Snowlandia in Zakopane with kids: the snow maze, a snow castle and skiing

The 2017 winter school holidays (in Poland schools close for a two-week winter break, which we call ferie) were our first with four children. Iwona was only a few months old, so she watched the winter from her pram, while the older three went skiing and sledging. We set off at night, and the kids slept through most of the journey in our blue Ford. When we arrived, we were greeted by frost, sunshine and the Tatras, which we could see almost every day.

Sunset over the Tatras

In a meadow next to us there were hay bales wrapped in plastic. The kids climbed onto them straight away, and behind them the Tatras glowed in the setting sun. A horse-drawn sleigh rode past.

The next morning the valley was filled with fog, and the snowy peaks rose above it.

The Snow Maze at Snowlandia

A year earlier we had been at the foot of Wielka Krokiew, the big ski jump in Zakopane, on the very first day the largest snow maze in the world opened there. In 2017 the maze was built again, this time as part of the Snowlandia winter park, so we went back with the kids. The route was different from the year before, so we had to find our way out all over again. The walls of snow blocks are taller than adults, and the passages can surprise you with a dead end.

We show our second visit to the maze in this video:

Every year Snowlandia also has a castle made of snow and ice, with knight shows in front of it. We show the castle in a separate video:

Skiing and night skiing

On the slope the kids practised their runs and kept landing in the snow, laughing rather than crying. When it got dark, we stayed on for some night skiing under the floodlights.

We write more about the slopes at the foot of the Tatras in our guide Winter holidays in the Tatra Mountains with kids.

Practical info

Checked in November 2026. The prices come from tourist websites, so it is worth checking them on the Snowlandia website before you go.

• Snowlandia is at the foot of Wielka Krokiew in Zakopane. Apart from the maze, there is a sledging hill and an igloo called the Snow Queen's Palace.
• The snow structures can only be built when it is freezing, so the opening date is different every year. The 2025/26 season ended on 15 March 2026.
• In the 2024/25 season a standard ticket cost about 40 zł (PLN) and a reduced ticket 35 zł.
• It is least crowded right after opening. Dress the kids as you would for sledging.