Gubałówka

Gubałówka is a long, largely treeless ridge above Zakopane with a view of the entire Polish Tatras and, in good weather, the Pieniny, Gorce and Żywiec Beskids as well. Since 1938 visitors have ridden up on a funicular built in just 168 days. At the top you will find not only the panorama, but also a sculpture from the Paris World's Fair and an iron cross put up to mark the reconciliation of two friends.

The funicular: from a world championship to today

The funicular opened on 20 December 1938, an initiative of the League for the Promotion of Tourism ahead of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships held in Zakopane in 1939. It was Poland's second funicular, after Góra Parkowa in Krynica-Zdrój. The first cars were supplied by the Swiss company Von Roll. The last major modernisation was completed in December 2001; the old rolling stock was not scrapped but reused to build the funicular on Mount Żar in Międzybrodzie Żywieckie.

Today the line is about 1,300 m long with a height difference of 299 m, from the lower station at 822 m above sea level to the upper one at 1,121 m. Two cars with glass roofs carry 120 passengers each, pass each other halfway, and the ride takes about 3.5 minutes. The line can carry up to 2,000 people an hour.

What to see on the ridge

• The panorama of the Tatras and Zakopane – the top of Gubałówka ranges from 1,120 to 1,129 m.
• The Polonia Restituta sculpture by Franciszek Masiak, which adorned the Polish pavilion at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris and was set up on Gubałówka when the funicular opened.
• The iron cross erected by Tytus Chałubiński to mark his reconciliation with his friend Kazimierz Krzywicki. It is often wrongly described as a votive offering for the end of a cholera epidemic.
• The restaurant by the upper station, opened together with the funicular in 1938.
• An alpine coaster (gravity slide), and in winter T-bar lifts, a halfpipe and a snow park.

Interesting facts

The first recorded name of the hill was "Antgua", in the will of Jędrzej Gadowski from 1692. The present name comes from the Gubałówka meadow, which in turn was named after the Gubała family. Despite its skiing tradition, the run down to the lower funicular station has been closed for years because of disputes with landowners. Rare orchids grow on the slopes, including the ghost orchid.

Tripto tip

The funicular runs all year, but usually closes for a few days in spring and autumn for inspections, so check times and prices on the website of Polskie Koleje Linowe (PKL). There is a car park at the lower station, the cars are wheelchair-accessible, and dogs are allowed on a lead and muzzled. At the top, walk west along the easy Papal Trail to Butorowy Wierch (1,160 m), where a chairlift goes down to Kościelisko; you will then need to plan your own way back to Zakopane. Allow 2–3 hours for the ride, the ridge walk and the views.