Giving you a real lift.
The funiculars, cable car, and gondola lift shuttle you up and down Małopolska mountains all year round. They are an attractive way for tourists to travel fast up (or down) the mountains in summer, and – joined by a plethora of ski lifts in winter – offer high velocity and throughput transport to the ski stations situated higher up in the mountains. Małopolska boasts a fair number of those, conveniently situated in different parts of the region.
Perhaps the most convenient gondola lift is waiting for you in the eastern section of the Beskidy Mountains – with the lower terminal in Czarny Potok near Krynica and upper at the very top of Jaworzyna Krynicka. In the warmer seasons, it takes you to the sun-drenched glades at the top of the mountain range, and in winter offers access to the skiing arena with Poland’s longest piste (1.6 m). Characteristic of Małopolska, the nearby Słotwiny Arena offers accommodation on the slope so that you can literally fasten your skis (or board) at its doorstep and zigzag down to the lift. It also offers pistes for the youngest skiers and an impressive 160ft tall wooden observation tower in the treetops. Krynica also boasts Europe’s second oldest funicular. After a recent modernisation, it has retained its vintage looks and continues shuttling between the spa and Mt Góra Parkowa standing 450ft over it.
The region’s only aerial tram (cable car) can be found in the Tatras: for the last 88 years it has run at breath-taking heights from Zakopane to the top of Mt Kasprowy.
These are only a handful of suggestions. With winter close at hand and the great abundance of skiing stations, it may be a good idea to look around and find which of them are best suited to your preferences. Perhaps you’d like to go for relaxing apres ski activities in the hot thermal baths of Białka and Bukowina? Or perhaps swap downhill for cross-country skis for a day or three? Perhaps you are looking for a gentler slope and a skiing school for children? Click here to make the right choice.
When in Zakopane, try the funicular to Mt Gubałówka: its upper station commands one of the most beautiful views of the Tatras.
There is even a skiing station perfect for learning to ski in the less hilly north of Małopolska. SławicSki Raj near Miechów, a 30-minute drive from Kraków, offers four ski lifts and three pistes on a gentle slope.
To enjoy a great view of the Tatras from the top of your skiing route, try Czorsztyn-Ski on the long-extinct volcanic Mt Wdżar.
