Villa Harenda is one of the most intimate and personal places in the whole of Zakopane — the home where the great Polish poet Jan Kasprowicz spent the last years of his life. Stepping inside, you experience his everyday world firsthand: original furniture, personal mementos, and paintings arranged just as he left them.

Nestled on the slopes of Gubałówka hill in the Harenda district, the villa sits away from the bustle of the main Krupówki promenade. The peaceful, highland atmosphere here feels genuinely old Zakopane. On clear days, views toward the Tatra Mountains add a breathtaking backdrop, while autumn turns the surrounding hillside golden, making the wooden villa look especially picturesque.

• Zakopane town centre — walk or local transport toward Harenda, on the slopes of Gubałówka; difficulty: easy

• The museum is housed in the original villa, preserved as it looked during the poet's lifetime
• Three rooms are open to visitors: the dining room, the sitting room, and the bedroom
• The upper floor features a gallery of paintings by Władysław Jarocki, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków
• Next to the house stands a granite mausoleum containing the poet's ashes, built in 1933 to a design by Karol Stryjeński
• The museum has been open since 1950, founded at the initiative of the poet's widow, Maria Kasprowicz

Kasprowicz bought the villa in 1923 with the fee he earned translating Shakespeare — 500 British pounds. He lived here for only three years before his death in 1926, yet Harenda became his most beloved home.