Zakopane

Zakopane needs 3 days: taking the funicular to Gubalówka, with panoramic views of the entire Tatra range, on one, skiing or hiking in Tatra National Park over two more days. December-March is best for snow; June-September for hiking. It's mid-priced for Poland. It's the country's unofficial winter capital and birthplace of the Zakopane architectural style, with steep-roofed wooden houses designed by Stanislaw Witkiewicz in the late 19th century, and its pedestrian street Krupówki, lined with oscypek (traditional smoked cheese) stalls, holds Poland's liveliest mountain nightlife.