Guidebook for Falsztyn

BEST FOOD SHOP: Centrum in Frydman (5 mins drive down the hill) or use the local shop in Falsztyn itself for basics (5 mins walk) BEST LOCAL RESTAURANT: There are three particularly good local restaurants: a)Restauracja Dwor (10 mins drive), Niedzica (just off the road that turns right to the Slovakian border). You turn right onto this road just BEFORE the road bends left to cross the lake on the main road from Niedzica Zamek to Czorsztyn by car - the restaurant is next to the camp site. b)Restaurant U Szperlinga (25 mins drive). This restaurant is in an old wooden house, which is also a hotel and conference centre, and has an amazing balcony where you can watch the sunset and also see the house you are staying at in Falsztyn perched on the top of a cliff across the other side of the lake. It can be a little tricky to find, so take this description with you or locate it on a good map. In the same complex (which is a complex of old buildings that were moved when the lake was created) there is also a very good little sailing port, where you can, during the summer season, hire sailing boats (with an international sailing captains certificate). To get to the restaurant/complex drive from Falsztyn to Niedzica Zamek and then to Restauracja Dwor, then follow the road left to cross the lake to drive towards Krosnica. Drive along the main road through the Pieniny National Park. When you get to Krosnica turn left at the sign for Nowy Targ. Drive past the entrance to Czorsztyn and about 10 mins later look out for the sign that informs you that you are entering ‘Gmina Czorsztyn’. About 5 mins drive after this, just after the sign marking the entrance to Kluszkowce you will see a large wooden sign and some other signs on the left hand side of the main road. These says things like ‘Willa Jordanowka’ and Osrodek Turystyczny ‘Czorsztyn’. Turn left at the signs and follow the road. After a while there is a track coming off the road to the right, which leads to the Restaurant, or you can continue to a T junction where you have to take the track to the right, which also leads to the restaurant. If you don’t want a full restaurant there is also a good outdoor cafe 40 metres down the hill from the restaurant U Szperlinga (on the left near towards the getty and behind a ‘pension’). This cafe does good grilled trout and good pierogi. c)Restaurant Bury Mis (25 mins drive). Steam punk decor and good food. http://www.burymis.pl/burymis/ Restauracja „Bury Miś” ul. Długa 154 34-530 Bukowina Tatrzańska Bury Mis is near the end of Bukowina Tatrzanka where it joins Bialka Tatranska. It is an easy drive from the spa called Bania (5 mins) or if you are coming across the border from Slovakia via the Biaka Tatranska route. There is also a good pizza place in Nowy Targ next to the Millenium Bank (try sitting in the downstairs court yard if it is sunny).

BEST PLACE TO FIND MAPS: in the cupboard draws in the front room or in the book shop in main the main square (Rynek) in Nowy Targ. Note: if you go to Slovakia you need to find my map of the southern Tatra's, which is in the drawer. All the other Tatra maps concentrate on the Polish side. Also, if you go to Gorce you need to find the map that is Gorce and Pieniny - all the other Pieniny Maps are just of the Pieniny National Park. There are also two good road maps in the lower drawer. BEST LOCAL SHOP: down the hill along the main road in Falsztyn (15 minutes walk, 5 mins cycle). There are also small supermarkets/delis on the road to Nowy Targ from Falsztyn (in Frydman, Waksmund and at the roundabout just before the main bridge into Nowy Targ). BEST WINE: Watch out for crappy wine and crappy sweet wine particularly (they sell loads of sweet wine which can easily be mistook for dry). Look for ‘wytrawne’ or ‘powytrawne’ – which means dry/semi dry. There is a 'Centrum' deli in Frydman (10 mins drive), Waksmund (22 mins drive) that sells some good wines and also a Centrum deli in Lapse Nisne (15 mins drive), that also has good wine. BEST CAR PARKING IN NOWY TARG: on the streets going to the Rynek. There is also a pay car park at the Rynek end of Waksmund Street. Get a ticket from the attendant when you arrive and pay him from the car when you leave (usually about 5zl/hour). There are also a few places on the Rynek - you pay the attendant or use the machine. BEST 1 DAY WALK: To the top of Trzy Korony, in the Pieniny National Park. A good starting place is in Sromowce Nizne (there is a well-marked car park near the end of the road in Sromowce Nizne, which charges 25zl for parking but means your car will be a bit more secure). Note: take some small change to pay the soldier/park ranger at the top who