Gubałówka is one of the most iconic ridges near Zakopane — a long, broad summit at 1120 m a.s.l. offering one of the finest panoramas of the Polish Tatras. For many visitors it is their very first mountain experience in Poland, and it is hard to imagine a better introduction.

From the ridge you can take in almost the entire Polish Tatra range as well as Zakopane itself, and on a clear day your gaze stretches as far as the Pieniny, Gorce and Beskid Żywiecki mountains — including their Slovak side. In summer the ridge is green and sunny, perfect for relaxed walks with sweeping views. In winter the area transforms into a popular ski destination, with slopes at Polana Gubałówka, a snowboard half-pipe, a snowpark, and numerous privately operated drag lifts catering to skiers of all ages. The atmosphere is friendly and family-oriented — none of the raw severity of the high Alps, just warmth and good cheer.

How to reach the summit

• Zakopane (lower cable car station) — funicular railway, approx. 3.5 minutes, easy; the line has been running since 1938 (modernised in 2001) and covers 1298 m with an elevation gain of around 300 m — the most comfortable option for families.
• From the top, the Pope's Trail leads to the neighbouring Butorowy Wierch (1160 m), from where a chairlift descends to Kościelisko — a great option for a one-way loop.

Practical information

• The ski run back to the lower funicular station is currently closed due to land ownership disputes on the slope.
• A gravity sledge run on the summit is especially popular with children.
• The sculpture Polonia Restituta by Franciszek Masiak stands at the top — the same work that represented Poland at the 1937 Paris World Exhibition 'Art and Technology'.

The iron cross on the ridge was erected by Professor Tytus Chałubiński to mark his reconciliation with his friend Kazimierz Krzywicki — despite a widespread local legend, it has nothing to do with a cholera epidemic, though that story still follows the cross around.