01 Auschwitz naar Zakopane
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Leonor Orban - Sr. RouteXpert
Last edit: 30-03-2025
Route Summary The route leads you from the Auschwitz concentration camp, via a number of small mountain passes along beautiful nature areas through Silesia and Lesser Poland. Along the way you come across a number of sights and viewpoints. See the review for a detailed description.
The route has been made the same for Garmin, TomTom and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Share this route 
Animation
Verdict
Duration
9h 34m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
334.41 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The motorways in Poland are well paved. From Wroclaw you have to pay a toll, but it is worth doing this anyway. We left the highway just before Wroclaw, but the inner roads there were busy, mainly by trucks. This makes it not relaxed driving.
This route goes from Auschwitz in to Zakopane. Along the way you come across a number of sights that are worth stopping for a while. In Stara Wies you will come across one of the many wooden churches in Silesia and Lesser Poland. This church is a good example of this and is open for viewing. There is also a spacious parking lot across the street.
A little further on you come across a special construction in the same village: a huge steel cross. In the distance it may not stand out among the electricity pylons, but as soon as you get closer you will see the cross. At the foot of the cross you can park well to take a picture.
On about a third of the route you pass a somewhat larger city (Bielsko Biala). If you still feel well, I advise you to continue driving and only pause later. As soon as you leave the city, you enter a beautiful nature reserve. You first cross a modest mountain pass and then drive along a reservoir to Mount Gora Zar. Pay attention if you are driving with Garmin maps: the way to the top is best followed by the directions on the signs. TomTom gives the correct instructions.
The approximately 740 meter high Gora Zar mountain offers beautiful views of the surrounding area, and you can also enjoy a nice break and a bite to eat and drink. If you like speeding without a helmet on, you can also race down the mountain with the toboggan run. With a small train you can come up again.
If you do not want to drive up the mountain, you will pass Hotel Restaurant Kocierz a few kilometers past the reservoir. You can park in front of the hotel and enjoy a meal and the view on the terrace.
The rest of the afternoon you will cycle through beautiful nature reserves (such as Babiogorski National Park) and small villages. You will notice that the further South you drive, you see more and more wooden houses. These beautifully decorated houses are characteristic of this area. Zakopane is the highlight of this. In this fashionable town you will find several large wooden villas, where you can also spend the night.
Zakopane is quite touristy: in the winter it is a busy ski area and in the summer you encounter many hikers and mountain bikers. That makes it that this town is full of life. You will find many nice restaurants and shops for a short stop.
We spent the night at Villa Nosal. This hotel is approximately 1 km walking distance from the center and is therefore a bit quieter. Certainly if you want to go hiking in the Tatra Mountains (which is absolutely worth it!), This hotel is a great base.
For your information: before we started this day trip to Zakopane, we spent 2 nights in Auschwitz to visit Auschwitz concentration camp. If you are also interested in visiting it, we advise you to book tickets in advance via the internet, because it is crowded. It may also be useful to drive the day after the visit: the tour was fierce and impressive. We were happy that we could recover.
This route gets 4.5 stars from me because you cross beautiful nature areas along the way, cross small modest mountain passes and pass a number of viewpoints and interesting stops. In addition, the chosen roads are of good quality.
Links 
Usage Want to download this route?
You can download the route for free without MyRoute-app account. To do so, open the route and click 'save as'. Want to edit this route?
No problem, start by opening the route. Follow the tutorial and create your personal MyRoute-app account. After registration, your trial starts automatically. 
Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Nearby routes 
Silesia
About this region
Silesia (, also UK: , US: ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly inside the contemporary borders of Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately 40,000 km2 (15,400 sq mi), and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split into two main subregions, Lower Silesia in the west and Upper Silesia in the east. Silesia has a diverse culture, including architecture, costumes, cuisine, traditions, and the Silesian dialect (only in parts of Upper Silesia).
Silesia is along the Oder River, with the Sudeten Mountains extending across the southern border. The region contains many historical landmarks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. The largest city and Lower Silesia's capital is Wrocław; the historic capital of Upper Silesia is Opole. The biggest metropolitan area is the Upper Silesian metropolitan area, the centre of which is Katowice. Parts of the Czech city of Ostrava and the German city of Görlitz are within Silesia's borders.
Silesia's borders and national affiliation have changed over time, both when it was a hereditary possession of noble houses and after the rise of modern nation-states, resulting in an abundance of castles, especially in the Jelenia Góra valley. The first known states to hold power in Silesia were probably those of Greater Moravia at the end of the 9th century and Bohemia early in the 10th century. In the 10th century, Silesia was incorporated into the early Polish state, and after its division in the 12th century it became a Piast duchy. In the 14th century, it became a constituent part of the Bohemian Crown Lands under the Holy Roman Empire, which passed to the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in 1526. As a result of the Silesian Wars, the region was annexed by the German state of Prussia in 1742.
