Tatra Mountains

About the Route

WHY TREK IT?

There’s no set trail for traversing the Carpathian Mountains. It’s a ‘choose your own adventure’ kind of place. Fortunately, it’s a fairly easy place to explore. Trail are well marked, there are plenty of huts where you can get a warm meal, and drinkable water is readily accessible from crystal clear lakes and rivers. Just be sure to pay attention to the difficulty levels of hikes before you make your plans. Hikes range from easy to extremely technical and exposed, requiring mountaineering and altitude experience.

“Follow the trails up the mountain and you'll pass through wildflowers and lush green mountains.”

- Kate Diederichs

While the Carpathians run through Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia, the highest peaks are located in the Tatra Range, in Poland and Slovakia. A good base for your time there is Zakopane, which is a famous resort town similar to Chamonix in France. Some popular mountains to include in your itinerary include Rysy (8,200 ft), Koscielec (7,070 ft), Swinica (7,550 ft), Kasprowy (6,525 ft), accessible via cable car), Giewont (6,225 ft), and Czerwone Wierchy (6,950 ft with 3 lower peaks). The trails between peaks on Czerwone Wierchy are thought to be some of the most scenic in Tatra National Park, but you don’t need to stay up high for nice views. Popular, and incredibly beautiful, valleys in the region to explore include Chocholowska, Koscieliska, and Dolina Pieciu Stawow (or Five Lake Valley).