High Tatras, Slovakia: things to do, when to go and how to get there

Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

The High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry) are the highest part of the Carpathian range and form Slovakia’s northern border with Poland. On the Slovak side stands Gerlachovský štít, at 2,655 meters, the country’s highest point, and Kriváň, with its slanted profile long regarded as a national symbol. The region has more than a hundred glacial lakes (plesá), U-shaped valleys and waterfalls, all inside the Tatra National Park (TANAP), created in 1949 and the country’s oldest.

Tourist life is organized along a band of villages at the foot of the mountains, between 800 and 1,350 meters of altitude. Štrbské Pleso, Starý Smokovec and Tatranská Lomnica began as spa and ski resorts in the 19th and 20th centuries and today are part of a single town, Vysoké Tatry. A narrow-gauge electric train links these settlements with each other and with Poprad, the valley town with an airport and a station on the country’s main line.

In summer, trails climb from the villages to the lakes and mountain huts, and cable cars go up to Skalnaté pleso and the summit of Lomnický štít, at 2,634 meters. The road that circles the massif continues east to Ždiar, a village of painted wooden houses at the foot of the Belianske Tatras, near Belianska Cave. In winter, Štrbské Pleso and Tatranská Lomnica have ski slopes and cross-country tracks.

The park has its own visitor rules. Trails above the mountain huts are closed from November 1 to June 15, and during that period you may only go up as far as the huts, with few exceptions. Walking off marked trails is not permitted, and mountain weather changes quickly, even in summer.

This destination brings together 5 cities: Poprad, Štrbské Pleso, Starý Smokovec, Tatranská Lomnica, Ždiar.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where High Tatras is

Boundaries: geoBoundaries (dados do OpenStreetMap, licença ODbL). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: High Tatras

✈ Letisko Poprad-Tatry (TAT), in Poprad · 4 km to Poprad

Poprad is the entry point: it has a station on the Bratislava–Košice line (about 4 hours by train from Bratislava) and the Poprad‑Tatry airport, with few flights. From Poprad, the Tatra electric train links the mountain stations. Košice is about 120 km away.

Suggested arrival point: Poprad

Prešov · High Tatras Suggested arrival point

Poprad

A town of about 50,000 inhabitants in the valley at the foot of the High Tatras, with a station on the country’s main line, an airport and the starting point of the mountain electric train. The center has the Gothic Church of St. Egidius, and 2 km away the historic district of Spišská Sobota with a medieval square and an altar by Master Paul of Levoča.

Prešov · High Tatras District of Vysoké Tatry

Štrbské Pleso

The highest mountain resort in the Slovak Tatras, at about 1,350 meters, on the shore of the glacial lake of the same name. It has ski runs, ski-jump ramps and the start of trails to Popradské pleso and the western valleys of the range. It is one of the localities of the town of Vysoké Tatry.

Prešov · High Tatras District of Vysoké Tatry

Starý Smokovec

The oldest mountain resort in the High Tatras, founded at the end of the 18th century, in the middle of the string of villages at the foot of the massif. From there a funicular climbs to Hrebienok, from where short trails lead to the waterfalls of the Studený potok. It belongs to the town of Vysoké Tatry and is the main junction of the electric train.

Prešov · High Tatras District of Vysoké Tatry

Tatranská Lomnica

Mountain station on the eastern side of the High Tatras, where cable cars ascend to the Skalnaté pleso lake and to the summit of Lomnický štít, at 2,634 meters. It has ski runs, the Tatra National Park Museum, and a botanical garden of Tatra plants. Administratively, it is part of Vysoké Tatry.

Prešov · High Tatras

Ždiar

Village of the Górale, a mountain people, nestled between the Belianske Tatras and the Spišská Magura range, with wooden houses decorated with painted bands and the Ždiarsky dom museum. Nearby is the Belianska Cave, the only cave in the Tatras open to visitors. In winter there are ski slopes in the neighbouring valleys.

The local experience

Things to do in High Tatras

Starý Smokovec · Prešov · Lookout and mountain station

Hrebienok

A plateau about 1,285 meters above Starý Smokovec, connected to it by a funicular from the early 20th century. It is the starting point for trails to the Studený potok waterfalls and to the central-valley routes of the massif.

Tatranská Lomnica · Prešov · Peak and viewpoint

Lomnický štít

The second highest peak in Slovakia, at 2,634 meters, with an observatory and a viewpoint on the summit. It is reached by cable car from Tatranská Lomnica, passing through Skalnaté pleso.