charges for entry to the viewing platform - and expect long queues for the viewing platform on busy days. Gorce NP has lots of good walks up to Turbacz. Choose any of the villages on the road going into Nowy Targ (or the outskirts of Nowy Targ itself) to park the car and start your walk. Visit the refuge (Schronisko) at the top for food and beer. BEST OVERNIGHT WALK or VERY LONG DAY WALK: From the trail ends at Harklowa up to the top of Turbacz and stay overnight at the refuge (doesn't usually need to be booked - but can fill up on Polish bank holidays - telephone numbers are available in guidebooks, on maps and in local papers) then back on the same or a different track on the way back. If you set off early and arrive back late, you can also do this walk in one day. Also try walks in the Tatras but you (unless you go off the beaten track) find yourself with a lot of tourists and other walkers). The Slovakian Tatras are quieter. BEST CABLE CAR: The cable car in Zakopane is best avoided because of crowds and queues (as is Zakopane itself, apart from as a starting places for walks – eg Giewont – although even this peak can get very crowded at the top). However, the cable station in Tatranska Lomnica in Slovakia is usually much quieter. If you get there by 10am, you can expect to get a ticket half way or all the way up for after about 3pm (take a walk or have lunch while you are waiting). Alternatively, you can visit the day before and book a ticket for the next morning. You may also consider trying to get there very early (eg before 8.30am) and you may be able to get a ticket for the same morning. It’s about 1 hour drive. Take the big road map of Slovakia from the drawer and/or a GPS. If you want to do the cable car to Zakopane I think there is now a way of pre-booking online and avoiding the queues - although popular times are also booked up ahead of time. BEST MUSIC: At the ‘Musical Flock’ club (Muzyczna Owczarnia) Drive to Jaworki (about 50 mins drive) which is past Szczawnica. Check the schedule on the internet before you go. It seems more a community club, so can be difficult to know how it works or whether you have to pay or is a private event... It is close to nice walks along the Biala Woda valley - so you may be able to combine some walking with taking in a gig – although it might be a very late night once you get back to Falsztyn. There is also local accommodation and a very good restaurant back down the road into the village of Jaworki. There are also sometimes gigs in Nowy Targ, Zakopane Szczawnica (and a small concert hall at one of the posh hotels in Szczawnica), at the ski/spa resort called Bania (in Bialka Tatranska) and elsewhere in the local area (keep an eye out for posters and check the local paper – ‘Podhale Tygodnia’) BEST PUNTING EXPERIENCE: Along the Dunajec. Go towards Sromowce Nizne by car and follow the signs to the rafting start point near the rafting car park. This is a very big and obvious car park on the road to Sromowce Nizne, a few miles before you get to the village itself, where you park (for 10 zl/day). Mountain men will punt you through the beautiful gorge. Get there before 10am (or after 3pm) if in high season, as can as it get VERY busy later on a summer holiday day and you may have to wait some time for a boat and/or to buy a ticket. It costs about £12 per person. They will bring you back by bus to your car. However, we prefer doing the ‘whitewater’ version which takes the same route and should be very safe (including for kids over 6, as the route has a very low whitewater rating in summer). This involves a white water raft and being given your own paddles etc – and is much more active and participative. These guys leave from Sromowce Nizne itself and they advertise on posters in that town and in various other places – you have to ring to book (they should speak English). There are various companies that do it – costing around £15 per person (life jackets and helmets and a guide are included of course). All the rafts (traditional and whitewater) then end in Szczawnica), although you can get a ticket to Kroscienko if you want a longer journey or want to walk into the Pieniny from Kroscienko. You can also ask the traditional guys to drop you off just before Szczawnica at the point the tourist trail crosses the river – so you can walk up to Sokolica. For white water we use the following company: Fun Time BEST PUNTING AND WALKING EXPERIENCE: Do the above and get a traditional raft to Kroscienko. Then do the walk up to Trzy Korony or the area - and then walk along to ridge coming back down near your car at the traditional rafting car park near Sromowce Nizne. You can walk down to other towns nearer