🇸🇰Slovakia · Places to discover

What to see in Hautes Tatras?

8 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.

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Map of places in Hautes Tatras, numbered like the cards below
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The High Tatras form Slovakia's only Alpine massif, squeezed across a hundred kilometres between plains and the Polish border. This national park concentrates glacial lakes, peaks exceeding 2,600 metres and mountain villages that still operate at their own pace. Štrbské Pleso and Popradské Pleso serve as anchors for hikers who come here for the density of routes, not for worldliness.

The best window falls between June and September for hiking, or January–February for cross-country skiing around Štrbské Pleso. Allow three to five days to explore the massif properly. The electric mountain railway, Tatranská električka, connects the stations without a car-both practical and fitting for the place. Avoid confining yourself to the yellow-marked trails around the lakes: they concentrate 80 per cent of visitors and give a distorted picture of the massif.

Castles & fortresses

1 place

  • Niedzica Castle (Zamek Dunajec)1Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Castle

    Niedzica Castle (Zamek Dunajec)

    Fourteenth-century mediaeval castle perched on a rocky promontory above Lake Czorsztyn. One of the best-preserved castles in the Tatras region, with a history steeped in Incan legends and hidden treasures.

Nature

5 places

  • Gerlachovský štít2Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Nature

    Gerlachovský štít

    Roof of the High Tatras at 2,654m, accessible only with an authorised guide. The ascent is an intense mountain experience reserved for experienced hikers.

  • Rysy Summit3Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

    Nature

    Rysy Summit

    Poland's highest point at 2499m, accessible to experienced hikers from Morskie Oko. On clear days, it offers unobstructed views over the Slovak and Polish Tatras.

  • Štrbské Pleso Lake4Wikimedia Commons

    Nature

    Štrbské Pleso Lake

    Glacial lake at 1346m altitude on the Slovak side, surrounded by pine forests and snow-capped peaks. An ideal starting point for hikes towards Solisko and Bystrá dolina.

  • Chochołowska Valley5Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Nature

    Chochołowska Valley

    The longest valley in the Polish Tatras, wild and minimally marked for hurried tourists. In May, violet crocuses carpet the meadows in a breathtaking natural spectacle.

  • 6

    Nature

    Nature

    Velické Pleso Lake

    Wild glacial lake at 1,665 metres altitude in the Velická valley, less touristy than Štrbské Pleso. Sliezsky dom mountain hut overlooks the lake in an authentic alpine setting.

Viewpoints

2 places

  • Kasprowy Wierch Summit (1,987 m)7Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Viewpoint

    Kasprowy Wierch Summit (1,987 m)

    Accessible by cable car from Kuźnice, this summit commands a 360° panorama of the Polish and Slovak Tatras. In winter, the starting point for exceptional off-piste skiing; in summer, the gateway to ridge walks across the high peaks.

  • Lomnický štít Summit8Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

    Viewpoint

    Lomnický štít Summit

    The second highest peak in the High Tatras at 2634m, accessible by cable car from Tatranská Lomnica. A century-old weather station and 360° panorama over the High Tatras and Slovak plains.

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