Mountain Travel-Winter, Summer, Holidays. Zakopane Place For Your Vacation
(+48) 603 190 860
Accommodation Rental By Owner
Jaszczurowka 16 34-500 Zakopane, Poland
Zakopane, Hotels, Pensions, Inns, Family Run and Privately Owned lodging & Guest Accommodation
“Excellent location for young and old alike.”
Date of review: 7 Mar 2011
During our pre-booking communications with the owning family, their help and advice on getting to the holiday home became invaluable. The journey from the Zakopane Centrum Bus Station to the property was by taxi as being more convenient and you can negotiate a price. We paid 20 Zloty (about £4.50 or 5 euro) but it was quick and convenient. After that we walked just about everywhere and occasionally caught the multitude of minibuses that ply the routes around Zakopane. The cost on the minibus is 2.50 Zloty (about 60p or 0.70 euro) to the Centrum. There is a bus stop outside the property on both sides of the road and the journey to the Centrum is about 10-15 minutes. We walked there several times and found it about 25 minutes to get there and 35 to come back as it is a bit up hill but nothing too strenuous. There are more than enough bars and restaurants anyway to pass some time on the way back; having hot spiced wine or beer.
If you are a novice skier or have little children just learning, then this property is only (to the left when leaving the property) 250 meters from Nosal. At Nosal there is every kind of slope to provide hours of recreation for a fee for all the family and a long downhill section for experienced skiers, all serviced by t-bars and chair lifts.
For those self catering there is a small, well stocked shop open 8 to 8 each day except Sunday when it is 8 to 2. This is located just about 80 paces to the right of the property as you leave it. They sell beer but no wine and next door to it is a bakery, which provides the shop with fresh bread daily (except Sunday) and its prices are good. To the left past Nosal there is a shop which is more for household goods, such as soap powders or flu remedies, but they do not open on Sunday, but Monday to Saturday again are 8 to 8.
Down on the right side is a restaurant with a knife, fork and spoon outside on the pavement, side-walk or footpath and is highly recommended.
We stayed in the penthouse suite! The top floor in other words, which was large enough for a family of four and had a superb shower, but you did need to let the water run for a little while for it to come up to the fifth floor roof space. It was well worth the wait! It has jets of water coming at you from all over the place and is most invigorating. The water for the hot taps in the shower room and kitchen did need some running to get hot.
There is, by request a wonderful log fire in the main lounge and although a bit under lit it makes for a truly winter ambience for a beer or wine with family and friends. There is a TV lounge, which we did not use nor did we use the pool room. But what is the problem with only one cue, you're on holiday, take your time, relax and share!
We did not have a TV on the top floor, but this is something that will be addressed in the close season as the wiring is already in situ. We always take our laptop, and with wi-fi in every room this provides communication with what is happening in ones home country. We brought our favorite and some new DVDs and with an ample supply of reading material also from home, we were more than satisfied. The views from our roof apartment were wonderful. The snow clad fir trees and beautifully carved wooden homes were such a sight.
Next door is a group of houses that Nuns occupy. The one nearest the road is a pre-school nursery and the Nuns bring the children with sledges to play in the sloping field behind the property. The kids love it and so do the Nuns, joining in sliding down the snow covered hill. Yes, this property is where the Late, Great Pope John Paul II (I am a Christian, but not Catholic) stayed when he used to come to Zakopane in his early years and ski.
Cross country skiing both classical and skating style is being expanded here in Zakopane. There are only a few locations at present, but the Polish people themselves are demanding more facilities, which will allow all ages to participate in skiing. Schools are teaching it already. The nearest prepared course from this property for cross country skiing is located about a twenty minute walk away. It is from the athletics, skating stadium near where the 2011 World Cup ski jumping competition took place, and is prepared daily by machine. It has runs and gradients to tax all levels and can be as quick or as slow as ones ability will allow and it is through beautiful woodlands and overlooks an all weather soccer pitch and views across to Zakopane and beyond.
Meanwhile back to the property. The owner 'Greg' is only too willing to help any guest as much as he can. He will provide arrange for more towels, change of bedding etc. on request (within reason of course) and there is a young lady who cleans general areas and will clean your room if requested. She speaks English as well as Polish.
Yes there was a shortage of perhaps a potato peeler or sharp knife for cutting meat and perhaps not all the cutlery and crockery matched, but Greg is getting there. Everything we had by way of plates and bowls etc., were from Ikea. As were a lot of other items in the apartment. Given time and helpful reviews he will address all of these little things. We would have loved to have had a ladle for soup, but we managed.
We had a wonderful time and Greg helped enormously in advising how to get to interesting places around Zakopane. This is well worth a visit whether it is winter skiing and mountain climbing, hiking, or summer walking and beautiful scenery. It is comfortable, pleasant and for people to just get on and enjoy a basic holiday close to most things and even closer to such beautiful and wondrous countryside.
It is just 20 minutes walk to the cable car that will whisk you ever upwards to Kasprowy Vierch (Almost 2,000 metes high), or the more adventurous can walk there in an estimated 3 hours (the top that is). You can, if experienced, ski down from there all the way to the bottom. There are many walks into and around the Tatra mountain range that are clearly marked.
Chocholowska Valley a 15 minute bus ride at a cost of 5 Zloty per person from the Centrum Bus Station is a wonderful valley with old style sleigh rides or in the summer months wheeled cart rides (negotiate). 110 Zloty from top to bottom a journey of half an hour or more for two is acceptable. Also it is worth returning to Krakow for a visit if you have arrived there or visiting it anyway if not. This was the ancient capital of Poland until about 1520 and I don't mean 20 minutes past 3. The bus journey cost just 18 Zloty per person each way (about £4.20 or 4.60 Euros) and will take you about two hours, but the train is more expensive and takes much longer and goes everywhere before getting there. We highly recommend this holiday home, its owner, mother and location, nothing is too much trouble, just ask - politely! Steve and Elena Feb - March 2011 two weeks.
Copy from TripAdvisor
Date of stay: March 2011
Visit was for: Leisure
Travelled with: spouse/partner
Member since: 13 May 2010
Recommended by this reviewer? Yes
