Tatry Mountains
The attraction is related to the countries:PolandSlovakiaTatry is located 100 km south of Krakow and is the highest part of the Carpathians. The mountains are a striking contrast to the rest of the flat, flat land of Poland.
Video: Tatra Mountains
General Information
The Tatra Mountains stretch 60 km long and 15 km wide and run along the Polish-Slovak border. One fourth of the mountains belong to Poland and most of this area is occupied by the Tatra National Park (about 212 square kilometers). In the Polish Tatras there are more than 20 peaks above 2000 m, the highest point is Mount Rysy (2499 m).
.Located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, the resort of Zakopane is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Poland. Even if you don’t intend to ski, be sure to take the cable car up Kasprowy Wierch Mountain, which offers a magnificent view of the mountains, hiking trails and ski slopes above the city.
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The cable car, which takes about 25 min with a stop and change at an intermediate station, takes you to the top of Kasprowy Wierch Mountain at a height of 1985 m (round trip ticket for adults/discounted 42/32zt; 07.00-21.00 July and August, 07.30-17.00 April-June, September and Oct. 08.00-16.00 Nov.).
.Here you can stand with one foot in Poland and the other in Slovakia. Buying round trip tickets, you will have to spend 100 min at the top, so if you have no desire to ski, you can bring a book with you. In summer, many tourists prefer to take the cable car up to the summit and walk down; the trip down one of the marked trails will take about 2 hrs.
.The one-way trip, during which the carriage climbs 936 m, takes about 20 minutes. The funicular usually doesn’t run for two weeks in May, and also shuts down during heavy snowfall and wind. Needless to say, the view from the top is spectacular (unless it’s too cloudy, of course)! Two elevators take skiers to the slopes from December through April.
.The restaurant caters to skiers and tourists alike. In summer, many people descend to Zakopane on foot through the Goncenice Valley, and the most intrepid travelers make their way along the mountain ridge to Morskie Oko Lake via Pieciu Stawow, a route that takes a full day, and that is subject to favorable weather.
.If you buy a round trip ticket, you have no more than two hours from the time you arrive, so if you want to stay up longer, you should buy a separate ticket for up (32zl) and a separate one for down (26zl). Kasprowy Wierch is a very popular tourist destination, so be prepared for queues.
.To get to the cable car station in Kuznica (south of Zakopane), you can take a cab, bus number 7 leaving from the bus station building, or a minibus that stops on the opposite side of the street.
.If you are interested in hiking trails, from easy valley walks to challenging routes in the Tatras, check out the modest-looking tourist office next to the bus station (ul. Kosciuszki 17, open daily 8.00-16.00). Hiking in the Tatras is only for experienced hikers and requires special equipment and a guide. Less difficult routes include different valleys: Bialego, Strożyska, Chocholowska and Kosciuszki.
.Tourists are not allowed to enter the park with their own vehicles. They may only travel on foot, on the funicular or in a vehicle belonging to the park, hotel or hostel.
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Camping is also prohibited within the park, but you can stay in one of the eight mountain shelters/hostels of the RTTC (Polish Tourist and Local History Society). Many of them are small and fill up fairly quickly; in mid-winter and summer, they are literally packed beyond their rated capacity. No one will be turned away here, even if all the beds are occupied. Just be prepared to get comfortable on the floor. Don’t arrive too late and don’t forget to bring a hiking mat and sleeping bag. You’ll be fed a hot dinner here, but it’s worth bearing in mind that kitchens and canteens close early (sometimes as early as 7pm).
.Hiking
If you are going to go hiking, get a map of the Tatrzaflski Park Narodowy (1:25,000), it shows all the surrounding hiking trails. Alternatively, go to the bookstore “Ksiegarnia Gorska” in Zakopane and buy one or more of the 14 sections of “Tatry Polskie”. July and August can be too touristy in these areas, so it’s best to visit in late spring or early fall. Autumn is also good because there is less rainfall at this time.
.Like all high mountain areas, the Tatra Mountains can be dangerous, especially during the winter season (November through May). Remember that the weather can be unpredictable. You should be wearing appropriate footwear, warm clothing, something to protect you from rain and waterproof gear. Some difficult sections have auxiliary ropes or chains that will make it easier to descend or ascend. Accompanying a guide is optional as many routes are signposted, but if necessary a guide can be booked in Zakopane, this will cost around 350zl per day.
.There are several picturesque valleys to the south of Zakopane, including Dolina Strazyska (Strazyska Valley). From this valley you can take the red route to Gewont Mountain (1909 m), a three and a half hour hike from Zakopane, and then take the blue route down to Kuznice, which takes another two hours or so.
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Two long beautiful wooded valleys, Dolina Chocholowska (Chocholowska Valley) and Dolina Koscieliska (Koscieliska Valley), are located in the western part of the park, also called Tatry Zachodnie (Western Tatras). These valleys are simply made for cycling. You can get here from Zakopane by shuttle bus or marshrutka.
.The High Tatras, located in the east, are a completely different picture: bare granite peaks and mirror-like lakes. The first way to get there is to take the funicular to Kaprowy Wierch, then walk east along the red trail to Swinica (2301 m) and then to the Zawrat Pass (2159 m) – an arduous three to four hour trek from the starting point, Kaspar Wierch. After crossing Zawrat, descend northward to the Goncenicowa Valley (Dolina Gasienicowa) along the blue route and then back to Zakopane.
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You can head south along the blue trail to the lovely Penchu Stawów Valley (Valley of the Five Lakes), where there is a mountain inn about an hour’s walk from Zawrat. Walking an hour and a half from the inn on the blue route west will take you to Sea Eye Lake..
