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ZAKOPANE
The TATRAS
SUMMER in Zakopane
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THE TATRAS: the shelters | climbing | useful links
Rescue Team Number: +48 601 100 300: add this number to your mobile phone memory if you are planning any hiking in the Tatra National Park
The Tatra National Park covers the whole Polish Tatra Mountains (21 000 ha). It was established in 1954.
The National Park is very well prepared for tourists - there are 275 km very well marked tracks - from very easy in the valleys to very difficult on the upper parts.
The tourist routes are marked with five colours: yellow, red, blue, green and black. The colours don't show the track's difficulty!
On the territory of Tatra National Park walking is allowed on marked tourist routes only.
Our suggestions for those planning hiking in Polish Tatras:
Try to start your hiking early morning (around 8.00 am or even earlier in August) to avoid walking in the crowds.
Don't forget a rucksack with some drink, food and a jumper.
Notice please that even Tatra Mountains seems to be very small (one can climb the highest summit Rysy in 6 hours) many routes are very difficult.
Looking for a nice place to stay in Zakopane? Just fill out our reservation form
Organized groups of more then 10 people hiking on the territory of the Tatra National Park should be guided by a licenced mountain guide for the Tatra. Write us to book an English speaking guide: altius@altius.pl
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HIKING the TATRA Mountains:
Rescue Team Number: +48 601 100 300: add this number to your mobile phone memory if you are planning any hiking in the Tatra National Park
The Tatra National Park covers the whole Polish Tatra Mountains (21 000 ha). It was established in 1954.
The National Park is very well prepared for tourists - there are 275 km very well marked tracks - from very easy in the valleys to very difficult on the upper parts.
The tourist routes are marked with five colours: yellow, red, blue, green and black. The colours don't show the track's difficulty!
On the territory of Tatra National Park walking is allowed on marked tourist routes only.
Our suggestions for those planning hiking in Polish Tatras:
Try to start your hiking early morning (around 8.00 am or even earlier in August) to avoid walking in the crowds.
Don't forget a rucksack with some drink, food and a jumper.
Notice please that even Tatra Mountains seems to be very small (one can climb the highest summit Rysy in 6 hours) many routes are very difficult.
Looking for a nice place to stay in Zakopane? Just fill out our reservation form
We hope that this scheme of the tourist tracks in the Polish Tatra Mountains
will help you to plan your hiking through the Tatra National Park:
will help you to plan your hiking through the Tatra National Park:
Organized groups of more then 10 people hiking on the territory of the Tatra National Park should be guided by a licenced mountain guide for the Tatra. Write us to book an English speaking guide: altius@altius.pl
Rocks coloured all shades between friendly light green and barren dark grey, with clean fresh mountain air, lakes with water so pure one can almost see the bottom. The High Tatra mountains on the border between Poland and Slovakia offer some of the most rewarding scenery in Europe. Well-marked trails, good facilities and low costs make it an excellent destination for a summer hiking trip. The area is very popular with Polish, Slovak and Czech outdoors enthusiasts, but is still fairly unknown in the West. I first went there in 2001, and have returned every summer since, and even though it's the smallest alpine range in Europe, I can imagine going there for many years to come and discovering new gems every year (...)
Climbing Mt. Rysy (2499,6 m) is the highest mountain in the High Tatras that has a footpath leading to the top, which marks the border between Slovakia and Poland. The Slovak side is relatively easy to climb, the Polish side is much steeper, with chains attached to help you a bit. If it is not too clouded you will get great views from the top. Morskie Oko, the second lake on the Polish side, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Poland, and even though the crowds can get annoying, they are there for good reason. Walking from Chata pri Popradskom plese on the Tatranska Magistrala (Slovakia) to Chata pod Rysmi (blue and red trails) will take you about 2 hours 20 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes in the opposite direction); Chata pod Rysmi to the summit (red) about 1 hour (45 minutes down); the summit to the mountain hut at Morskie Oko (red) about 3 hours 10 minutes (4 hours 10 minutes going up), at least if you go by the map, but I would add at least another hour for this part. If you are not completely exhausted when you get to Morskie Oko (or if they are full), it is well worth walking along the road for another hour and 40 minutes (red then green markers; easy but boring) to the Stara Roztoka hut, since it's a much nicer place to stay.by Karlien Van Houtte
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