Tatra Railway Station
The dark building of the Tatra Railway Station rises next to the Krupówki Street, which was once the seat of the Polish Tatra Society (no 12).
It used to be the most important cultural institution in Zakopane. There is a plaque in memory of Klimek Bachleda on the wall in front of the entrance, the patron saint of Tatra guides. The first seat of the Tatra Society was located in the same place, wooden building, placed in 1881 r. Famous visitors have stayed here – Modjeska, Sienkiewicz, Paderewski – who performed on the stage of Dworzec. Moreover, it housed a library and a casino. By unfortunate coincidence, the wooden building burned down in 1900 r. After stormy discussions about the legitimacy of the Society having a stately headquarters, a decision was made, that it is necessary, however, to build and in 1903 r. a new brick Tatra Railway Station with a glass veranda was opened, which was to be the first attempt to apply the Zakopane style in brick construction. The architect was Vandalin Beringer. After another fire in 1993 r., who has done considerable damage, the building is undergoing renovation. Today at Krupówki 12 the Zakopane branch of PTTK is located.
You can go back to Krupówki by the bridge on the Foluszowy stream near Dworzec Tatrzański. On the other side of the street you can see a narrow passage between the houses, eastward. It is one of the walks to Zborowskiego Street, at which the MPiK club is located.
At Krupówki no 11 a large wooden house rises, under renovation. It is a former Staszeczkówka guest house built in 1896 r. by Jan Gąsienica Staszeczka. It was one of the first in Zakopane to have its own electric lighting. Above Staszeczkówka, on the corner of Krupówki and Kościuszko, stands the Giewont hotel. Further to the right there is the building of the Gazda hotel in the style of the years 70., with a characteristic sculpture in front of the entrance depicting a highlander with a sheep. The ground-floor part of the building from the Krupówki side is occupied by a large Cepelia and a Wólczanka shirt shop. From the side of ul. Zaruski, which is the main door to the hotel, you enter the shop with sports equipment and souvenirs.