Zakopane is Poland's Tatra resort: Krupówki pedestrian street, wooden villas, and Giewont's peak above the town. Gubałówka's ridge and the roads toward Morskie Oko and Kasprowy Wierch are the classic outings. Highland (góral) culture (music, food, and architecture) is part of the atmosphere, especially in winter and peak summer.
It is busy, mountain-oriented, and a full day's drive from the Baltic. From Gdańsk it is the longest domestic journey: sea to high mountains.