High Tatras

The High Tatras are the alpine heart of Slovakia, a small but strikingly dramatic range of jagged granite peaks, deep glacial lakes and mountain valleys on the Polish border, often called the smallest high mountains in the world. Gerlachovský štít, at 2,655 metres, is the highest of twenty-nine peaks over 2,500 metres, and the Slovak Tatra National Park of 1948 and the Polish one of 1954 together form a trans-border UNESCO biosphere reserve. A charming electric railway links the resort towns, and cable cars and trails lead into a landscape of true alpine grandeur.

Highlights

• Strbske Pleso - the glacial lake resort beneath the peaks.
• Lomnicky Stit - the peak reached by cable car for a high panorama.
• The mountain lakes and valleys - the glacial tarns and hiking valleys.
• The Tatra railway - the electric railway linking the resort towns.

When to go

Summer for hiking and the lakes, winter for skiing and snow; the peak seasons are busy. The high trails are real alpine terrain, needing care and holding snow late.

Practical notes

Though compact, these are serious alpine mountains, so higher hikes need experience and weather care. The resorts and cable cars are busy in peak seasons. The scale is smaller than the Alps but the drama is real.

Nearby

Poprad and Spis Castle are nearby; the Polish Tatras and Zakopane lie across the border.

Key facts