Best Hikes in the High Tatras

Easy walks

• Štrbské Pleso lake loop: a flat path around the lake. See Štrbské Pleso.
• Hrebienok and the Studenovodské waterfalls: take the funicular from Starý Smokovec and walk to the falls.
• Popradské pleso: a longer but moderate walk to a glacial lake with a mountain hut.

Moderate hikes

Routes to mountain huts such as Zamkovského chata and Téryho chata take several hours and gain real altitude. They suit people with regular walking fitness. Expect rocky steps and some steep stretches. Check the weather, bring poles if you like them, and book hut meals or beds ahead in summer where possible.

Demanding routes

Rysy, on the border with Poland, is the best-known high-mountain hike on the Slovak side. It is a long day with exposed sections, snow patches into early summer, and it should be treated as a serious mountain route. Other high routes use chains and need a head for heights. Gerlach, the highest peak, can be climbed only with a licensed mountain guide. Do not attempt these without experience and a good forecast.

Seasons and closures

Many high trails above the mountain huts are closed from 1 November to 15 June. This is a general rule in the Tatra National Park, but details differ by route and year. Most huts stay open in winter, though a few, such as Chata pod Rysmi, close. Check the official TANAP website for current closures before every trip. Even in July, snow can remain on north-facing slopes.

Safety and gear

• Start at dawn. Storms build in the afternoon.
• Wear sturdy boots with grip, and carry a rain jacket, warm layer, water and snacks.
• Bring a charged phone and call 112 in an emergency.
• Stay on marked trails and do not camp wild in the park.
• Turn back when the weather changes.

Read our High Tatras guide for the overview and things to do for alternatives on bad-weather days.

Planning a hiking day

A good plan starts the evening before. Check the weather forecast for storms and wind, choose a route that fits your slowest walker, and set a turnaround time. Allow more time than guidebook estimates if you walk with children or take many photos. Mountain huts sell hot food and drinks, but opening times and prices vary, so carry your own water and snacks.

Trail signs use coloured stripes and give times in hours and minutes. Treat the times as a guide and add extra for rest stops.

Getting to the trailheads

Most popular trailheads are in or near the three main resorts and can be reached by the Tatra Electric Railway. Poprad is the gateway town, and Starý Smokovec is the central hub. For help with the journey to the mountains, read Bratislava to the High Tatras, Košice to the High Tatras and Kraków to the High Tatras.