Gubałówka

Gubałówka is a long, gentle hill above the north-western part of Zakopane and the best-known summit of the Gubałówka Foothills in Podhale. Its height rises from 1,120 m at the eastern end to 1,129 m at the western end; 1,126 m is the figure most often quoted. The village of Ząb lies to the east, the higher Butorowy Wierch (1,160 m) continues the ridge to the west, and Nowe Bystre sits below the northern slopes in the Bystry stream valley. The name comes from the Gubałów clearing on the crest. It is not the highest summit of the foothills, but it is the most popular — above all for its sweeping view of the Tatras right above Zakopane.

How to get there / routes

The easiest way up is the funicular from Zakopane, operated by Polskie Koleje Linowe. It opened on 20 December 1938 after only 168 days of construction, ahead of the 1939 Nordic World Ski Championships in Zakopane; it was the second funicular in Poland after Góra Parkowa in Krynica. The line is about 1.3 km long with a height difference of 299 m (lower station about 822 m, upper station about 1,121 m). Two cars of 120 places each pass at the midpoint, the ride takes a few minutes, and the glazed roofs give views of the Tatras. The last full modernisation was completed in 2001.

Marked footpaths lead to Gubałówka:

• the black trail from Zakopane via Kotelnica;
• the yellow trail from Antałówka to the upper funicular station;
• the red Chochołów – Trzy Kopce Pass trail runs along the crest, sharing the route of the International Mountain Friendship Trail Eisenach–Budapest; it leads west to Chochołów and east towards Poronin.

From the summit the Papal Trail promenade runs west to Butorowy Wierch, from where a chairlift (opened in 1978) descends to Kościelisko.

What you can see from the summit

Gubałówka is largely treeless, so its crest offers a panorama of the entire Polish Tatras with Giewont, Kasprowy Wierch and Świnica, as well as Zakopane and Podhale. On a clear day you can also see the Pieniny, the Gorce and the Żywiec Beskids, including their Slovak part.

Nature and history

The foothills are built of flysch; Gubałówka's slopes are mostly meadows and pastures, where plants rare in Poland grow — the ghost orchid, spotted cat's-ear and Issler's clubmoss. Together with the funicular in 1938 a restaurant opened on the summit and the sculpture "Polonia Restituta" by Franciszek Masiak was placed here; a year earlier it had decorated the Polish pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris. There is also an iron cross erected by Professor Tytus Chałubiński to commemorate his reconciliation with his friend Kazimierz Krzywicki (often wrongly described as a votive offering for the end of a cholera epidemic). The 102 m mast of the RTON Gubałówka radio and TV transmitter rises above the crest.

Safety, season and rules

Gubałówka is accessible all year. In winter it hosts a ski area with runs on the Gubałówka clearing, a snowpark and several private T-bar lifts, so walkers should keep clear of the pistes. Slopes can be slippery after rain or in icy conditions, and the summit is exposed to wind. The area lies outside Tatra National Park and entry is free. In an emergency call mountain rescue on 985 or +48 601 100 300, or the general number 112.

Interesting facts

• After the 2001 modernisation, the old funicular rolling stock was reused to build the funicular on Żar in the Little Beskids.
• The funicular cars reach 36 km/h and can carry up to 2,000 people per hour in each direction.
• There is also a gravity slide — a summer toboggan run — on Gubałówka.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Gorofil, CC BY-SA 4.0; Derbeth, CC BY-SA 3.0; Mateusz Kudła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Yair Haklai, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.