Paradise for skiers

The Polish mountains are also very attractive in the winter. Cross-country and downhill skiers as well as enthusiasts of peaceful strolls and wild sleighing cavalcades along the mountain valleys come in great numbers, especially to Zakopane, the Polish winter sports capital. The Tatra Mountians offer over a hundred ski lifts and numerous skiing routes. International and national skiing competitions are often held in Zakopane.

There is a number of attractive winter sports centres in the Beskids, too. The Sucha Dolina skiing centre is located in the Beskid Sądecki region, while the region of Beskid Śląski is a real paradise for downhill skiers. The main centres are those of Szczyrk and Wisła. The cable car at Szczyrk brings the skiers to the summit of Mt Skrzyczne (1257m). The Beskid Żywiecki region has many ski lifts and downhill routes in such localities as Korbielowo and Zwardoń, while the cross-country skiers can enjoy the trails of the Raczański Bag known to winter sports enthusiasts as the „locality of romantic white track”.

The Karkonosze Range in the Sudetens is proud of the centres at Szklarska Poręba and Karpacz, at Międzygórze in the massif of Mt Śnieżka, and at Zieleniec in the Góry Orlickie region. Thousands of cross-country skiers take part in the Piasts’ Race, held every year in March in the environs of Szklarska Poręba-Jakuszyce.

Hikes in the Bieszczady Mountains are also very attractive: wandering along the snow-covered ridges of the połoniny offers hikers a real taste of winter trekking.