Gubałówka Funicular: Views, Tickets and Tips

2026-09-22 · 5 min read

Of all the short trips to make from central Zakopane, the funicular up Gubałówka is one of the easiest and most rewarding — a few minutes on the rails for one of the best panoramic views in the area.

What it is

The funicular railway climbs from a station near Krupówki to the top of Gubałówka, a ridge overlooking the town, gaining several hundred metres of elevation in a ride that takes only a few minutes each way.

The view at the top

On a clear day, the payoff is immediate: Zakopane spread out below, and beyond it the jagged line of the Tatra Mountains, including Giewont, the peak whose silhouette is said to resemble a sleeping knight. It's one of the few spots where you get the whole town and the mountain range in a single view.

What's up there

The ridge itself has a small strip of food stalls, a few viewpoints, and space to walk along the top away from the main station. Some visitors extend the visit with a short walk along the ridge before heading back down.

How long to allow

The ride itself is brief, but between queuing, the ride up, time at the top, and the ride back down, an hour is a reasonable estimate — longer if the queue is long, which happens on busy weekends and in peak season.

Tips

• Clear weather matters more here than almost anywhere else in Zakopane — check the forecast before planning around it.
• Queues build up around midday; earlier or later visits tend to move faster.
• Dress a little warmer than you would in town — it's noticeably cooler and windier at the top.