After World War I, the easternmost part of Upper Silesia was granted to Poland by the Entente Powers after insurrections by Poles and the Upper Silesian plebiscite. The remaining former Austrian parts of Silesia were partitioned to Czechoslovakia, forming part of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland region, and are today part of the Czech Republic. In 1945, after World War II, most of Silesia was transferred to Polish jurisdiction by the Potsdam Agreement between the victorious Allies and became part of Poland, whose Communist government expelled most of Silesia's population. The small Lusatian strip west of the Oder–Neisse line, which had belonged to Silesia since 1815, remained in Germany.
As the result of the forced population shifts of 1945–48, today's inhabitants of Silesia speak the national languages of their respective countries. Previously German-speaking Lower Silesia had developed a new mixed Polish dialect and novel costumes. There is ongoing debate about whether the Silesian language should be considered a dialect of Polish or a separate language. The Lower Silesian German dialect is nearing extinction due to its speakers' expulsion.
Read more on Wikipedia
Silesia is along the Oder River, with the Sudeten Mountains extending across the southern border. The region contains many historical landmarks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. The largest city and Lower Silesia's capital is Wrocław; the historic capital of Upper Silesia is Opole. The biggest metropolitan area is the Upper Silesian metropolitan area, the centre of which is Katowice. Parts of the Czech city of Ostrava and the German city of Görlitz are within Silesia's borders.
Silesia's borders and national affiliation have changed over time, both when it was a hereditary possession of noble houses and after the rise of modern nation-states, resulting in an abundance of castles, especially in the Jelenia Góra valley. The first known states to hold power in Silesia were probably those of Greater Moravia at the end of the 9th century and Bohemia early in the 10th century. In the 10th century, Silesia was incorporated into the early Polish state, and after its division in the 12th century it became a Piast duchy. In the 14th century, it became a constituent part of the Bohemian Crown Lands under the Holy Roman Empire, which passed to the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in 1526. As a result of the Silesian Wars, the region was annexed by the German state of Prussia in 1742.
After World War I, the easternmost part of Upper Silesia was granted to Poland by the Entente Powers after insurrections by Poles and the Upper Silesian plebiscite. The remaining former Austrian parts of Silesia were partitioned to Czechoslovakia, forming part of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland region, and are today part of the Czech Republic. In 1945, after World War II, most of Silesia was transferred to Polish jurisdiction by the Potsdam Agreement between the victorious Allies and became part of Poland, whose Communist government expelled most of Silesia's population. The small Lusatian strip west of the Oder–Neisse line, which had belonged to Silesia since 1815, remained in Germany.
As the result of the forced population shifts of 1945–48, today's inhabitants of Silesia speak the national languages of their respective countries. Previously German-speaking Lower Silesia had developed a new mixed Polish dialect and novel costumes. There is ongoing debate about whether the Silesian language should be considered a dialect of Polish or a separate language. The Lower Silesian German dialect is nearing extinction due to its speakers' expulsion.
View region
Statistics 
1Amount of RX reviews (Silesia)
11432Amount of visitors (Silesia)
92Amount of downloads (Silesia)
Route Collections in this region Tour Poland Slovakia and the Czech Republic
This collection of routes is based on a 3-week vacation that I rode with my partner in June 2018.
The journey goes through Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and a piece of Germany. In total there are 11 driving days, a combination of touristic tours and routes from A to B. All routes avoid the highway and go exclusively on the smaller roads, which makes it a beautiful and varied journey.
Along the way you regularly come across sights, where you can stop to look around. These vary from beautiful viewpoints, to museums and special buildings. You also visit various national nature parks along the way, such as the Tatra Mountains, the Giant Mountains, Eagle Mountains, Krkonoše and Bohemian Switzerland. Because the overnight places are often also located in these areas, you can alternate the driving days with days with wonderful hiking trips.
If you only want to ride a motorcycle, then this collection can also be done in 2 weeks (including a return trip from the Netherlands).
The routes themselves can be challenging from time to time, particularly because the quality of the road surface in Eastern Europe - especially on the small country roads - is not always good. In June 2018 all routes were on paved roads.
The journey goes through Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and a piece of Germany. In total there are 11 driving days, a combination of touristic tours and routes from A to B. All routes avoid the highway and go exclusively on the smaller roads, which makes it a beautiful and varied journey.
Along the way you regularly come across sights, where you can stop to look around. These vary from beautiful viewpoints, to museums and special buildings. You also visit various national nature parks along the way, such as the Tatra Mountains, the Giant Mountains, Eagle Mountains, Krkonoše and Bohemian Switzerland. Because the overnight places are often also located in these areas, you can alternate the driving days with days with wonderful hiking trips.
If you only want to ride a motorcycle, then this collection can also be done in 2 weeks (including a return trip from the Netherlands).
The routes themselves can be challenging from time to time, particularly because the quality of the road surface in Eastern Europe - especially on the small country roads - is not always good. In June 2018 all routes were on paved roads.
View Route Collection