Zakopane.toursHome › Guides › Krupówki Street: What Is There to See and Eat in Zakopane?
Krupówki Street: What Is There to See and Eat in Zakopane?
Krupowki Street is the 1,100 m pedestrian promenade at the centre of Zakopane, closed to cars and paved with granite cubes. This guide covers where it runs, what to see and eat, when it is quiet and whether it is a tourist trap.
Quick answer Krupówki Street in short
Krupówki is Zakopane's 1,100 m car-free main street, lined with shops, restaurants and bars. Walk it in 1 to 2 hours, go in the evening when it fills up, and treat it as the town's living room rather than the reason to come.
Key takeaways
- It runs between two hills, Gubałówka and Giewont, in the very centre of town, so the zakopane tours meeting points are close by.
- Mornings are empty on sunny days and evenings are busy, while rainy days are crowded all day.
- For Krupówki plus the mountains, take the 9-hour From Krakow: Zakopane, Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Day Trip from Krakow.
- Want food with a local angle? Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka adds a cheese and vodka tasting.
Tours That Include Krupówki and Zakopane
Both day trips start in Krakow and head to Zakopane.
from $24
Most reviewed
Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka
Funicular, 3-hour baths ticket and cheese and vodka tasting all included, with 2 hours free in Zakopane.
Check Availability
from $20
Lowest price
From Krakow: Zakopane, Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Day Trip
The lowest price here for a Zakopane day trip with funicular included, but no thermal baths.
Check AvailabilityWhat is the main street in Zakopane?
The main street is Krupówki, Zakopane's main pedestrian promenade running about 1 km through the town centre.
Krupówki is the street every visitor ends up on. It is closed to motorised traffic and paved with granite cubes.
Where it runs and how to reach it
The street is about 1,100 m long. It runs from the intersection with Kościeliska and Nowotarska Streets to the intersection with Witkiewicza and Tetmajera Streets. It lies in the very centre of Zakopane, between the hills Gubałówka and Giewont, and horse-drawn carriages have a stop on it.
From Krakow the Pendolino train takes 1 hour 57 minutes and the Szwagropol bus takes about 2 hours 10 minutes, according to the operators' own timetables. A Koleje Małopolskie ticket costs 26.50 PLN one way and the Szwagropol fare is 37 PLN, both on the operators' own lists.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What | Pedestrian promenade with shops, restaurants and bars |
| Length | About 1,100 m |
| Access | Closed to cars, paved with granite cubes |
| Entry | No ticket, it is a public street |
| Time needed | 1 to 2 hours |
| Best moment | Evening, when it fills up |
Sources: PKP Intercity, Szwagropol.
Krupówki street in Zakopane near Nowotarska. Photo: Cybularny, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
What is there to see on Krupówki Street?
See the neo-Romanesque Holy Family parish church, the Tatra Museum, the Kasprowy Wierch Hotel and the street's cobblestones and leaning lanterns.
Krupówki is a walk of buildings and shop fronts rather than one big sight.
Landmark buildings
The well-known buildings on the street are the Kasprowy Wierch Hotel, the neo-Romanesque Holy Family parish church, the historic Vocational School Complex and the Tatra Museum next to it. The museum's main building is open Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 and charges 26 PLN normal for the permanent exhibition, according to the museum's own page. It sells no tickets online.
Shops and events
Stores sell regional products, traditional highlander clothing, handicrafts and souvenirs. The street also hosts concerts, festivals, fairs and shows of highland folklore. In the 1990s it was paved with new cobblestones, new benches and its characteristic leaning lanterns, and a subway now sits at one crossing.
Source: Tatra Museum.
How did Krupówki get its name and its look?
The name comes from the Krupówki Glade, and the modern shape came after the great fire of 21 January 1899.
The street took its name from the Krupówki Glade in its main part, which belonged to the Krupowski or Krupow families.
The 1899 fire
The great fire destroyed the wooden buildings in the centre of Krupówki on 21 January 1899, and the street's present shape was formed then. Visitors split on the result. Some say Krupówki is the ugliest street in Poland and others say it is one of the prettiest.
Where do locals eat in Zakopane?
Krupówki is lined with highlander restaurants, so choose by the menu on the door and look for oscypek with cranberry.
Krupówki is lined with restaurants and bars, and that is where visitors eat. Locals' habits are not documented, so this page names no place it cannot source.
A safe way to eat well
Walk one block off the main strip before you sit down, and read the menu and prices posted at the door. The street's regional-product stores are the easy place to buy a highland food gift. For a guided taste, Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka includes a cheese and vodka tasting for $24 per person, rated 4.8.
The tour lasts 11 hours and starts in Krakow.
When is Krupówki Street empty and when is it crowded?
