Why this ride
A dense sequence of passes, valleys and viewpoint roads. It also links naturally to Tatra National Park.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Tatra Foothills Loop
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 46 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 01
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Access context
Verify park access, surface and seasonal congestion. Specific flag: congestion.
Seasonal context
May-Oct
Scenic road chapters
Polish Tatra Road
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 21 km this is Polish Tatra Road, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 21 km
- Named road
- Polish Tatra Road
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Zakopane
Zakopane has been the capital of Polish mountain life for more than a century, and it wears the role with a mixture of pride and fatigue. About twenty-eight thousand people live here, right below the Tatra range, and in peak seasons several times that many visitors pour in for skiing, hiking and a stroll along Krupówki, the crowded main street of souvenir shops, grill stands and music. Behind the bustle lies a distinct culture, that of the Górale, the highlanders, with their own dialect, music, costume and wooden architecture, and the Zakopane style of timber building, popularised in the late nineteenth century by the artist Stanisław Witkiewicz, still shapes the best old villas.
Read the complete Zakopane write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Zakopane sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Nowy Targ.
2. Nowy Targ
Nowy Targ is the main town of Podhale, the highland district at the foot of the Tatras, and it feels as if it had always been a place where mountain farmers came down to trade. About thirty-four thousand people live here, in a broad, windswept basin about six hundred metres above sea level where the Czarny and Biały Dunajec rivers meet, and the weekly market, held on Thursdays, is a long-standing tradition where highlanders in embroidered waistcoats still sell sheep, cheese, wool and wooden goods. The cheese to look for is oscypek, a smoked, spindle-shaped sheep's-milk cheese pressed in carved wooden moulds, and you will find it on stalls throughout the region.
Read the complete Nowy Targ write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Nowy Targ comes up 21 km in. Next is Zakopane.
3. Zakopane
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Zakopane write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
46 km in you reach Zakopane.
Recorded source links
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Vlkolínec and Salt Mine in Bochnia · 449 km
- Zakopane afternoon · Kezmarok · 474 km
- Tatra Foothills Road (149 km) · 149 km