Poprad · Prešov · Historic district

Spišská Sobota

The medieval quarter of Poprad, with a square of Renaissance houses and the Church of Saint George, which houses an altar by Master Paul of Levoča. It was one of the Spiš towns and today is protected as an urban heritage reserve.

Štrbské Pleso · Prešov · Lake

Štrbské pleso

The glacial lake at about 1,346 meters that gave the mountain resort its name, surrounded by conifer forest and with views of the western peaks of the High Tatras. A flat path runs along the shore.

See 7 more places in High Tatras

Ždiar · Prešov · Ethnographic museum

Ždiarsky Dom Museum

Museum in a typical wooden house of Ždiar, established in 1971 by the local residents, showing the interior, costumes and customs of the Górale who live at the foot of the Belianske Tatras.

Ždiar · Prešov · Cave

Belianska Cave

The only cave open to visitors in the Tatras, a stalactite cave on the slopes of the Belianske Tatras above Tatranská Kotlina. The guided tour crosses halls with calcite cascades and the so‑called Music Hall.

Poprad · Prešov · Church

St. Giles Church (Kostol svätého Egídia)

The Gothic church in the middle of Poprad’s main square, with medieval frescoes inside and a separate Renaissance bell tower beside it.

Štrbské Pleso · Prešov · Lake and trail

Popradské pleso

A glacial lake at about 1,494 meters in the Mengusovská valley, a one-and-a-half-hour hike from Štrbské Pleso, with a mountain hut on its shore and, nearby, the Symbolic Cemetery of Tatra victims.

Tatranská Lomnica · Prešov · Lake and cable-car station

Skalnaté pleso

A glacial lake at about 1,751 meters, at the foot of Lomnický štít, with the intermediate station of the cable cars, an astronomical observatory and trails along the Magistrála Tatranská.

Starý Smokovec · Prešov · Waterfall

Studený Creek Waterfalls

A set of cascades in the Studený potok valley, about a 30-minute trail from Hrebienok. The highest, Obrovský vodopád, drops about 20 meters between two rocks and is viewed from the Magistrála bridge.

Tatranská Lomnica · Prešov · Museum

Tatra National Park Museum

The TANAP museum in Tatranská Lomnica, founded in 1957, with rooms on natural history, environmental protection, the history and ethnography of the Tatras, and the mountain flora botanical garden.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

From mid‑June to October, when the high trails are open (from June 16) and the days are longer; July and August are busiest and prone to afternoon thunderstorms. September is usually steadier and quieter. December to March or April is the ski season. From November to mid‑June the high trails remain closed.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Three days allow one outing per day: the lakes at Štrbské Pleso, the Hrebienok waterfalls and the Tatranská Lomnica cable car. With four or five days you can add Ždiar, Belianska Cave and a longer hike to a hut or a high lake.

Which city to stay in

Starý Smokovec sits in the middle of the village strip, with trains in both directions. Štrbské Pleso, at 1,350 meters, puts the lake and western trails at your doorstep. Tatranská Lomnica is the base for the cable cars and the TANAP Museum. Poprad, in the valley, has more accommodation options and is 30 minutes by train from the mountains. Ždiar has guesthouses in wooden houses.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about High Tatras

How many days should you stay in the High Tatras?

Three days let you see Štrbské Pleso, the Hrebienok waterfalls and the Tatranská Lomnica cable car. With four or five days you can include Ždiar, Belianska Cave and a long hike.

When do the High Tatras trails open?

Trails above the mountain huts are open from June 16 to October 31. From November 1 to June 15 you may only ascend as far as the huts, with few exceptions defined by the park.

Do you need a car in the High Tatras?

No. The Tatra electric train links Poprad, Starý Smokovec, Štrbské Pleso and Tatranská Lomnica, and buses reach Ždiar. A car helps if you want to combine the Tatras with Levoča or Slovak Paradise in the same day.

Can you visit the High Tatras as a day trip?

From Poprad, yes: the train reaches Starý Smokovec in about 25 minutes and Štrbské Pleso in just over an hour. From Bratislava or Košice the trip is too long for a day trip; it’s best to spend the night in the region.

Can you ski in the High Tatras?

Yes. Štrbské Pleso and Tatranská Lomnica have slopes and cable cars, and there are cross‑country ski trails. The season generally runs from December to March or April, depending on snow.

High Tatras

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.