The beginnings of sport and tourism in Zakopane in the local press

The end of XIX and beginning of the XXth century was the time of rapid development of Tatra tourism. It was also the time during which Zakopane became the leading touristic venue. Polish Intelligentsia, who came in huge numbers to this place from all annexed territories, had the main influence on that process. The achievements of pioneers in Tatra tourism were the major subjects in the local press, whose dynamic development depended on the growing number of visitors coming to Zakopane. During the years 1891–1914 there were altogether 12 journals that described socio-economic development of Zakopane, included science and popular science articles from various fields and, more importantly, promoted tourism, presented accounts of mountain treks and activities carried out by Polish Tatra Society and Tatra Mountains Volunteer Rescue Service. The press in Zakopane described and presented discussions on controversial topics such as, for example, building the mountain cableway to Świnica Peak. At the beginning of the XXth century the local press included articles written by famous sports and recreation promoters as: Leopold Świerz, Stanislaw Bedzikiewicz, Eugeniusz Piasecki, Stanislaw Barabasz i Mariusz Zaruski.