Wielka Krokiew Ski Jump

Poland's largest ski jump

Wielka Krokiew is Zakopane's main ski jump and the largest in Poland. It sits on the northern slope of Krokiew hill at about 1,050 m, on the southern edge of town, where the houses give way to forest at the foot of the Tatras. Its full name is Wielka Krokiew imienia Stanisława Marusarza: since 1989 it has carried the name of the celebrated Polish jumper Stanisław Marusarz. Today it is run by the Central Sports Centre (COS OPO Zakopane) and local clubs train here.

The hill was built to a design by engineer Karol Stryjeński and formally opened with a competition on 22 March 1925. Since then Wielka Krokiew has hosted ski jumping at three Nordic World Ski Championships (1929, 1939 and 1962) and, since 1980, World Cup events. In 1962 more than 120,000 spectators gathered below the hill, an attendance record that still stands. A 2016–2017 modernisation gave it a concrete inrun, ice tracks and its current K125 / HS140 profile. The official hill record is 147 m, set by Japan's Yukiya Satō on 25 January 2020. The stands and the area around the outrun hold about 30,000 people.

What to see and do

• Look at the jump from below — from the stadium with its stands and the modern pavilion under the outrun you can see the whole profile: a 98.7 m inrun and the steep landing slope.
• Take the chairlift to the top station. The ticket covers the ride up and down and access to the viewpoints: Zakopane, the Podhale basin and the Gubałówka ridge opposite spread out below, and you see the inrun just as the athletes do before they jump.
• Catch a competition. In winter the hill hosts World Cup and Continental Cup events and the Polish championships. The slope is covered with artificial matting (igelit), so there is jumping in summer too.
• Start a walk. The Droga pod Reglami path along the foot of the Tatras begins next to the jump, as does a Tatra National Park cycle route to Siwa Polana.

Practical information

Getting there. The jump is within Zakopane, at the upper end of Józefa Piłsudskiego Street; the postal address of the COS centre is ul. Bronisława Czecha 1. It is an easy walk or a short taxi ride from the centre, so it suits visitors who do not hike. The jump lies outside the Tatra National Park, so no TPN ticket is needed here.

Chairlift and tickets. The chairlift runs daily: 9:00–17:00 in October, 9:00–16:00 in November and 9:00–19:00 from May to August; the ticket office closes an hour before closing time. A standard ticket costs 25 zł, a reduced one 20 zł, and children under 3 ride free. As of October 2026 the lift is closed for maintenance on 20–23 October, reserved for athletes from 26 October to 5 November, and will then stop for a mandatory technical inspection; the reopening date will be announced separately. It is worth calling the ticket office before you go: +48 725 300 163. During competitions access to the stands requires separate event tickets.

Who it suits. Families with children, sports fans and anyone who wants to see Zakopane from above without a hike. Go on a clear day, when the mountains are visible from the top station.

Nearby

• Krupówki Street — the pedestrian heart of Zakopane.
• Gubałówka — the ridge opposite, with a perfect view of Wielka Krokiew.
• Tatra Museum — history and culture of the Podhale region.
• Siklawica waterfall in the Strążyska Valley: the TPN route via Sarnia Skała and the Białego Valley ends right by the jump.

Official website: zakopane.cos.pl

Photos: Kapitel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Lukas Plewnia from Berlin, Deutschland, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons; Thepiterwayne, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Rzober89, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.