Snowmobiles in Zakopane

A few days ago, we went on a snowmobile ride with one of our partners, called Snowdoo. The company is located in Zakopane on Gubałówka, from where there is a beautiful view of the city and the panorama of the Tatra Mountains. The day was beautiful and sunny with the right temperature.

The instructor showed us how to safely drive the machine. We were on the road after a few minutes. Initially, as a passenger, I could admire beautiful views; snowy meadows, forests and neighboring areas. It was great fun, especially taking corners when it was necessary to create a counterbalance to the tilting machine. Snowmobiles are more responsive than you would expect. On the way back I was a driver and definitely it is better fun 🙂 Driving the machine can be compared to driving a motorcycle, but istead of steering a wheel you turn two ski’s. Scooters with a capacity of 600 cc were very agile and reaching higher speeds was not a problem. Driving the machine gives an incredible satisfaction and everyone should visiting our mountains should try it.

The history of the scooter

A snowmobile is a combination of a sleigh and a scooter. They are very popular vehicles in the Arctic Circle countries. They are available in one and two person versions. The first prototype of a snowmobile equipped with a propeller (aerosani) was built by the Russian inventor Kuzin in 1908. At the same time, Igor Sikorski performed a similar model. However, the first fully functioning prototype was created by the French marquis Jules-Albert de Dion and engineer Georges Bouton on behalf of the explorer J.-B.Charcot. At the same time, Robert Scott, before the expedition to the South Pole, asked De Dion Bouton to build a motor sledge. Tests of vehicles took place in 1908 in the the Dauphiné Alps. At the same time, American car manufacturer Henry Ford worked on adapting model T for winter driving. The scooter on which contemporary scooters are based is a machine produced by Carl Elias in 1924 and patented in 1927.

Below the photo gallery with prototypes:

Winter sports

In Podhale, the most popular winter sports are skiing and snowboarding. However, if someone is looking for new attractions or is fascinated by motorcycles and quads, he  will definitely not be disappointed 🙂 We went on an hour trip , but there are also three and six hour options available. Driving a scooter is a great adventure especially in a group of friends and family. There is a lot of adrenaline and laughter. We highly recommend it 🙂

* Villa Gorsky guests have a discount on snowmobiles trips in Zakopane. More about recommended winter activities here.

Skiing in Zakopane

Skiers at Hala Gasienicowa 1913, Photo from the archives of the Tatra Museum

Skiing in Zakopane is one of the main sports attractions in the winter season in our region. We are visited by a lot of guests ready for winter madness on the slopes 🙂 Skiing, snowboarding or sledging (for the smallest)- everyone will find something for themselves. Who, however, invented the first skis and where do they really come from? On the occasion of ski jumping, which will take place in Zakopane, I decided to introduce you to a short history of skiing.

Beginnings of skiing

The history of skis, according to some sources, reaches 9,000 years ago, when the inhabitants of Central Asia (around Baikal and the Altai mountains) used skis to move on the snow during hunting and communication. Such a way of moving in winter conditions was faster and more efficient. However, due to the found rock drawings in Norway (dated around 5,000 – 3,000 years ago) and the oldest found ski (about 4,000 years ago in Hoting), Scandinavia is considered the capital of skiing.

Types of skis

It is assumed that the skis were used simultaneously in several regions. They differed from each other in shape and length, which was related to the prevailing climate or the shape of a given region. You can divide skis into 3 categories:

-south type – short, without leather instep but with a foot groove (occurred from southern Scandinavia in the north to Poland in the south),
-arctic type – with upwardly bent ends, lined with fur and fitted with straps to attach the foot (found in northern Scandinavia and Siberia),
-north type – asymmetrical; different length of skis; the left, the so-called sliding scale, was longer, the right – the reflective ski – shorter, conquered by the skin (occurred only in the region of Finland).

Initially, a ski was used with ski-stick, which helped in controlling and braking. It could also be used as a weapon during hunting. The development of skiing as a sport discipline began only in the 19th century. The first skis, similar to contemporary ones, were created in Norway, in the town of Telemark. It was there that, for over 50 years, they were created and improved by the carpenter Sondre Norhaima. To his merits can be attributed to – cutting at the level of the foot and widened ends. He also improved the bindings, which were originally just straps or braids and now heeled the heel of the shoe. In the 19th century, skiing reached the farthest corners of the world, including North America, Australia and New Zealand. The Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen also played an important role in the popularization of skis, and within 39 days in 1888 he skipped Greenland on ski’s.

First competition

The first ski run took place in 1843 in Tromsø. The competitors had to cover 5 km. A bit later, in 1868, the first ski jumping competition was organized in Christiani. During this period, only the driving style was evaluated, but time was not counted. Runs were more popular than slaloms. The latter began to be famous only in the Alpine countries, hence the name: alpine skiing. It was initiated by Matias Zdarski, who inspired the expedition of Fridtjof Nansen and imported skis from Norway. When it turned out that they did not pass the test on the Alpine slopes, he began experimenting; extended the length of the ski to 190 cm, added metal bindings and introduced two poles. These improvements allowed for greater control during descent at this speed or when braking.

