The Tatras – the Miniature Alps
In the Tatras you can stand with one foot in Poland and the other in Slovakia. The “Miniature Alps”, as this mountain range is rightly called, are considered a true paradise for mountain climbers and hikers. After all, these mountains are beautiful at any time of year. The surrounding nature, landscapes, unique atmosphere of hiking life will leave a special, unforgettable impression.
Geography of the Tatras
The Tatras extend along the Slovak-Polish border for nearly 60 kilometers in length and 15 kilometers in width, and are divided into the High, the Białańskie and the West Tatras. The fourth part of the range belongs to Poland, where a large part of the area belongs to the Tatras National Park. There are 20 peaks with a height of over 2,000 meters. The highest point is Mount Rysy, towering above the surrounding area at 2,499 meters. One of the most beautiful places in the region is Zakopane resort, located at the foot of the mountains. Gewont mountain, the most famous peak of the Western Tatras, which is 1895 meters high, is easily seen from there. The fame of this relatively low mountain was brought by its northern slope, which is a steep cliff, the height of which is 1000 meters.
Ghevont Mountain
There are several routes to Gewont. From the perspective of Zakopane the mountain looks like a sleeping knight with the Big Gewont as its head and the Long Gewont as its body. Between the Greater and Lesser Gewont there is the Gewon Pass. According to a local legend, in one of the local caves sleep the knights of the army of King Boleslav the Bold, who can wake up at any moment as soon as their homeland is in danger.
The Chervony Wierchy mountain range
The Czerwony Werchy range in the Western Tatras owes its name to a flowering plant, Sitnik, whose copious bushes wonderfully color the mountain peaks in peculiar red-brown colors. Local slopes are quite gentle, densely overgrown with a variety of vegetation. Only in the lower part of Chervonye Verkhovy are steep rocky cliffs, in some places even dangerous The highest point of the range is mountain Tselmnia (2096 m). From here there stretches breathtaking views of the peaks Kszezanica, Kopi Kondracka and Malolonczniak.
Western Tatras lakes
There are a lot of picturesque mountain lakes in the region of Polish Tatras. Lake Morskie Oko is not only one of the most visited lakes in Poland, but also one of the most beautiful lakes on the planet. Situated in the foothills of the Męguszowieckie Peaks in the Rybyski Potok Valley, it is the jewel of the Tatra National Park. A local legend tells the story of a rich nobleman who once lived here with his wife and daughters. The man went out hunting one day and never returned. It is said that it was the poor widow’s tears that created the lake, and the tears of her daughters created the nearby bodies of water. In fact, Morske Oko is fed by melted mountain streams, so the water in it is crystal clear and transparent. There are a lot of fish in the lake, especially trout. The reservoir is surrounded by thickets of dwarf pine, which emphasize the atmosphere of pristine and peacefulness.
A stone path on a rather steep slope from the lake Morské Oko leads to another local wonder of nature – the Black Stav Lake, located at an altitude of 1583 meters. It occupies an area of about 20 hectares and is 76 meters deep. Black Stav is also formed by the waters of melted glaciers. From there the streams of waterfall “Black Swan Lake” rushes to the Morské Oko Lake.
Slovak Tatras
The High Tatras and Gerlachovský Štít peak (2655 meters high) are the major Slovak natural sights. Every year about five million tourists come here, for which there are about 600 kilometers of hiking trails leading to high peaks, deep lakes and noisy waterfalls. The region is famous for its many thermal pools, waterfalls and lakes, among which the most popular are the water cascades of Studený potok and Lake Wielke Hincovo Pleso.