Where to ski this winter

Be healthy - go skiing or snowboarding! Moreover, Poland has everything you need for this: excellent European-level ski resorts with good slopes, equipment hire and friendly instructors. But the main advantage of Poland's ski regions is the value for money. For a reasonable fee, you will get a well-developed infrastructure and the opportunity to choose winter entertainment for every taste.

There are more than 50 ski resorts in Poland. The most famous of them is Zakopane. It is also called "the winter capital of Poland". Every year tourists from different countries come here, and on New Year's Eve they organise a big concert with fireworks. The ski season starts long before the New Year - in October, and ends at the end of March. This resort has more than 60 kilometres of prepared slopes with slopes of different complexity. They are suitable for both experienced athletes and beginners. The main skiing areas in this region are Kasprowy Wierch, Gubalówka, Nosal.

And if you have just decided to start skiing or snowboarding, you can use the services of instructors. There are ski schools for adults and children in Zakopane.

The second most popular winter resort in Poland is Szczyrk. This town is called the "winter capital of the Beskid". The main advantage of this place is the absence of wind. Szczyrk is located between the mountains, which makes skiing and snowboarding comfortable, unlike windy Zakopane. This resort also boasts the number of slopes (more than 30) and the most difficult one in Poland. It is located on the Skrzyczne Mountain and is equipped with four ski jumps.

The skiing season is open from December to early April.

The third ski resort in Poland that can compete with Zakopane is Karpacz. It is located near the Snieżka mountain. It is it that is favoured by many residents of Wroclaw. Among the advantages of this region we would like to mention the cost of accommodation in boarding houses and hotels. It is lower than in Zakopane, and the quality of slopes and service is at a high level. Locals joke that in Karpacz they "ski on Austrian slopes for Polish money".

The season is open from November to April. The number of slopes is about 20. A pleasant bonus for extreme sports enthusiasts will be the opportunity to ride off-piste.

We gave the fourth place to the fastest growing ski resort in Poland - Krynica. Apart from prepared slopes, this resort is famous for its climate, therapeutic minimal springs and mud. The ski season in Krynica lasts from the end of November to March. The most famous ski centres in the region are located in Jaworzyna Krynicka and Slotwiny. Thanks to its climate and infrastructure, Krynica is considered by Poles to be one of the best places for holidays and sports in Poland. If you choose this region, you will have access to more than 20 slopes with difficulty levels from green to black.

We gave the honourable fifth place to Wisła. This town is the second ski centre in the Beskid Śląskom after Szczyrk. It is located in the picturesque valley of the Vistula River and is surrounded by mountains, where numerous tourist tracks lead to. The Vistula River can rightfully be called the "pearl of the Beskid". The skiing season is open from December to March, and the slope of Storzek Mountain is open until the beginning of April. In general, experts assure that the quality of snow slopes in this region is better than in Szczyrk. By the way, not only alpine skiing enthusiasts come here, but also fans of sledging and cross-country skiing.

And if we are talking about cross-country skiing, we recommend you to pay attention to Jakusice. It has excellent pistes with a total length of over 100 kilometres. However, Jakusice is not the only place to visit in the Sudetes. There is a large ski resort here - Szklarska Poremba. Not far from the borders with the Czech Republic and Germany, the slopes of the Śrenica Mountains offer excellent terrain and a mild climate for active sports.

We have tried to tell you about the most popular ski resorts in Poland. But wherever you go in Poland to ski or just to enjoy the nature and clean mountain air, you will find a wonderful holiday, real European service and quality slopes.

And lastly, a few words about the disadvantages of Polish resorts.

The main and obvious one for popular ski destinations is the large queues for the lifts during high season and winter holidays.

The second disadvantage is that many resorts do not have a universal ski pass. Those who like variety will have to buy several types of ski passes. And the third disadvantage is poor transport accessibility. Although public transport in Poland is well developed, tourists often face the problem of travelling from their accommodation to many pistes.

But despite the above disadvantages, Polish resorts are not inferior to European resorts in any respect, and they often win in terms of price.

Enjoy your holiday, friends!