Hi BPLers,

It's well out of the way of places usually discussed on here, but does anyone have any experience of hiking in Poland, particularly in the Tatras near Zakopane?

Also, Brandenburg?

Andy - long time reader, occasional poster.

I was there (Zakopane) about 2 weeks ago -- but just for a day trip -- riding the funicular and walking around a bit. Given this extremely limited exposure -- I think the Zakopane is a 'big deal' in Poland only because almost all the rest of the country is flat.

The scenary is pretty, but if you are used to mountains, Zakopane isn't anything special as a 'serious' hiking destination in and of itself.

Some basic info:
http://www.vysoketatry.com/en.html

Any questions?

Andy - I was in Zakopane a few years ago during the winter. All I could see was endless backcountry skiing opportunities...

I befriend some locals and stayed with them. They showed me the pictures of the Tatras during the summer and it looked fantastic. I think the range is in pristine conditions compared with more western Europe, yet the backcountry is not too crowded. You'll easily be able to find good lakes. Many of the trails probably won't be well marked. Do bring mosquito spray. I don't think bears are a problem, per se, but you should of course still use smart cooking and food storage techniques.

From my understand camping in the Tatras... at least the Polish side is prohibited. Anyone have more info on this? I'm currently studying in Krakow, anyone in these parts or heading here too? :)

Andy,

I have seen in your profile that Berlin is your locale and I live there as well - if I am not travelling myself.

As a Berliner you have to realise that hiking in Brandenburg is not really exciting. Brandenburg is pretty flat, does not have a lot of forest and is very much industrialised.
For a Berliner the closest decent hiking areas are "Saechsische Schweiz" and "Harz".

There is only one long-distance trail in Brandenburg which circles around Berlin:
66-Seen-Wanderweg
Google that and various websites will come up. There is a guidebook as well.

My favourite hiking area is "Schlaubetal" - but the longest hiking trail there is only 60 km, but quite nice and hikeable year round.

Feel free to contact me via PM if you want more info on hiking around Berlin.

@Peter: Wild camping is legally prohibited EVERYWHERE in Europe except Scandinavia. But that does not mean that people don't do - you just have to be very discreet and respect nature reserves and the like.

Christine