Niedzica or, if you like very long walks, to Niedzica itself - although you'll need to arrange someone to pick you up at the end). You can also get off the raft earlier to walk up to the famour Sokolica point, where there is a over-hanging tree (and you can see the people rafting hundreds of metres below...) BEST WALK TO A PUB: Walk from the house along the ridge to Niedzica. In Niedzica go the pub in the castle car park, then walk back home along the road. Takes about 4 hours all together. BEST HALF DAY WALK: Up to top of Zar from the house or to the pastures nearby (see map). Follow the tourist trail up from the church in Falsztyn and join the red route about half way up. Take a map of Pienniny from the drawer. BEST SHORT WALKS: (1) Down the lake (come out of the front gate, cross the little field in front of the house and turn left down the road that goes to the lake. Walk to the bottom of the road, turn left onto the lakeside road and walk to the small rough stoney beach area, where you can see two castles (one of each side of the lake). Then turn round and retrace your steps. (2) Turn right and walk up the road alongside the holiday homes. Turn right down the hill at the end and explore the fields and wood to the right of the road down at the bottom of the hill. Alternatively, go through the gap in the trees in the empty piece of land next to the house (to the right when you are facing the front of the house). Explore the paths down the lake and around the woods in this protected wood, behind the house (between the lake and the house). Note: you are likely to find your way to the lake blocked by undergrowth and rocks near the lake and it is usually quite difficult, if not impossible, in summer to find a way all the way to the lake via this route). BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE SUNSET: As well as the restaurant across the lake (Restaurant U Szperlinga) it’s nice to take a beer to the field behind the houses in Falsztyn. Turn right out of the house and walk up the road with the row of holiday houses on your right. At the end of the track turn right just past the last house in the row. Walk down the concrete road for a while until you reach to a wood on your left. A little way along the road with the wood on the left (about 1-2 mins walk), select a field on the right to park your bum and watch the sunset. Or try the “bistro” on the cycle track nearby. BEST DAY TRIPS: To the castle at Niedzica (eat at the restaurant (Halnas) in the car park of the castle or in the castle restaurant). Afterwards try a boat trip on the lake – there are two options (around the lake or to Czorsztyn castle and back) Alternatively, go to Zakopane (about 50 minutes drive – most fun by the back roads). The Red Monastery in Slovakia just across the border is also a good day out. BEST RIVER SWIMMING: In the river at Nowa Biala (about 20 mins drive). To get there, drive into Nowa Biala (crossing the river over the bridge). One option (which is free to park) is to turn directly left after crossing the bridge on the entrance of Nowa Biala. The water is usually shallow here and may be better for younger children. The other option is to carry on into Nowa Biala to get to the part of the river with a mix of shallow and deeper water. To get here, drive through the village for a couple of mins, you will see a sign pointing left to Gron. Follow this road for about a minute and the reserve is just on the edge of the village – look for the car park with a wooden reserve sign and picnic table. Park here or in the car park another 300 metres along the road (costs 10zl – pay the granny who is will come over when you arrive). Walk to the river and choose a place for swimming (cross the river or walk south for quieter areas – although be aware that the water can be very fast flowing and to keep an eye on kids). Avoid weekends and bank holidays if you want to avoid lots of people. BEST CLIMBING: On the rocks at the same location as above (if you have your own equipment). Sports bolts already attached. Check in the mountain equipment shops in Zakopane and Nowy Targ if you want a guide for climbing or serious mountaineering. BEST FUN ACTIVITIES: Concrete luge, climbing park (in the trees) and chair lift at Kluszkowce (across the lake). They also do skiing and skiing lessons in winter and have a small outdoor climbing wall (you may also be able to get climbing lessons). There are lots of climbing parks in various other places too. There is a very high one in Kroscienko (not suitable for under age 9 or 10 – although there is a little kids version which is fine) (it is on the left on road into town coming from Krosnica and the road over the Pieniny National