Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz wrote in Echo Tatrzański: “For weak people, Zakopane is almost as deadly [...] as meeting a demonic woman [...]. In the atmosphere of Zakopane [...] there is a subtle drug, a hundred times worse than opium smoke and hashish marmalade.” 100 years later, these words are still valid - you can leave not only your heart in the capital of the Tatra Mountains. And certainly it is not difficult to get dizzy in an almost 120-year-old villa, which, thanks to the love and resourcefulness of several generations of Zakopane residents, combines what is the most beautiful in this city.
In our "Navel of the World", as Rafał Malczewski wrote, you will feel the atmosphere of conspiracy, artistic bohemia, theatre, science and literature, left by the most outstanding people of the era. Willa Ornak is a museum guest house. This means nothing more than that objects that remember the past centuries are still in use. You can still make a phone call with telephones from the 1920s, fall asleep to the ticking of historic clocks and admire the Zakopane stoves, the tiles of which were designed by Witkiewicz himself. You could say we stopped time here. The most beautiful.
At the beginning, we want to emphasize that you can use your home in three ways:
- occupying the house in its entirety
- dividing the house into two parts (rooms can be joined into two two-room apartments) or
- occupying the rooms separately.
We can accommodate 10 people in the house, and if you rent the whole house, we can arrange two additional places.
The house was made almost 120 years ago from the best specimens of spruce imported from Babia Góra by the best Zakopane carpenters of that time - the Wirmański family. It was built in the classic Witkiewicz style. Amphibians (wooden beams from which the walls are built) are wide, butt-jointed and sealed with forest moss. By making the necessary renovations and introducing modern amenities, we tried to interfere with its historic character as little as possible.
And now the details about the interior - we have four rooms here:
- two double beds - Lithium and Goldheads, with a double bed that can be divided into two (they have separate mattresses).
- two triple rooms (with a double bed that can be separated and one single).
Each of the bedrooms is one of a kind, equipped with furniture, lamps, clocks, lambrequins - all from the period.
There is a kitchen and sanitary part on the lower floor of the house, which was thoroughly modernized in 2018.
There you will find a fully and modernly equipped kitchen with a dining area and an Art Deco living room. On the same level, there is also a bathroom, leading to four exclusively furnished, modern bathrooms, each of which belongs to one room.
In addition, the house also has a porch room with a glass veranda and a "chimney" room for shared use and a sauna.
You can eat with us whenever and wherever you like, because the house has a fully equipped kitchen. If you want, we can prepare breakfast for you - let us know in advance so that we can stock up on all the regional delicacies. There is a fireplace in the garden, so feel free to bake your favorite delicacies.
You can do your shopping in nearby stores, for example on Strążyska Street there is a "Store in the garage", which we recommend with all our hearts. You will find there traditionally baked bread, dairy products, cold cuts, dumplings, honey, cakes and other products prepared locally. From May to October (in the sheep grazing season) there is a shepherd's hut where you can buy oscypek. Near Gubałówka, there is a market where you can buy absolutely everything: cheese, sheepskin, sheepskin coats and tablecloths. For dessert, we will send you to Gubałówka or to the Chochołowska Valley - you will get amazing, natural sheep's milk ice cream there! We can safely say that they are better than those known to us from stores.
If you prefer to eat in a restaurant, we can recommend a few, where they feed really solidly and tasty: Zakopiańska (on Jagiellońska Street), where you must eat dumplings with bryndza, Hideout with Grzegorz Lelka's original menu and Karczma Muzykancko with highlander live music, sometimes even with dance shows - led by the "musician" Krzysiek Rybka.
If someone couldn't find a place and was bored in Podhale, we would be very surprised! There is something to do here all year round, regardless of the weather. Zakopane's cultural base is so rich that it is best to check the calendar of events on Infogram on an ongoing basis.
In April, we recommend the Tatra Mountaineer Bands Festival "Złote Kierpce", the Jazz Spring, and in the warmer months, the International Festival of Organ and Chamber Music starts. In May, the Great Tatra May Day takes place near Gubałówka, with performances by regional bands and tasting of traditional dishes. In August, it is worth visiting the Mountain Folklore Festival, which is accompanied by many attractions: dancing lessons, sales of local products, games for children, competitions and dances with festival participants, and the international Music on the Peaks festival. For collectors, the World of Antiques Collectors' Fair takes place on Independence Square. In August, Poronin organizes the Teddy Bear, Honey and Beekeepers' Festival, during which you can buy various Podhale honeys and take part in many competitions.
In addition, the following events are organized: the Oscypek Festival, Harendziańskie Zwyki and the Olcza Festival. In the cities and villages neighboring Zakopane it is worth taking part in:
- Trout Festival (Biały Dunajec),
- Hunting Day (Jurgów),
- Witowiańsko Watra (Witów),
- Harnaś of the Year elections (Białka Tatrzańska),
- Forest Festival (Siwa Polana in Kościelisko).
Athletes and mountain tourists can cover hundreds of kilometers on mountain trails, bicycle, running and walking routes. In winter, it is worth taking (or renting) skis and skiing down several well-prepared ski slopes. In spring and summer, we recommend a walk to Antałówka, Butorowy Wierch, Nosal and Morskie Oko (although it is best to go there during the week and early in the morning to avoid crowds). It is also worth going for a walk in the Kościeliska and Chochołowska Valleys. From Hala Gąsienicowa, it is worth going to Czarny Staw, visiting Murowaniec, drinking hot tea and admiring Świnica, Głosiec and the old shepherd's huts.
The largest valley in the Polish High Tatras is the Valley of Five Polish Ponds, where a photo at the powerful Wielka Siklawa waterfall and a rest in the shelter are a must. If you don't manage to climb, remember that there is a gondola lift to Kasprowy Wierch and a cable car to Gubałówka. And from there such views that make you, nations, kneel! For quieter and less demanding walks, we recommend the one from Krupówki to Krzeptówki through Kościeliska Street and from Rondo Jana Pawła II through Koziniec and Jaszczurówka, up to Kuźnice - along the way there are many beautiful examples of Zakopane-style architecture.
If you are tired after a day of hiking and climbing, you can lie down on deckchairs, in front of the TV or in the sauna and warm up as much as you need.
Remember that although we are located in a city, it is a mountain one and it is worth packing warm clothes, good shoes and grips because from autumn to late spring you can do great things on every trail.
What’s there for children?
We invite you with the kids, but we don't have any amenities or attractions here. Outside the house, there is a completely unexplored land of children's adventures, full of climbing, walks in meadows, mountains and valleys, filled with snow or sheep tormenting. Regardless of the season, children will find something for themselves. In winter, it is worth remembering about sledges, gliders, waterproof trousers and frost cream, and in summer about the bicycle, the proximity of the playground and green grass on mountain meadows.
Starszaks in Zakopane can experience a slide from the Wielka Krokiew ski jump and a gravity slide from Gubałówka, it is also worth going to the winter amusement park "Snow Park". A trip through the ice maze can also be an interesting experience. A walk along the Kościeliska Valley to the Ornak Shelter will not be difficult and even short legs will cope with it. During the rain, it is worth visiting museums that will introduce you to the folk art of the Highlanders. The Tatra Museum is a great place to learn about the local culture, and the Karol Szymanowski Museum will allow you to familiarize yourself with the composer's work. In addition, you can find out a lot of interesting information at the Oscypek Museum, and we highly recommend a visit to the Kornel Makuszyński Museum, the author of such books as Adventures of Basia, Przygody Koziołka Matołek and Satan from the seventh grade.
We have cots and a high chair for babies.
