Today, the name Wielka Krokiew is associated by almost everyone with Zakopane’s famous ski jump. Originally, however, it was—and still is—the name of a forested peak in the Tatra foothills, located between the Bystra and Biały Valleys, on whose slopes the ski jump was built.

The ski jump was designed by Karol Stryjeński, director of the School of Wood Industry and the initiator of Zakopane’s sports park project. The technical plans were prepared by Swedish engineer Selström, specially invited to Zakopane for this purpose. Construction was completed in 1925, and the first ski jumping competition took place in March of the same year.
The first hill record was set by Zakopane native Stanisław Gąsienica-Sieczka, who jumped 6.5 meters. Wielka Krokiew has hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships three times: in 1929, 1939, and 1962.
In 1929, Polish Radio broadcast its first-ever live transmission from a ski jumping competition held in Zakopane. During the 1962 World Championship event, more than 100,000 spectators gathered beneath Wielka Krokiew.
Over the years, the ski jump has undergone several modernizations, including the construction of new grandstands, the installation of artificial landing surface matting, and, more recently, modern lighting, a funicular railway, and a new service pavilion.
The current hill record belongs to Japanese ski jumper Yukiya Satō, who achieved a distance of 147 meters.
Originally named after its designer Karol Stryjeński, the ski jump has carried the name of Stanisław Marusarz since 1989, honoring one of Poland’s greatest ski jumpers before the era of Adam Małysz and Kamil Stoch.
One of the most memorable events in the history of Zakopane took place on June 6, 1997, when Pope John Paul II celebrated a Mass at the stadium beneath Wielka Krokiew. An estimated 300,000 people attended, making it the largest gathering in the town’s history. During the ceremony, the Pope beatified Bernardyna Jabłońska and Maria Karłowska. The Highlanders paid tribute to the Pope, and an 80-member Highland folk orchestra performed during the Mass.

Alongside Villa Koliba and the House “Pod Jedlami,” the Jaszczurówka Chapel is considered one of the most valuable monuments of the Zakopane Style, the only national architectural style in Polish history.

The Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded by the sons of Adam Uznański, the late owner of the Szaflary estate. Construction was completed and the chapel was consecrated in 1908. At that time, Jaszczurówka belonged to the Szaflary estate rather than Zakopane.
The chapel was designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz and is regarded as one of the finest examples of the Zakopane Style. Set on a hillside atop a high stone foundation, it features a single nave, a small sacristy adjoining the chancel from the south, rich ornamentation, a beautiful steep shingle-covered roof, and a small bell turret.
Inside, visitors can admire the main altar, also designed by Witkiewicz, which combines elements of a traditional Highland cottage with characteristic Podhale woodcarving.
The Stations of the Cross, painted on glass by Jan Jachymiak, date from the 1950s. The impressive wooden candelabrum was carved by Stanisław Zdyb, better known as a mountaineer, skier, and mountain rescue volunteer.
The two side altars and the sculpture of the Pensive Christ above the entrance were created by the outstanding folk sculptor Józef Janos of Dębno. Particularly noteworthy are the stained-glass windows in the chancel, depicting Our Lady of Częstochowa, Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, the Piast Eagle, and the Pahonia, the historic coat of arms of Lithuania.
A true jewel of the Zakopane Style, the chapel is also considered one of the most beautiful wooden churches in Poland.

The Ursuline Sisters’ Chapel and House in Jaszczurówka
In 1932, one of the co-owners of the Koci Borek Villa in Jaszczurówka joined the Congregation of the Ursuline Sisters and donated her share of the property to the order. A year later, the remaining part of the villa was purchased, and before World War II the sisters built a brick convent with a chapel next to it, which was consecrated in 1938.
 From the very beginning, the sisters operated a daycare center for children in the house. After the war, it served as an orphanage and later, continuing to the present day, as a kindergarten.
Beginning in 1965, Karol Wojtyła, the Archbishop of Kraków and future Pope John Paul II, spent the first week of January at the Ursuline convent almost every year, using it as his winter holiday retreat. From here, he set off on skiing trips and mountain hikes. He also occasionally visited during the year for short periods of rest.
 Pope John Paul II visited the Ursuline Sisters in Jaszczurówka on the evening of June 5, 1997, while returning from Morskie Oko. During the visit, he spent a few moments in the room where he had stayed during his winter visits for many years.
 Today,Karol Wojtyła’s former room in the Ursuline convent remains preserved in the same condition in which he left it during his last visit in 1978.