Park). Opposite the Kroscienko park there is also a fishing hole where you can catch your own trout to cook on the fire back at the house and a place for Quad biking for kids (quite dangerous I think). There are also lots of activities like luges, biking etc in the towns on the Slovakian Tatras. BEST SPA/SWIMMING POOL (good rainy day activity or for kids): The best one, we think, is at Bialka Tratranska (25 minutes drive by the back road via Nowa Biala) and is called ‘Bania’ – Jacuzzis, slides, outdoor sections, wave pool, whirlpools, cafes etc. About £10-15 per person – depending on how long you stay and the deal you get (family tickets are bit more expensive but work for longer). They have a fun zone and quiet zone - we always get both (either by paying for both at the door or paying the extra fee at the turnstile between the two using the watch). Quietest times are before 11am and after 4pm. We tend to go at 4pm to avoid the crowds. They give you a ‘watch’ which registers how long you have been there – and which also operates the locker (use like an oyster card) and can be used to pay for food (you pay on exit) and to operate the small units on the wall which tells you how long you have left. No outside shoes allowed inside (take flip flops or have bare feet). There is also a smaller spa/swimming pool at Szaflary, on the motorway south of Nowy Targ which has more mineral content. Again, you are best advised to take the back roads if you are going on a day when there may be traffic – and it is probably quicker that way anyway. There is also a big complex in Bukowina Tatrzanska which is also very good and a new complex, called Gorancy Potok, opposite the small spa at Szaflary, which is also very good (and by far the cheapest spa to visit). BEST SKIING: All the following resorts have artificial snow, if there is not enough real snow: (a) Niedzica, Polona Sosny, near Restauracja Dwor (10 mins drive), Niedzica. Drive past Niedzica Zamek (where the castle is), along the side of the second reservoir under the castle. Drive straight over the roundabout, continuing alongside the reservoir (rather than turning right into Niedzica town itself). At the end of the reservoir you come across Restauracja Dwor straight on and the ski slope on the right. Park under the slope if there are spaces and at Restauracja Dwor car park if not. There is a small ski school, equipment hire and couple of slopes here. (b) Our favourite ski place is at Kluszkowce, across the other side of the lake (you can see the top of the hill with people getting off the ski lift from the back bedroom - use the binoculars from the front room). To get to the ski resort drive from Falsztyn to Niedzica Zamek and then to Restauracja Dwor, then follow the road left to cross the lake to drive towards Krosnica. Drive along the main road through the Pieniny National Park. When you get to Krosnica turn left at the sign for Nowy Targ. After a few minutes on the main road, you will see a sign to the ski resort (and concrete luge) at Kluszkowce on the right. Follow the sign directions right and take the road down to the resort. Find parking in the large car park. There is equipment rental, a ski school (with some Engish speaking ski and snowboard teachers and lift passes here. There are 3-4 major runs here and several smaller ski drag lifts after you have gone up in one of the two main chair lifts. (c) The biggest ski resort is at Bania, at Bialka Tatranska, about 25 minutes drive using the back road to Zakopane via Nowa Biala. This can be very busy but has large, wide open slopes and lots of facilities - including a number of different places to hire equipment. INTERNET: The house has very fast LTE/4G mobile internet router. The router is in the front room next the stereo. Get the WPA key for your phone/device off the sticker on the base. The speed is usually enough to stream a HD movie (eg Netflix) but can glitch if several people are all watching HD movies at the same time. TV/Games/films: There is TV with Polish terrestrial digital TV. You can sometimes use the TV remote to press the audio button to set the audio to the original language of English for some of the programmes and films. You can press the INPUT/SOURCE button on the TV remote to switch with the Nintendo Wii, DVD player Roku. There are video games and films in the cupboard in the front room - as well as lots of different Wii controllers. Please buy replacement batteries (available from the local store) if you use the Wii controllers a lot. You can set the Roku with you various IDs for various streaming services, in order to access your purchased movies and TV programmes and music. There are board games in the front room.