Skiing holidays in Poland - a cheaper alternative
Beautiful mountain ranges, snowy winters and a tradition of skiing make Poland a great place for ski holidays.
The experience of skiing in Polish mountains is enriched by the mountain resorts cultivating their regional traditions and architecture. Your hotel is likely to be in a highlanders' style wooden building, restaurants offer traditional regional dishes and you would be often entertained by a local folk band during your meal.
You'll find plenty of locally produced food, arts and crafts in the street markets and there are many museums and art galleries showcasing regional art and traditions.
Poland offers a relatively cheap ski breaks alternative as the prices compare very well with Austria,France or Italy.
Example prices in Poland:
7 day ski pass 280 - 420 PLN (£55 - £82)
1 day skis or snowboard rental 40 PLN (£8)
1 hour with a ski instructor 100 PLN (£20)
Where to ski in Poland
Mountains occupy the south and south west of Poland, and this is where you'll find great skiing in Tatra Mountains, Beskidy Mountains and Sudety Mountains. All easily reachable by flying into the nearest city such as Krakow, Katowice or Wroclaw, directly from London. See more information on the main resorts in each mountain range below.
Skiing in Tatra Mountains
Tatra mountains, the highest mountain range in Poland, offers the best skiing options with the highest number of ski lifts and best prepared routes.
The mountains here are covered in snow for up to 5 months a year and the depth snow on ski routes is between 40 and 175 cm.
In and around Zakopane, the main ski resort and the winter capital of Poland, there are about 50 skiing routes of different level of difficulty from the easy green to the advanced black. All skiing routes have artificial lighting and snow generators to cope in less snowy conditions. In addition to numerous chair lifts on the slopes, you can get to the high peak of Kasprowy Wierch (1987m ) on the cable car and the easy ski routes from Gubalowka are accessible by a furnicular railway.
A well developed ski industry in the Tatras caters for all your needs. The ski rentals & service centres seem to be on every corner in Zakopane and there are numerous ski schools and shops with skiing equipment.
Apart from Zakopane, the other bigger ski resorts in the Tatra Mountains are Bukowina Tatrzanska & Bialka Tatrzanska.
How to get to the Tatras - fly to Krakow
The nearest airport is in Krakow. From Krakow there is about 2.5 hour coach journey to Zakopane and other resorts. The buses to skiing resorts depart from the bus station that is located next to the main railway station in Krakow. You can also hire a car in Krakow at the airport or in the city.
Skiing in Beskidy Mountains
Beskidy mountains offer more skiing holiday options in Poland.
The highest mountain range after Tatras, within the same Karpaty mountain range, it has plenty of ski resorts in picturesque mountain towns and villages.
The most popular skiing resort in Beskidy is Szczyrk with 60 km of skiing routes. Another skiing resort to try out is Korbielow, which has won the title of the best ski resort in Poland in 2011.
Ustron, Wisla and numerous other smaller villages are also worth visiting.
How to get to ski resorts in Beskidy - fly to Katowice or Krakow
The nearest airport is in Katowice. From Katowice there is a 2 hour train journey to Wisla and Ustron. For Szczyrk you need to take the train from Katowice to Bielsko-Biala(1 hour) and then a coach to Szczyrk (30 mins). For Korbielow you need to take the train from Katowice to Zywiec (2 hours) and then a coach to Korbielow. Alternatively you can hire a car at Katowice Airport.
Map of Beskidy Mountains
Skiing in Sudety Mountains
Sudety mountain range is in the south-west corner of Polandand has excellent skiing facilities.
The main ski resorts in Sudety are Karpacz, Szklarska Poreba and Zieleniec with over 30 lifts and the best skiing in Sudety, as well as numerous smaller villages.
Additionally you can take part in various downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding competitions that take place in many resorts in the area, especially in Szklarska Poreba.
How to get to ski resorts in Sudety - fly to Wroclaw
The nearest airport is in Wroclaw or in Praque. From Wroclaw there is 3.5 hour train journey to Jelenia Gora and from there a short coach ride to Karpacz or Szklarska Poreba. To get to Duszniki Zdroj you need to take a train from Wroclaw to Klodzko (2 hours) and then a coach to Duszniki Zdroj (1 hour). You can also hire a car at Wroclaw Airport.
Map of SudetyMountains
Plan your travel to Poland
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