East of Czechia, over at our Slovak neighbours’, lies a natural gem – the High Tatras. It’s an extensive mountain belt stretching 26 km across Slovakia and partly into Poland. What’s interesting is that no part of the main ridge drops below 2,000 m. That’s enough for an introduction; now let’s get to the most beautiful hikes in the High Tatras.
From Štrbské pleso to Popradské pleso
A very easy interpretive trail that leads you through the stunning landscape of the High Tatras. The whole route is 10 km long and along the way you’ll see beautiful glacial lakes and the peaks that rise above these moraine tarns. There are huts by both lakes where you can get refreshments and soak up a bit of Slovak culture. This trek simply has to be on any list of the most beautiful hikes in the High Tatras.
The surroundings of both lakes offer walkers not only gorgeous views but also the chance to discover more of Slovakia’s natural beauty. On the eastern edge of Štrbské pleso lies the Rašeliniská nature reserve. Southeast of Popradské pleso you’ll find the symbolic cemetery for the victims of the High Tatras.
The summit of Ostrva (1,984 m)
Ostrva is a fairly unremarkable mountain in the Poprad district. Although it looks ordinary, it gives an extraordinarily impressive view of the surroundings. From the top you can look out over Mengusovská dolina, a glacial valley running around the mountain. On the western side lies the symbolic cemetery for the victims of the High Tatras mentioned above.
The climb up Ostrva is popular for being undemanding, so it’s manageable even for mountain beginners and less physically fit walkers. There’s also the so-called Galéria Ostrvy, a route up the summit suited to keen climbers. A big advantage is that the climb can also be done before the main tourist season.
Velické pleso beneath Gerlachovský štít
We’ll stay with the lakes a little longer and describe Velické pleso, which sits beneath Gerlachovský štít in Velická dolina. The tarn lies at an altitude of 1,665.5 m, which makes it the highest-lying lake in the Tatras. With its unusual look it certainly belongs among the most beautiful hikes in the High Tatras.
You can reach the tarn on several trails, open all year round. By the lake stands the mountain hotel Sliezsky dom. The Velický potok stream flows into the tarn from the north, coming down from the roughly fifteen-metre Velický vodopád waterfall (also called Věčný dážď, the Eternal Rain). Nearby you’ll also find Dlhé pleso and Kvetnicové pliesko.
Lomnické sedlo + Lomnický štít
Lomnický štít is the second-highest mountain in the High Tatras (2,634 m). Three ridges run from its summit – northwest, northeast and south. The southern ridge is the one connecting Lomnický štít with Lomnické sedlo. The summit is crowned by the highest-lying meteorological station in Slovakia, as well as the cable car station from Skalnaté pleso.
There are two ways to get up Lomnický štít. The first is the cable car mentioned above, which takes you to the top in 9 minutes. You then have a permitted 50 minutes to take in the breathtaking surroundings. The second is walking up from Lomnické sedlo, but only with a mountain guide.
I was personally disappointed, because of a price that struck me as barely human. A ticket came to around 100 EUR per person. In the little pub just below Lomnické sedlo you can read about the building of that cable car, after which I did come to understand it was no joke to construct. On the other hand, 100 EUR really is a lot.
Tip: If you’re a beginner, take a look at our route suggestions for beginners in the High Tatras.
Hrebienok to Lomnické sedlo along the Tatranská magistrála
The Tatranská magistrála is the longest hiking trail linking the High and Western Tatras. Over its 65 km you can see the very best the Slovak Tatras have to offer. For that reason alone the whole trail has to rank among the most beautiful hikes in the High Tatras.
One of these captivating sections is Hrebienok, a major ski-touring and hiking hub at the foot of Slavkovský štít. The place matters because it works as a starting point for routes in every direction. Besides Lomnický štít, from here you can reach Slavkovský štít, the Malá and Veľká Studená valleys and the Studený potok waterfalls.
If you came here looking for the most beautiful hikes in the High Tatras, I think we’ve managed to give you the right answer. We walked all of these over a long weekend from Thursday to Sunday, and it really was worth it.
We’d also recommend following the official High Tatras National Park site, which has the most up-to-date information on weather, closures and so on.
After that we headed on to the Slovak Paradise national park, which isn’t as well known as the High Tatras. On the other hand it offers more quiet, fewer people, gorges, ladder scrambles and a stronger connection with the park’s raw nature. We’ve written an article on 5 tips in Slovak Paradise that are definitely worth a visit.
Getting around the Tatras
Definitely use the Tatra electric railway (TEŽ). It’s a cheap and pleasant way to travel between the villages – it links Štrba, Poprad, Smokovec and Lomnica. You can buy a ticket easily from a machine or through the ZSSK app. That said, in season individual services can be packed – in which case you’ll have to wait for the next one and stand right at the fro-o-ont.
Car parks by the cable cars and trailheads tend to be full by around 8:00 in season. Popular parking spots include Štrbské Pleso, Tatranská Lomnica and Smokovec.
When to go to the High Tatras
The best window for hiking in the High Tatras is June to September and into early October. If you don’t fancy slaloming between people, avoid public holidays, weekends in July and August (we were there in July during the school holidays :-D) and cable cars after 10 in the morning.
The cable cars to Lomnický štít, Skalnaté pleso, Hrebienok and Solisko run roughly from May to October.
In winter only some of them operate, primarily for skiers. Check current opening hours on the official lanovky.sk or through GetYourGuide, where you can buy skip-the-line tickets. I’d actually recommend that, because when we wanted the cable car up Lomnický štít it came to around 110 EUR on the spot – GRIM! Online you can get it 20-30 % cheaper.
How to combine accommodation and hikes
To get the ideal balance between how far your accommodation is and how easily you reach the trailheads, we’d recommend staying in one of these places.
- Štrbské Pleso: ideal for Rysy and Popradské pleso – for example Vila Polar
- Tatranská Lomnica: close to the cable car up to Skalnaté pleso. Hotel Tulipan has very good reviews.
- Starý Smokovec: the trailhead for Hrebienok and Slavkovský štít. This is probably where there’s the most accommodation – worth going through them and picking to your own taste.
We ourselves stayed in what looked like a great location just outside Poprad. There was one catch 🙂 It was exactly between Poprad and the High Tatras, where the train ran once in a blue moon and it was simultaneously too far to walk anywhere. Don’t make that mistake.
How to get to the Tatras from Czechia
By car is probably the most comfortable option once you’re in the Tatras – though the drive itself feels as long as the week before payday. You’ll feel the comfort mainly at the destination. Don’t forget that Slovakia has an electronic motorway vignette (10-day = 11 €).
By train with RegioJet – there are daily services from Prague all the way to Poprad-Tatry. There’s often a night service too, which we used and it was great. The one thing I’d recommend is paying a bit extra for a better seat (if you don’t want to pay for a berth). Services are run by RegioJet or Leo Express. In Poprad you change to the Tatra electric railway (TEŽ), which takes you to pretty much all the important spots in the Tatras.
By bus is probably the cheapest but also the slowest. RegioJet, FlixBus and Slovak operators.
Suitable for anyone who wants to arrive straight into Poprad and continue by local transport or TEŽ.
