The teddy bear scandal, horror receipts, uncertain weather. Zakopane is not having the best time. The city is facing a wave of hate and tourists are increasingly avoiding it. – The holidays were bad, the holidays don't look good either – says Mr. Andrzej, the owner of apartments for rent, in an interview with Interia. – We have booked rooms, but only because we have reduced the price significantly – he admits. Some accommodation facilities, especially those located outside the center of Zakopane, will be closed during the holidays.
– Zakopane has never been the number one choice for Easter – admits Karol Wagner from the Tatra Chamber of Commerce. – In no way can this period be compared to Christmas, May or June. In economy facilities that are located far from the center, valleys or other attractions, the occupancy rate is well below 50 percent – adds Karol Wagner. As he admits in an interview with Interia, there are clear divisions in society. For those for whom finances are not a problem and those who count every penny – Once again, we are dealing with something that was not there last summer and autumn, but was very clear during the holidays and is now. A huge division into the wealthy and the “price-sensitive”. In winter, tourists chose more expensive facilities, now they tend to choose mid-priced ones – admits Wagner.
The warm winter meant that most ski slopes finished the season much faster. There is still snow, but above 1600 meters. – There is over a meter of snow on Kasprowy Wierch. Unfortunately, there is a very strong wind – says Interia Paweł Parzuchowski, head of the Meteorological Institute on Równia Krupowa and the High Mountain Observatory on Kasprowy Wierch. – The wind speed exceeds 100 km/h, the temperature at the top is around zero degrees. We currently have a large temperature difference between Kasprowy Wierch and Zakopane, precisely due to the mountain wind. In Zakopane, the temperature rises and may exceed 15 degrees, he adds.
However, the highlanders hope that tourists will visit Podhale despite everything. Most people book accommodation at the last minute. – They call, verify and adjust their budgets – says Karol Wagner. The weather is key here, he admits. And this one doesn't look too bad, as long as Halny doesn't make a mess. – The mountain wind will accompany us until Monday – says the head of the Meteorological Institute on Równia Krupowa and the High Mountain Observatory on Kasprowy Wierch. Easter will be warm but windy. – The temperature may locally exceed 20 degrees, but due to the strong wind we will not feel this heat. The positive news is that there will be a lot of sunny moments – adds Paweł Parzuchowski.
A crocus fairy tale awaits those who decide to spend Easter in the Tatra Mountains. These beautiful flowers appeared exceptionally early in mountain meadows. – The next few days will be the peak of crocuses blooming in the Tatra mountain pastures, especially since quite high temperatures are expected for Easter. This means that we expect that by the first decade of April, the crocuses will bloom and other vegetation will appear – said Zbigniew Kowalski from the Tatra National Park in an interview with PAP.
TPN reminds that purple carpets should be admired and not walked on. As every year, as part of the “HOKUS KROKUS – let's not be fooled, crocuses cannot protect themselves!” campaign, the crocuses will be guarded by volunteers. The Tatra National Park appeals to tourists: “In many places in Podhale you can already observe blooming crocuses. If you are going to admire purple flowers in the next few days, we remind you: Don't take a step further! Admire crocuses wisely, keeping their protection in mind. The phenomenon of their flowering is a phenomenon that attracts many lovers of nature and beautiful views to the Tatra trails every year. That is why it is so important to follow a few rules, which we call the Crocus Lover's Code.
In a word, don't trample, admire! Preferably in the Chochołowska Glade, in the Kościeliska Valley, in Kalatówki, near Kopieniec or in the meadows near Regla.
Recently, Zakopane was shaken by the teddy bear scandal on Krupówki. Basically a pseudo-teddy bear, because we are talking about a greedy trickster who has nothing in common with the real teddy bear from Zakopane. The masquerader operates illegally and has already collected quite a collection of fines, while exposing the ineffectiveness and helplessness of the city services. Zakopane was the talk of the whole Poland, and very obscene words were uttered from these lips. A tipsy, dirty gray teddy bear joined the receipts of horror, greedy highlanders and closed public toilets.
– Those who don't like us will only confirm their belief and there is no point in fighting it – Karol Wagner from the Tatra Chamber of Commerce tells Interia. – However, the greatest success of this whole scandal is that it happened in the hot pre-election period and current officials and those who want to be officials after the elections, focused on such micro scoundrels of the tourism market – he admits. – There are various daring ideas, including the “nationalization” of the teddy bear. In Zakopane, we have a problem with fraudsters who extort money from tourists and it needs to be dealt with as part of a common vision of the city's policy. So that the teddy bear scandal would have a positive ending.