Poland Loves Mountains - Polish Rope Railways

Dearest readers,

Have you ever been in the Polish mountains? If you never been, you must put it on your Bucket List, along with a trio to the Romanian mountains right after, so you can see the difference. Both mountains in both countries have its very own beauty - Romanian mountains are more raw and untouched by human hand, not a lot of people flock to track it. Poland mountains, on the other hand, are lower than the Romanian ones but also extremely popular. You will not find one quiet and deserted spot... everything is touristic attraction and especially during winter and  summer you cannot drop a needle - that's how crowded it gets! Especially in well known places like Zakopane - where you always have the sky jump contests. I have told you before how I love the way that Poland railway system developed and the changes I was able to see these past 5 years. Today I want to tell you about the options one has, when it comes to climbing the mountains not on your own but with a little bit of help from mechanics - today I will tell you about the www.pkl.pl site, that you will use and love, if ever in the Polish mountains ;) the site of the Polish Rope Railways. 

Polish Site for the Polish Rope Railways - the locations on the map

The Polish Rope Railways turns 80 years old this year, in 2016; and boasts of high quality systems to bring the people who wish to see the mountains to the very top, in no time, at a decent cost. At this time (of the article) their Web page - available in Polish, English and German - is proud to say that over 2 milion satisfied customers were entertained. 

The history of the company dates back to the date of  July 24, 1935 r. , When he was appointed the Company "Society for Construction and Operation of cableway Zakopane - Kasprowy Peak," which set itself the goal of building the gondola lift in Zakopane. The very construction was started August 1, 1935 r., And on top of it reunites for the first time on March 15, 1936. Which is considered the symbolic date of commencement of operations PKL. It was the first chair lift  in Tatra Mountains in Poland.

The lovely part is that the Polish Rope Railways has multiple locations you can visit:  seven centers in the Tatras and the Beskidy Mountains: Kasprowy Wierch, Gubałówka, Jaworzyna Krynicka mountain park, Mosorny Gron, Palenica and Mount Zar.

Each of the PKL centers stands out distinct character, interesting location and unique attractions in the country: 

• Kasprowy  has Poland's only alpine skiing areas with natural snow, 

• On  Gubałówka  tourists take the most modern in the country funicular with a glass roof, 

• Major attractions  Jaworzyna Krynicka  are the most diverse ski areas, 

• Resort  Mosorny Groniu  stands beautiful view of the Babia Gora, 

• Atmosphere of Mount Zar  creates incredible vantage neighborhood Międzybrodzkie lake on one side and flight school over the heads of tourists and skiers, 

• Szczawnicka Palenica  offers great views of the Pieniny and Tatra mountains in winter for skiers and summer tourists ending rafting, 

• At  the Park Hill  you can go back in time when you ride the first train in Poland historic funicular, which takes its origin in the heart of the spa town of Krynica. 

The uniqueness of the PKL centers is also connected with the fact that it operates in the unique natural areas of Polish, often protected within National Parks. For this reason, the company's philosophy is to operate with full respect for the environment, management of natural resources in line with the principle of sustainable framework and supporting initiatives to protect nature. 

The company's mission is to provide comprehensive  services in the field of mountain tourism  through the continuous development and improvement of the quality of services for tourists and skiers.

Tips and tricks:

1. The lovely part about the site, beside it's lovely and revealing photos, is the fact that you can buy tickets to these attractions online and avoid standing in queues once you are at the location. Trust me! There will ALWAYS be a queue so buying them online is wiser, unless you want the physical ticket as a memory for being there ;)
2. If you love high ground, then for sure you will love the highest mountain to be reached with the Polish Rope Railways. The location is called Kasprowy Wierch and it is in Zakopane. The height is 1987 meters above the sea level and you get there by the large (multiple person) line cables ;) The price of the both way trip for a regular person is 63 zloty ( in 2015 - or 48 zloty to go up + 48 zloty to go down, so make sure you ALWAYS buy the both way ticket as it is cheaper and faster ;) ok?!)
3. If you are afraid of highs and you still would live to enjoy the mountains in Poland, on a more quiet level than the one in Zakopane, I really recommend the Gora Zar (Mountain Zar) that is only 761 meters above the sea level. The view is amazing and you can see the lakes slithering between the mountains, when you reach the top. We were crazy and we went by foot last time we were there... but if I would do it again I would go up with the funicular ans down by foot, to enjoy the view. The price is way cheaper here as it is not that popular spot: 17 zloty regular ticket both ways or 12 zloty up + 12 zloty down ;) once you are up, make sure you get some sweet stuff from the local market and if it is summertime you might see people paragliding from the top ;) Enjoy!

Have you ever been with the Polish Rope Railways system? If ever in Zakopane ans you went by the funicular to the Gubałówka, then you have ;) tell me about your experience. How do you like the mountains and how do you enjoy the human contraptions that allow us to get on top of the mountain in now time and no sweat? I love them! I ain't a great mountain climber like my other half so for me... they are awesome!

Yours truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug that loves mountains (both Romanian and Polish mountains have their own charm!)