People Can't Get Enough Of This Lovely Cabin With Balcony

Overview of Osada Harenda Vacation Rental

Take a look inside the Osada Harenda vacation rental located in Zakopane, Poland just next to Harenda Ski Centre which offers ski lifts, a chair lift, an ice rink, and ski trails. The stunning cabin chalet has free WiFi access that is provided. The accommodation will provide you with a balcony, a living room with an LCD TV and a fireplace, as well as 2 bedrooms. The living room opens to a dining area and a kitchenette featuring a refrigerator, a stovetop, and kitchenware. There are 2 bathrooms fitted with a shower cabin and a hairdryer. At Osada Harenda you will find a private playground, garden, and barbecue facilities. Guests can explore the area on rented bikes or request shuttle services available at a surcharge. The property offers free private parking. It is 4 km from the central and popular Krupowki Street with many shops and restaurants. Zakopane Train Station is also 4 km away. There are several walking and cycling trails near the property.

Culture and History of Zakopane

Zakopane is a center of Goral culture and is often referred to as the winter capital of Poland. It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing, and tourism. Zakopane lies near Poland's border with Slovakia, in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubalowka Hill. Taken from the Polish word for mountains, gory, the Gorale are an ethnically diverse group of mountain people that inhabit an area stretching west to east from the Ostrawica Valley in today's Czech Republic to Poland's Bialy Czeremosz Valley.

Gorale Ethnicity and Their Heritage

They are also known as Polish highlanders, in total there are an estimated to be 600,000 Gorale, whose origins can be traced back to wandering 15th-century Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, and Vlach shepherds, and who in Poland is divided into two main ethnic groups living in the Malopolska and Silesia regions. By far the most well-known Gorale is the so-called Podhale Gorale, which inhabits the highland area south of Krakow between the Western Beskid Mountains in the north and the Tatra Mountains in the south. The two principal towns in this region are Nowy Targ and Zakopane, of which the latter is considered to be the unofficial Podhale Gorale capital.

Outdoor Activities and Natural Beauty

Zakopane is a great base for hiking in the area. The town is nestled right next to the Tatra National Park and trails are abundant. Most trails are day-long hikes, you can try a full day hike up to a peak, then a return to town to relax with a mulled wine in hand. While in the area you might also see one of the world's most beautiful lakes, Lake Morskie Oko, or the Eye of the Sea, which is the largest in the Tatras at 862 meters in length, and it will require a bus ride to the base of the trail. From there, it's about a two-hour walk through the area's impressive permaculture where you will find one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. After your hike or day spent skiing you can come back and enjoy a hot mulled wine, or grzaniec galicyjski, which is prevalent throughout the mountains. Locals will eat and drink late into the evening after a long day in the mountains.