It is empty on sunny mornings and busy in the evening, and on rainy days it is crowded all day.
Visitors spend sunny mornings on the ski slopes or mountain trails, so the street is quiet then.
Pick your hour
Walk it on a sunny morning if you want space for photos. Come in the evening for the shops and the crowd. On a wet day expect people all day, because everyone moves indoors and to the street.
| Time | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Sunny morning | Empty, most visitors are in the mountains |
| Evening | Busy and lively |
| Rainy day | Crowded all day |
Is Zakopane a tourist trap?
Krupówki is commercial, but the town is the base for the Tatras, so the trap is only the street, not the trip.
The main street is the touristy part. The mountains are what you came for.
Where the value is
The cable car to Kasprowy Wierch reaches 1,987 m, and the Gubałówka funicular climbs in about 3 minutes. Both are priced by the operator, not by the street's shops. Spend an hour on Krupówki and the rest of your day on those.
See all options at zakopane tours.
Sources: PKL, PKL Gubałówka.
What else is near Krupówki Street?
The Tatra Museum, Villa Koliba, the Gubałówka funicular and the town's baths are all within a short ride of the street, but check closures first.
Krupówki works best as the middle of a day that also has one museum or one lift.
Museums and views
Villa Koliba stands at ul. Kościeliska 18, on the street where Krupówki begins. It was built in 1892 to 1893 as the first building designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in the Zakopane Style. The permanent exhibition costs 25 PLN normal, and entry is free on Thursdays. It is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 9:00 to 17:00 and Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 19:00. It is closed on Tuesday.
The Gubałówka funicular, a 3-minute ride to 1,123 m, is closed for inspection from 16 to 27 November, with replacement buses at 34 PLN one way. After that the Land of Light at the top opens daily from 16:00.
Baths when it rains
Termy Zakopiańskie in town are closed from 16 November to 7 December and reopen on 8 December, with dates subject to change. Chochołowskie Termy lie at Chochołów and open 9:00 to 22:00 Sunday to Thursday.
Sources: Tatra Museum, Tatra Museum, PKL Gubałówka, Aquapark Zakopane, Chochołowskie Termy.
Who should walk Krupówki Street and who should skip it?
Walk it if you want food, souvenirs and a stroll, and skip it if you want quiet or a mountain day only.
The street suits an evening or a gap between lifts, not a full day.
Fit by traveller
Families get a flat, car-free walk with shops and food stops. Souvenir hunters find regional products, highlander clothing and handicrafts in one place. Hikers and skiers usually pass through at the end of a mountain day. If you hate crowds, go on a sunny morning or skip it, because rainy days draw people all day.
On a day trip the operator decides your free time, so check the itinerary before you book. You can browse all options at zakopane tours.
Is it worth doing a day trip to Zakopane from Krakow?
Yes, a day trip covers Krupówki and one mountain highlight, and the Krakow tours run 9 to 11 hours.
A day trip is realistic because the Pendolino takes 1 hour 57 minutes and the bus about 2 hours 10 minutes.
Tour or train?
The tour From Krakow: Zakopane, Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Day Trip costs $20 per person for 9 hours and includes the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka. The tour Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka costs $24 per person for 11 hours with the cable car and the baths. Check each itinerary for free time in town.
On your own you choose your hours but pay the train or bus fare each way.
Sources: PKP Intercity, Szwagropol.
The wooden house at Krupówki 52 in Zakopane, a listed monument. Photo: Januszk57, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons
Krupówki Street Questions
How long is Krupówki Street?
About 1,100 m, from the Kościeliska and Nowotarska intersection to the Witkiewicza and Tetmajera intersection, as the Discover Zakopane page states.
Can cars drive on Krupówki?
No, the street is closed to motorised traffic, though horse-drawn carriages have a stop, per Kasprowy Zakopane.
Is Krupówki worth walking?
Yes for 1 to 2 hours, then use the rest of the day for the mountains, as in Krakow-Zakopane: Cable Car, Chocholow Baths, Cheese and Vodka.
When did the great fire hit Krupówki?
On 21 January 1899, which shaped the present street, according to Kasprowy Zakopane.
More Guides
- Gubałówka: How Do You Ride the Funicular in Zakopane?
Ride the Gubałówka funicular in 3 minutes: tickets, walking time, the slide and closures for 2027. Plan your visit with Zakopane.tours.
- Kasprowy Wierch: How Do You Get Up by Cable Car?
Kasprowy Wierch 2027: 1,987 m summit, a 20 minute cable car ride, ski runs and ticket tips. See how to plan your ride.
- Christmas in Zakopane 2026: What Happens and What to Book
Christmas in Zakopane 2026: market from 26 November, lights on 23 streets, sleigh rides and day trips. Check availability.