Market under Gubałówka
This covered market beside the funicular station is usually where visitors meet oscypek for the very first time, that firm, smoky sheep's cheese sold on nearly every corner of Zakopane, most often grilled on a small stove and served with a spoon of cranberry sauce on top. The stalls themselves are packed close together, run mostly by local sellers who are happy to explain what they are selling and often let you try a small piece before buying. Beyond the cheese there is a wide range of traditional goods, sheepskin slippers, thick wool sweaters, carved wooden spoons and figures, and no shortage of enthusiastic sales pitches delivered with a wink. It gets busy whenever a funicular queue forms nearby, since people naturally drift over to browse while they wait. Prices vary noticeably between stalls for what looks like the same item, so it rewards a bit of comparing before you commit, and it works well as a quick fifteen minute detour or a longer, hungrier browse.
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Real oscypek is firm, smoky and made from sheep's milk. The softer, paler versions are usually cow's milk instead.
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