Białka Tatrzańska- Activities to do over Christmas & New Year

We are going (for the first time) this Christmas and New Year, staying in Pod Kotelnica, which we're told is nice (and is right by the ski lift)!

We'll be there for around 2 weeks, so does anyone have any recommendations for activities / ski schools?

I'm a beginner snowboarder and my wife is a beginner skier (I may try skiing instead to make it easier), so can anyone recommend any school in particular?

Also I'm keen to have a go on a snowmobile if its possible to hire one from somewhere (I am hoping of course we get good snow this year)?

Other than that are there any other activities such as a sleigh ride, or restaurants worth visiting?

We will be there with a 6 month old, but babcia and dziadek will be on hand to babysit occasionally if need be!

I have stayed here 3 or 4 times its a nice place I would go with the family room if I was you.

As for snowmobiles there is a place to the right of the ski shop its an old metal garage.

The other things to take in are the thermal pools.

Yep we've gone for the family room, so that's good, the thermal pools are on the list and we'll look out for the garage!

We've just got back from Białka, so I thought I'd write a quick summary, for those that haven't been yet!

Overall we really liked the place, we got lucky with some good cold weather and decent snowfall for a few days over Christmas, although bizarrely they didn't fire the snow cannon's on Jan 1st/2nd when the slopes were clearly in need of them. Does anyone with more knowledge of snow cannon's than me (I have none), know why this might be (the temp over these days ranged from about +1 to -3)?

To be honest, that's my only real gripe with the area, we thought it was really nice and picturesque....small yes, but as we are beginner skiers a tiny resort with a good number of fairly easy runs and a good ski school was absolutely perfect for us!

That aside, we stayed in Pod Kotelinca and were severely disappointed (I'll post a link to my lengthily trip advisor review once its been approved, rather than go into detail here), any recommendations on where to stay next time? We were quite impressed with Bania, but its double (or more) the price of anywhere else it seems!

Other than that, we didn't get to go on the snow mobiles (but found the hut), so hopefully we can do that next time! Is there anything else anyone would recommend doing there?

We were thinking of going back, perhaps even as soon as the end of Jan, I know these days its impossible to predict, but is it likely the snow coverage would be good then, or if not, when would be better (we can do the end of Feb onwards too, but not the start/middle)?

vjmehra - if you wish to be happy in Poland, learn to accept mediocrity - the graveyard is full of foreigners who attempted to change Poland.

Sylwester is clusterf@ck all over Poland, not just in the mountains. Agreed Bania are good at what they do.


Have you looked at Bambi Rezydencja ( Zakopane) they specialize in families with young kids.

If you go there be sure to eat at sopa.pl - The lamb is a must :-)

That looks like quite a nich place, but a long way (without a car) from any ski lifts. As we won't have a car we'd prefer to be close to some lifts (although not necessarily fussed which ones, so long as there are a few blues and maybe a red)!