By rail
Poprad-Tatry station, the Tatra electric railway runs to the resorts
Europe · Slovakia
High Tatras, Slovakia
Slovakia's alpine peaks and glacial lakes
Getting there
By air
Poprad-Tatry (TAT), ~15 km from Starý Smokovec
Best time to visit
June to September for hiking; December to March for skiing
Don't miss
Štrbské Pleso
Lomnický štít
Popradské pleso
Skalnaté pleso
Zelené pleso
Tatranská Lomnica
Starý Smokovec
Things to do
Hiking to the mountain lakes
The cable car up Lomnický štít
A night in a mountain hut
Skiing at Štrbské Pleso
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Timothy Langer · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Hiking boots, layers, a rain jacket, sun protection, a map for the marked trails
A quieter corner
Zelené pleso, a green lake under the peaks reached by a half-day walk from Tatranská Lomnica
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit High Tatras?
June to September for hiking; December to March for skiing. What to pack: Hiking boots, layers, a rain jacket, sun protection, a map for the marked trails.
How do I get to High Tatras?
Fly into Poprad-Tatry (TAT), ~15 km from Starý Smokovec.
What is there to do in High Tatras?
Hiking to the mountain lakes, the cable car up Lomnický štít, a night in a mountain hut, skiing at Štrbské Pleso. A quieter find: Zelené pleso, a green lake under the peaks reached by a half-day walk from Tatranská Lomnica.
What should I eat in High Tatras?
Bryndzové halušky, hearty soups in mountain huts, roast meats, Slovak beer.
About High Tatras
- Mountains
- Lakeside
Where it is
The High Tatras are a mountain range in northern Slovakia on the border with Poland, with a string of resort villages along their southern foot above the town of Poprad.
History
Shepherds and miners knew these peaks for centuries before spa guests and mountaineers arrived in the nineteenth century and the resorts of Starý Smokovec and Štrbské Pleso grew up along the slopes. The range became Slovakia's first national park in the mid-twentieth century and has long been the country's favourite place to hike and ski.
People
Mountain guides, hut keepers and hoteliers serve a stream of Slovak and Polish walkers; the villages are small, and the Goral traditions of the foothills show in the wooden houses and music.
Known for
- Glacial lakes such as Štrbské Pleso
- The cable car to Lomnický štít
- Marked hiking trails
- Mountain huts
Did you know?
Despite their height the High Tatras are among the smallest alpine ranges in the world, only about twenty-six kilometres long.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.