The High Tatras
The High Tatras are Slovakia's alpine crown, the highest range of the Carpathians and a compact wall of jagged granite peaks, glacial valleys and crystalline mountain lakes rising dramatically above the plains in the country's north. For a range that tops out above 8,700 feet, they are wonderfully accessible, packing true high-mountain drama into a small, easily explored area.
A charming electric mountain railway and a network of cable cars whisk you up from resort towns like Strbske Pleso and Tatranska Lomnica to high lakes, ridges and the summit of Lomnicky Stit, so the views come without a hard climb. In summer the Tatras are a hiker's paradise of marked trails, waterfalls and shimmering tarns like Strbske Pleso and Popradske Pleso; in winter they become Slovakia's premier ski region.
With cozy mountain chalets, hearty food and a fraction of the crowds and cost of the Alps, the Tatras are one of Central Europe's great mountain escapes. With the right timing and a little local knowledge you can ride the railway to the high lakes, walk a stretch of alpine trail and still settle into a chalet for a long, warming dinner as the peaks turn pink at dusk.