Skiing compounds

The beginning of the XX brought a strong development in skiing. Many schools and winter sports centers were established. There was a clear division between classic and downhill skiing. In 1921, the first national championship in downhill skiing took place in Great Britain, in the following competitions: downhill course and slalom. Five years later, skiing was officially recognized as an Olympic discipline.

WS_Magia_nart_neg_s_000_07, Photo from the archives of the Tatra Museum

Ski technology

The skis were initially made of wood and in particular of ash and hikori. There was many experiments on the steerability and stability of ski’s. Length, sizing and fastening were modified – they were exchanged for metal. The main goal of the designers was to strengthen the structure and thus the strength of the ski’s. The first experiments with layered ski’s did not give the desired results – they were sticking out. The real revolution was brought by the use of carbon fiber, from which in 1959 Fred Langendorf and Art Molnar designed carbon ski’s.

Skiing in Zakopane Poland

The beginnings of skiing in Poland date back to the 16th century. The first mention was in the work of Sarmatiae Europeae from 1578. The most popular skis were snowshoes – about 40 cm long slats joined by transversal slats. They were fastened to the legs with straps. Sliding skis and mud rinks were also in use. Skis came to us from Russia and was used primarily by highlanders to navigate the snow.

AF17517-IV-57 FIS 1939 Zakopane, Photo from the archives of the Tatra Museum

Ski Barabash

Climate change and, consequently, milder winters contributed to the disappearance of ski’s from everyday use in the 18th century. They returned a century later thanks to Stanisław Barabasz. In 1888 he designed and made skis based on a story from a Siberian exile. Before settling down in Zakopane, Barabasz learned to ski in Krakow, but only at night, to avoid the taunts of passers-byers 🙂 In Podhale he became the director of the School of Timber Industry and began to produce skis designed by himself. Mariusz Zaruski – famous skier, Kazimierz Hamerling, Marian Małaczyński, Józef Schnaider, Marian Smoluchowski and Tadeusz Smoluchowski also contributed to the popularization of skis. In 1904, Matias Zdarski was invited to Poland to conduct the first skiing in Zakopane course.

TCO_R5_11 M Zaruski i R Kordys at the Competition 1908 - 311-229-KA030.Photo from the archives of the Tatra Museum

Stanisław Barabasz together with Mariusz Zaruski and Mieczysław Karłowicz formed in 1907 the Carpathian Ski Association and the Zakopane Skirmishers. The organization’s goal was to promote skiing. A year later, the textbook ‘Skis and their life’ was written by Roman Kordys. At that time, also the first competition in flat gears, field ski run in Sławek and ski jumping in Lviv took place. In 1919, the Polish Ski Association was founded and in 1929 the first international ski competition took place in Zakopane. To this day skiing is the main attraction and a great idea for active holidays. Snowboard has also been very popular for several years. Podhale has many ski lifts and instructors. Beautiful nature, good skiing conditions and highlander culture attracts crowds of tourists every year. In our Villa you can not only admire the collection of beautiful pre-war ski’s but also it is a great starting point for many slopes in the area 🙂 Skiing in Zakopane-spend winter with us. Winter offer you can firnd here.

Photo from the archives of the Tatra Museum

In the Warmth of the fireplace

When it rains all the time, the temperature drops to zero and at 4pm it is already dark, many of us catch the autumn chandra. We don’t have the energy to get out of bed, not mentioning work or duties. Still autumn is a great opportunity to relax; To read the book or recall the memories of the past holidays. A good way to spend the evening is drinking hot wine by the fireplace. We can also offer our traditional tea mountain drink with vodka or catch up with the upcoming TV series.

Houses with fireplace Zakopane

There is no better way to warm up than using a sauna, which in addition to the heating properties cleanses the body well. It also improves circulation and skin appearance. Another way to spend an autumn evening is playing games. Famous ones like monopoly or memory can provide entertainment until late night hours. If the weather is good, we can also reccomend mountain tours, such as a walk in the Chocholowska Valley in Zakopane. In the higher parts of the mountains there is usually snow, so the trail can be dangerous.

Autumn is one of the less pleasant seasons. The days are getting colder and the desire to leave the house drops with each passing day. It does not have to be this way. Autumn has also beautiful color, less tourists on the trails or in besieged places as the geothermal thermals. It’s time to relax, regenerate and prepare for the winter season. More about our attractions you can find here

If you are looking for fireplace Zakopane – we invite you to our wooden chalets. All of our houses have fireplace so all our guests renting our houses can enjoy autumn evenings.