This church was built in the years 1982-1991 in accordance to the design drawn by Witold Cęckiewicz on the land that was donated by brothers; Jan, Józef, and Stanisław Trzebunia. The church was consecra ted on the 14th of October 1991 by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski. On August 19th, and September 14th of every year, a pilgrimage starts at the Holy Cross Church and is walked to the top of Giewont to celebrate the anniversary of the cross being built on Giewont peak in 1901. The church often holds classical music concerts. Many famous composers have had concerts here, including, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki. Pope John Paul II hosted a welcoming for guests at this church in the morning of June 6th, 1997 before he celebrated mass at the stadium, Wielka Krokiew.

Holiest Family Church The Holiest Family Church was finished in 1899. However, construction of the church began a couple of dozen years earlier by rector Father Józef Stolarczyk. The old church on Kościeliskiej street was simply too small for the growing Zakopane population. Construc tion was very slow because of the lack of funds and workers. Suppose dly Father Stolarczyk gave penance for those who broke the 6th Com mandment and to atone for breaking the commandment, they had to bring building materials for the new church. Once Father Stolarczyk died, Father Kazimierz Kaszelewski finished construction of the new church. The three-aisle stone front was built in a Neo-Romanesque style. The interior of the church has eclectic characteristics and it is a good example of Witkiewicz’s “Zakopane style” that was promoted by the principal of the School of Wood Industry, Edgar Kovatsa. Despite some opposition, Father Kazimierz supported Kovats with regards to building in this style. This is why the altar of Our Lady of the Rosary, on the left side of the nave, is built in the Zakopane style . Also, the St. John the Baptist shrine was built in the Zakopane style and was funded by the owner of Villa Koliba, Zygmunt Gnatowski. The entire church was designed by the famous Witkiewicz, and built by his co-workers. Despite being over a century year old and having many other churches built after the Holiest Family Church, residents of Zakopane still call it “the New Church”.

The Old Church The entire area on which the “old” church, the Gąsienica Chapel, and the cemetery are located is called Pęksów Brzyzek. The land was given by a rich landlord of Zakopane, Jan Pęksa, and the tall, flat, edge of the creek ( Quiet Water Creek) is called a “brzyzek” in the Highlander dialect, hence the name Pęksowy Brzyzek. In the first half of the 19th century, Zakopane was split into two different parishes with one being Chochołów, and the other, Poronin. Along with this inconvenience and the increase in tourists that come to visit the valley under Giewont, the then owners of the Zakopane region – Klementyna and Edward Homo lacsowie – began to work towards Zakopane having their own parish. The church was built in the years 1845-1847 by local carpenters and Sebastian Gąsienica-Sobczak, their leader. It is a simple, single-aisle church that is facing “11 o’clock”, as most traditional highlander homes face. At first, the church didn’t have a tower and the church bells were adjacent to the church itself. The first rector of Zakopane. Father Józef Stolarczyk, had the tower built in 1850, as well as, a presbytery. Contrary to widespread belief, Father Stolarczyk did not build the church from scratch, the first part of the church was already built. Inside the nave, the border between the old, and new, church is clearly visible. The simplicity of the church makes it resemble a barn; this is what Maria Steczkowska wrote in 1858, as did Frenchman Gustav Le Bon in 1879. The three altars were carved by an excellent highlander from Gliczarów, Wojciech Kułach-Wawrzyńcok. In the beginning, the church was named after St. Clement, whose image was at the main altar, now it is on the left side by the entrance to the sacristy. During World War II, the church patron was changed to Our Lady of Częstochowa, and a repli ca image of Our Lady replaced the image of St. Clement. A little known fact about the original pipe organ in the Old Church is that it no longer resides there, it is actually in St. Casmir’s church in neighbouring village of Kościelisko. In 2001 the Old Church underwent a largescale renova tion in which nearly the entire building was made fireproof.
A noteworthy stained-glass window with the Stations of the Cross painted by Zakopane-based artist, Ewelina Pęksa finds its place inside the nave. The nave also includes old carvings and a plaque dedica ted to the first rector of Zakopane. Another noteworthy feature is the raised trellis over the entrance designed by Antoni Kenara. Once the new church was built in 1899, the Old Church became a subsidiary parish to the Holiest Family Church. For over 160 years, highlanders, guests, and tourists pray here. Along with the Gąsienica Chapel, and the old cemetery, these are the most important monuments in Zakopane, and are considered sacred to the residents of this city.

