According to the Polish Tourism Organization, around three-quarters of Poles who travel on winter vacation stay in their native country. Most of them prefer to spend a few days relaxing in the Polish highlands. So, where do they go on vacation?

Karpacz

Karpacz is located at the foot of Śnieżka, the highest peak of the Karkonosze mountain range, which is shared by Poland and the Czech Republic. Until recently, the ski resort hosted not just tourists but also athletes competing on the town's one and only ski jumping hill. Nowadays, however, the ski jump is largely used as a great vantage point. When you get to the top, you might be able to see another iconic monument in town: the Vang stave church. Originally erected in Norway around the year 1200, the church was purchased by the Prussian monarch and rebuilt in Karpacz in the first part of the nineteenth century.

Szczawnica

This traditionally Polish-sounding town is located on the boundary of the Pieniny Mountains and the Beskid Sądecki Mountain Range. The resort is most renowned for its spa, which has been treating various respiratory and rheumatic ailments since the nineteenth century. Szczawnica visitors benefit from the town's favorable environment and curative mineral waters, which may be sampled in the town's ancient pump room. Aside from that, the area draws visitors with its numerous spa and wellness centers. Sports enthusiasts, on the other hand, make the most of the winter season on the ski slopes and trails in Szczawnica.

Krynica Zdrój

Krynica, also known as the "pearl of Polish spas," is one of the country's most notable health and ski resorts. The town offers it all: ski trails, thermal spas, and mineral springs. Aside from attracting large throngs of tourists, the so-called "Polish Davos" attracts Europe's business, political, and economic leaders to the famous Krynica Economic Forum, which is held every September.

Szczyrk

Another tongue-twisting name and popular ski resort in Poland. Szczyrk, located in the Beskid Śląski region, will meet the needs of the most discerning skiers. There are numerous ski lifts, slopes, and runs to keep you busy all day. Szczyrk, as befits a Polish mountain resort, has a ski jumping complex, which is frequently used as a training facility by the national ski jumping team.

Zakopane

Some moan about how crowded it is with tourists, while others cannot imagine spending their vacation anyplace else. Regardless of your point of view, no list of Polish winter locations would be complete without the "winter capital of Poland." The Polish intellectual and creative society of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries popularised Zakopane, the country's highest town. The scenic resort in the heart of the Tatra Mountains served as an infinite source of inspiration for paintings, poems, novels, and other kinds of creative expression.

 Its unique architecture style, first designed and introduced by Stanisław Witkiewicz, combined traditional motifs found in the native folklore of the Podhale region. Nowadays, the town welcomes hundreds of thousands of skiers, hikers and tourists every year. The season reaches its peak around the second half of January when sports fans from all over the country gather at the foot of Zakopane's ski jump, cheering on their favourite athletes. Those searching for additional leisure activities in the neighbourhood can also try out ski resorts of Białka Tatrzańska or Bukowina Tatrzańska, located in the close vicinity of Zakopane.

Have you been to any other Polish vacation spots?