowy – becoming more and more visible the higher you head on clear days.

The Gubałówka Hill Funicular is open all year round, summer and winter. Tickets cost 22 PLN ($5) return.

Hiking Gubalowka

The hike to the top of the Gubalowka Hill is actually one of the most accessible and doable hikes in the city. You can leave from any hotel in the center and start at the trailhead that in the field immediately adjacent to the funicular station.

That bends over a bridge that’s built across the funicular tracks about halfway up and then ascends through a final pasture before hitting the top station. It takes around an hour in total.

There are plenty of variations in the route. A longer section veers westward after getting about halfway up and takes you through some dashes of thick pine forest. That’s a great option in winter, when there’s lots of snow on the open ground.

There’s also a route on the eastern side of the hill that’s longer but a bit less steep.

We’d recommend grabbing a hiking map from one of the outfitters on Krupowki Street below.

At the top of Gubalowka

The main draw of the Gubalowka hill and the main reason that people come to ride the aforementioned Gubałówka Hill Funicular is what’s on offer at the top.

There’s quite a lot up there, so let’s take it one by one:

• The views – Some of the best lookout points in Zakopane are on offer from the top of the Gubałówka Hill. Most of them are now attached to either a restaurant or a café (in the form of a deck or terrace where you can stand/sit with a drink), looking straight south over the valley towards the high peaks of the Tatra National Park.
• The dining – You’ll discover a series of traditional gorale style taverns serving proper Zakopane food up the top here. The best of them are Gospoda Pod Niebem (which sadly doesn’t have views) and Restauracja Po Widoki (which does). There are also more casual places that serve up more canteen style food that the kiddos often love – think French fries, Polish soups, and smoked cheese (the local delicacy)
• Toboggan run (Zjeżdżalnia grawitacyjna) – There’s a winding, wiggling toboggan run that we think gets the speed gauge just about right to make it fun for both kids and adults!

Hotels on Gubalowka

If you’re not overly fussed about being right there in the thick of the Zakopane action, then Gubalowka Hill can be a fantastic place to stay.

Bear in mind that you won’t be able to walk to the abundance of restaurants and late-night drinkeries that sit down on Krupowki Street, and the last train to the top of the hill is usually around dusk, so you’ll either need to be ready for a LONNGG walk back to your hotel or to leave the town center by that time.

What you will get is a hotel that probably has fantastic views of he Zakopane mountains, peace and quiet, and even a touch of luxury, since this has become a bit of a hotspot for alpine chalets and spa hotels. Here are a few of our picks:

• Rezydencja Gubałówka sauna widok – This huge, luxury chalet can sleep up to 14 people at any time. It’s the perfect escape for Christmas or New Year, offering panoramic terraces, a big dining space, and a real-wood fire.
• Domek na Gubałówce – There are two comfy chalets that host groups of up to eight plus babies here. Both are really nice and offer a feeling of immersion in the mountains that staying down in town can’t give.
• ZAKOHOME- Apartament Gubałówka 1120 m n.p.m. – This is a SUPER cool spot with chic vibes and views that you simply won’t forget. It’s about five mins walk from the top station of Gubalowka but you’ll have panoramas the whole way to the door.

You can check out this guide for more suggestions for fantastic Zakopane hotels.

Visiting Gubalowka from Krakow

If you’re not overly fussed about being right there in the thick of the Zakopane action, then Gubalowka Because it’s one of the top attractions in Zakopane town, and relatively accessible to boot, the Gubalowka Funicular and the hill’s panoramic viewpoints often feature in day trips to the Tatras from Krakow.

These will keep things simple. They involve a pickup in Krakow (either at a designated meeting point or at your hotel) and a direct bus transfer to Zakopane and the mountain region (taking about 1.5-2 hours).

Different packages include different things, but we especially like:

• Day Tour of Zakopane and Tatra Mountains – Same as above but with fewer add-ons, this trip is around just £40 per person. You’ll go up Gubalowka, visit the famous wood-built Jaszczurowka Chapel, and go to a traditional mountain cheese factory.
• Zakopane Tour with Thermal Pools and Hotel Pickup – For around £50 per person you get a full day in the mountains. The package includes a ticket on the Gubalowka funicular for seeing the mountains but also loads more – think a walk through of enchanting Chocholow Village (a mountain town of charming old cabins) and a session in the amazing Chocholow Thermal Baths (hot springs surrounded by snowy mountains. Yes please).

Skiing on Gubalowka

There’s a small ski run and a decent snow park located right at the top of Gubalowka.

It’s not really big enough to call a resort in its own right and it’s generally aimed at two crowds: Families with small kids who want easy baby slopes and snowboarders/skiiers looking for rails and jumps in the fun park.

The slopes here have snowmaking, so they can open around mid-December. The snowpark often needs a bit more time to gather snowpack before they can put together the jumps and whatnot.

There’s a single draglift that serves both the snowpark and the main slope. Rails and boxes for doing tricks are located right at the top.

Lots of people also come up here to do off-piste skiing. The bottom of the snowpark opens into some freeride terrain with trees. Just be warned that venturing off the marked slopes could be dangerous.

For more info on skiing in Zakopane, be sure to check out our complete guide. We also have a guide to all the skiing in Poland.

When to visit Gubalowka?

There’s really no bad time to visit Gubalowka. The summer months are undoubtedly the most popular. That’s just because there are more people around Zakopane between June and August. The weather is also better so you’re more likely to get great views of the mountains, which will look amazing haloed in green woodlands and lush meadows.

The depths of winter are one of our favourite times to go. Try to wait for one of those fantastic crisp winter days when the skies are clear and it’s cold. That’s when you might be able to catch the panoramas of the Zakopane valley covered in snow, and the Tatras in the distance with their caps of snow and ice. It’s amazing then and the restaurants at the top of the hill are super cozy, offering hot chocolates beside log fires.

The autumn and the spring both have upsides. The first is great because a) it’s emptier than the summer and b) you can watch the forests changing colours around the Tatra Mountains. The spring is a nice time to hike around the Gubalowka Hill as the meadows will be blooming with crocuses and it’s usually nice and cool to walk, though early spring can still see snow at the top of the hill.