This simple stone, chapel covered by a wooden shingle room is adjacent to the Old Church, and was built in 1800. The Gąsienica Chapel is the oldest sacred building in all of Zakopane. The chapel was funded and built, by Paweł Gąsienica. Supposedly, he built this chapel when he was young, and in his old age, he believed that in building the chapel he would pay his debts to God. Only God Himself, and Paweł know the real reason behind him building the chapel. With the blessing of Bishop Tarnowski, the chapel was blessed and priests were able to celebrate mass there. Pawel Gąsienica, and his wife Regina, gave their fortune to the church, and were buried under the threshold of the chapel. Suppo sedly, their burial began the oldest cemetery in Zakopane. The original furnishings of the chapel are not kept inside the chapel itself. Today’s chapel interior was designed by Antoni Kenar in the 1950’s. From that point on, the patron saints of the chapel are St. Andrew Zorard and St. Benedict.

This cemetery, is without a doubt, one of the most important cemeteries in Poland, along with the Warsaw Powązek, the Krakow Rakowic, Rasos, and Łyczakowa cemeteries. The front gate welcomes guests with a plaque from rector Jan Tobolak with a quote from Marshal Ferdynand Foch , “Motherland is where there are graves in the ground. If a nation forgets, then it loses its meaning.” What Marshal Foch meant by that quote was that if a nation forgets about those who have fallen for their country, then the soul of the country is lost. Next to this quote is another saying, “Zakopane remembers”. Next to the quote is a plaque dedicated to the couriers of the Tatry mountains during World War II. The cemetery opened in the 1850’s. In 1931, the cemetery was officially made into a landmark and is under protection. This cemetery perfectly reflects the complex history of Zakopane with many well know Highlan ders and other intelligent people. In today’s time, the people who are buried here are those who served Zakopane, Podhale, and Poland greatly, as well as, those who have been there buried long ago. Amongst the graves of Gąsienica, Bachleda, Chramca, Pęksa, Janika, and Marusarz, some other legendary figures have been laid to rest here, such as: Tytus Chałubiński, Stanisław Witkiewicz, Father Józef Stolarczyk and Jan Krzeptowski Sabała. Buried here are famous artists: Antoni Kenar, Antoni Rząsa, Władysław Hasior, Karol Stryjeński, as well as, writers and poets: Kazi mierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Władysław Orkan, Kornel Makuszyński, Tomasz Gluziński, creators, and guardians of the regional culture: Maria and Bronisław Dembowscy, Juliusz Zborowski, Helena Roj-Kozłowska, Aniela Gut-Stapińska and Adam Pach. At this cemetery, we find the Pawlikow ski family, from Medyka, who were extremely close to Zakopane. Some of Zakopane’s best athletes are buried here, such as, Stanisław Marusarz, his sister Helena, Jerzy Ustupski, and Ryszard Ćwikło. Amongst them are people from the mountains: Zofia and Witold Paryscy, brothers Tadeusz and Stefan Zwolińscy, the first guides of the Tatra mountains: Maciej Sieczka and Jerzy Wala, famous mountain rescuers: Stanisław Gąsienica-Byrcyn, Józef Krzeptowski and Piotr Malinowski. Finally, those who have lost their lives rescuing others: Janusz Kubica and Stanisław Mateja, Marek Łabunowicz and Bartek Olszański. Not mentioning all those buried here. A portion of graves are symbolic ones with people like, Broni sław Czech, who died in Auschwitz, Mariusz Zaruski, who died in Cher son, Maciej Berbeka, who died on Broad Peak in Concordia, and Witkacy who is buried in Velyki Ozera. More recently, a plaque was dedicated to people closely connected to Zakopane, but couldn’t be buried here. The list of names includes Mieczysław Karłowicz, Karol Szymanowski, and Oswald Balzer. Many of the graves are decorated and carved by famous artists, Antoni Kenar, Antoni Rząsa, and Władysław Hasior.

