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The rocks were slippery from the morning mist, but the local nuns were not having any problems. To say they were as sure-footed as mountain goats would be true but certainly not very flattering, appearance-wise. If anything, the nuns were cutting a dash, their long robes glistening with mist, sturdy pairs of hiking boots poking out from below the hem. The local ladies of the cloth were well prepared and doing it easy while the rest of us struggled up to the peak of Mt Giewont (1894m).

Above the treeline the mountain landscape was breathtaking. We had cut through the mist and now had blue sky and sunshine. The peaks were ragged and sharp, sometimes looking like the hand of Adam reaching out to God. The trail to Mt Giewont ran between two peaks and it was like walking through an enormous church, following the nuns to the altar where one could enjoy a silent communion with nature.

Though not a local boy, Zakopane always thought of Pope John Paul II as one of their own. He was born in Wadowice, some 70km north of Zakopane, and came here often as a young man to partake of the skiing and hiking which he enjoyed so much. Even as an alumnus of the Cracow Seminary he continued to spend his holidays in this church of a different kind, favouring the chapel in Jaszczurówko and Ksiæýówko, the holiday house of the Polish Episcopate. His passion for the Tatra Mountains, Poland’s broken down version of the Alps, and for hiking and skiing, motivated and inspired several generations of local nuns.

A visitor to Zakopane cannot help but side with the late Pope. This is a special place, popular with Poles, and becoming more international now that Poland is no longer isolated by communism. The mountain backdrop is breathtaking, offering challenging hiking in summer and quality skiing in winter. The nuns claim that autumn and spring are the best times to visit, when the tourist numbers are lower, the mountain paths deserted, and the town slows down to its normal slow, highland village pace.

Zakopane was established as a farmers’ and shepherds’ settlement four hundred years ago and that tradition continues today; the highland culture cultivated by locals culminates with the International Highlanders Folklore Festival held every year in August. Even outside of festival time, local musicians dressed as traditional highlanders play foot-tapping music in restaurants while others sell arts and crafts from street stalls.

It was in the late 19th century that the town became popular as a tourist destination. The recuperative powers of the local environment and high quality air led to the town becoming a health retreat for sufferers of tuberculosis. With the railroad in 1899 came larger numbers and the town developed to cater for them, with many locals renting out rooms in their houses. With the crowds came artists and musicians seeking a quiet retreat to develop their work.

One such artist was the architect Stanislaw Witkiewicz, who was inspired by the local buildings and developed the unique ‘Zakopane Style’ in which most buildings have been built over the last century. It is a pleasure to stroll the streets and take in these extravagant residences, including the Willa Koliba, the first house built in this style. The houses are marked by steep roofs, pointy like witches’ hats, and by the heavy wooden beams which lock together to make the walls. The houses add a fairytale nature to the town, and from a distance, every house looks like it is made of gingerbread.

Between the first and second world wars Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains became a retreat for the wealthy and affluent of divided Poland. While the borders changed, the mountains remained a constant, as did the traditional farming way of life. With the Nazi invasion, local leaders, somewhat provincial in mentality, struck a deal with the conquerors and the town escaped any serious war-time damage. However, it is rumoured that many people escaped through the mountains to the safety of Hungary while resistance groups, also from nearby Czechoslovakia, were known to have hidden in the Tatras.

With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Zakopane disappeared off the radar, becoming the exclusive playground for members of the Workers’ Holiday Fund and a future Pope. It must have been an excellent time to enjoy this mountainous wonderland, with so few people on the trails, the ski slopes vacant in winter. Zakopane and the Tatras etched itself into the collective consciousness of Poles and remains their most popular holiday destination. The downside of this period was the environmental damage caused by local industry and use of low quality resources. However, in the last ten years, intelligent town planning and use of geothermal energy (from a hot water spring 2km underground) have resulted in an environmental recovery of sorts, and this will no doubt continue in the future.

Any visit to Zakopane, and no doubt the late Pope followed this routine, begins with a stroll down Krupówki, the main drag which is lined with restaurants serving local specialties like Pierogi (ravioli) and with souvenir and fashion shops. Yes, you can buy authentic shepherds’ pants, creamy white and extravagantly embroided, and don’t leave without a comfy pair of moccasins. From the bottom of Krupówki, take the funicular up to Gubalówka for an excellent view of the town. Pope John Paul II, on his last trip to Zakopane in 1997, did just that, looking down on the breathtaking valley and mountain scene, perhaps recalling his youth when he flew down the slopes on skis and hiked through the forest with a gaggle of nuns in tow.

During that memorable last trip, which is fixed in the memory of all of Zakopane’s citizens, the late Pope took the cable car to the top of Mt Kasprowy Wierch, where some of the best skiing is had in winter, and also visited the picturesque Morskie Oko Lake. The mass held during his visit is still regarded as one of the most significant events in the town’s history.

Pope John Paul II has left his people but his spirit and legacy remain in the Tatra Mountains and the Zakopane Valley. The hiking nuns, who also are keen skiers, are an example of the late Pope’s inspiration and the importance he placed on savouring the kingdom of God outside the church. Indeed, the Tatras is a church of a different kind, where more than 2 million visitors a year come to worship the beauty and power of nature, and to take solace in the environment which inspired one of the 20th century’s greatest men.

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