In 1950, Pallonite brothers came to Krzeptówki, and seven years later, they built a large nunnery with a chapel on behalf of the Immacu late Heart of Mary. The then bishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła, blessed the figurine of Our Lady of Fatima that was given as a gift from the bishop of Fatima. During the Solidarity movement and martial law, the nunnery became a place to havesecret meetings. During martial law, the Pallonites gave shelter to Lech Wałęsa, and his family, three times. After the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square on the 13th of May, 1981, the idea of building a new church came about. On the 13th of May 1989, the cardinal of Kraków, Franci szek Macharski laid the foundation stone originating from the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican. The architect of the church was Stanisław Tylka of Zakopane. The church finished in 1992, and was later blessed by Macharski on the 13th of May that same year. The Pope visited the church in 1997 during his pilgrimage to Poland, and of course, blessed it during holy mass. Once mass was finished, he met with Lech Walęsa in the nunnery. The shrine became the most popular place of worship to Our Lady of Fatima. The altar that was used for the holy mass celebrated at the Wielka Krokiew stadium was moved to the park behind the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. After Pope John Paul II passed away the shrine became the most popular place of worship for St. John Paul II, as well. The shrine is visited by half a million pilgrims every year.

Morskie Oko is the biggest and also considered by many, the most beautiful lake in the Tatry mountains. From the very first waves of tourists that came here, Morskie Oko was one of the most visited places in the Tatry mountains. Even today, Morskie Oko has a couple of thousand visitors a day. The lake is surrounded by an impressive chain of peaks that are over two thousand metres, and near-by is Czarny Staw lake, as well as the tallest peak in the Tatry mountains, Rysy. In the early 19th century, a few shelters were already built along the edge of the lake. The current shelter was built in 1908 in the Zakopane style. On June 5th 1997, Pope John Paul II was driven to the lake at 6 pm. He went there to met with local mountaineers, the people who work there and of course to enjoy the beautiful views.

Located in Wiktorówki in the High Tatry mountains is a wooden chapel by the name of Our Lady Queen Jaworzyńska of the Tatry Moun tains. As the legend goes, in 1860, a shepherdess by the name of Marysia Murzańska saw a glowing figure of Our Lady among the trees. This private revelation was the beginning of the Our Lady of Jaworzyńska. Once the chapel was built, mountaineers, Highlanders, rescuers, and tourists often visited. The then Bishop Karol Wojtyła visted the chapel many times. On June 5th 1997, the Pope flew in a helicopter from Zakopane to Babia Góra and from there he flew over Nowy Targ towards Pieniny. After the Pope flew over Czorsztyn, he saw the two castles there, he flew towards Rusinowa Polana. Unfortunately, the planned visit to Wiktorówki couldn’t go ahead because the amount of people that were already there was too great.

The cableway to Kasprowy Wierch was built in 1936 in only seven months. The person who initiated the construction of the cable way was Aleksander Bobkowski who was an officer of the Polish Army, a skier, president of the Polish Ski Association, as well as, the son-in-law of the president, Ignacy Mościcki. In order to carry out this project, help from Linkolkasprowy made construction possible. With great effort and working a total of three shifts, around one thousand workers had to endure a long winter to complete this project. Construction began on August 1st 1935, and on February 26th 1936, the cableway took off from Kuźnice to Myślenickie Turnie. The first cable car arrived at Kaspro wy Wierch on March 15th 1936 after 227 days of construction. This cableway was the first of its kind in Poland and in the Tatry mountains. The modernization of the cableway was carried out within two seasons after seventy years of accident-free functioning. President Lech Kaczyński had a celebratory opening after its completion on January 18th in 2008. The cableway transports 360 people during the winter, and 180 during the summer when the bandwidth is limited for safety reasons. The construction of the cableway sparked controversy and one of the protestors was the State Council for Nature Conservation. Still, the cableway was built and became a part of the Tatry/Zakopane land scape. The 15 minute cableway ride takes on a 4,300 metre distance, a 936 metre difference in altitude. The halfway destination is Myślenickie Turnie where the interchange station is located. Pope John Paul II took the cable car up to Kasprowy Wierch on June 6th 1997. Once he got there, he blessed all the workers, and touri sts that were already hiking. A plaque at the interchange station is there to commemorate the Pope’s visit.

During his homily while he celebrated mass at the Wielka Krokiew stadium on June 6th 1997, the Pope said, “ Your forefathers built a cross on Giewont. That cross continues to stand as it always did. The cross may stand mute, but it is a witness to our doings. We can say that the cross is looking out towards Zakopane and Kraków, but also, towards Warsaw and Gdańsk.” After mass, he added: “ All of Poland, from the Baltic to here, must look towards the cross and repeat, ‘ Sursum Corda’, “Lift up your Hearts.” The cross was built by the initiation of Father Kazimierz Kasze lewski in 1901 and blessed on August 19th. Underneath the cross is an inscription that says, “ For our Saviour at the turn of the 1900/1901 centu ry, which was issued by the Zakopane parish.” The 15 metre cross was made in Józef Gorecki’s factory in Kraków. It was separated into four pieces and weighed a total of 1,819 kilograms. During the Pope’s visit and other important events in Zakopane, papal and national flags are hung from the arms of the cross. A year after the Pope’s death, a group of people illuminated the cross at the exact hour when the Pope passed away. Giewont, along with the cross, became the most important symbol in the Tatry mountains and in Zako pane. The cross is also in Zakopane’s coat of arms.

In 1898, the founder of the Albertine Brothers Religious Congre gation, Brother Adam Chmielowski, began building a small, wooden chapel by the road leading towards the Kalatówki Clearing. It was meant to be a hermitage for the homeless from Kraków and other large cities. Count Władysław Zamoyski leased the land to the Albertine nuns and they also executed a transfer so that they could build the chapel and convent. On December 14th 1898, Father Kazimierz Kaszelewski blessed the church and named it Holy Cross. The main altar has a crucifix that was given to Brother Adam from the Pauline nuns from Skałka Church in Kraków. The Albertine brothers lived in the hermi tage until 1902. They built another hermitage on Śpiąca Góra and gave the other hermitage to the Albertine nuns. Next to the hermitage, the brothers had a home built for the chapla in that was also built for the hermit, Brother Adam. The architect of the hermitage and the chapel, was a good friend of Chmielowski during their times of study in Munich, Stanisław Witkie wicz. These buildings are built in the Zakopane style and in line with the charism of the congregation. Pope John Paul II visited the nunnery on June 6th 1997, after he visited Kasprowy Wierch.

On June 23rd 1983, the Pope landed on Siwe Polany in a helicop ter. From there, the Pope was driven to the Chochołów Clearing. Inside the shelter that is located at the clearing, the Pope met with Lech Wałęsa and the rest of his family. The meeting was significant because it was meant to show that the Pope strongly supported Lech Wałęsa’s Solidari ty movement. Afterwards, the Pope, dressed in civilian clothing, hiked to the Jarząbcza Valley. After his return, he went to the hut of a local shepherd, Andrzej Zięba-Gala from Witów. The current trail that the Pope took is labelled as the “Papal Trail”, and is labelled with a gold colour. The spot where the Pope stood during the end of his hike is now the location of a chapel. A plaque inside the shelter is dedicated to the Pope’s visit.