Things to do
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Belianska Cave
Guided tours lead through a chain of chambers and flowstone under the eastern Tatras at Tatranská Kotlina, on a route with hundreds of steps and a constant temperature near six degrees. Lit and shown since the nineteenth century, the cave hosts concerts in one hall for its acoustics. Tours run to a fixed timetable, and a jacket is needed whatever the weather outside.
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High Tatras
Europe's smallest high mountain range rises straight out of the Poprad basin, its granite peaks reaching above 2,600 metres along a short ridge shared with Poland. Resort villages at Štrbské Pleso, Starý Smokovec and Tatranská Lomnica are linked by an electric railway. Marked trails above the tree line close from November until mid June, which catches out spring visitors.
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Lomnický štít
A cable car climbs in two stages from Tatranská Lomnica to the second highest peak in the range, ending at a summit terrace with an observatory and a small cafe. Time at the top is limited to a booked slot, and places sell out days ahead in summer. Cloud closes the view often, and the operator posts a summit webcam worth checking before travelling.
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Spiš Castle
Among the largest castle sites in central Europe, the ruin spreads across a travertine hill above Spišské Podhradie, an hour east of Poprad and visible from the motorway long before the turning. Romanesque palace walls, a round keep and a lower courtyard survive. Shade is scarce on the hill, the last stretch of the approach is steep, and winter opening is reduced.
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Štrbské Pleso
A glacial lake at 1,346 metres holds a loop path, a ski jump complex and a cluster of hotels at the western end of the range, served directly by the cog railway from Štrba. The loop is flat and takes under an hour, which makes this the busiest point in the Tatras on summer weekends. Trails to Popradské pleso and the Mlynická valley start here.
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Tatra National Park
Slovakia's oldest national park covers the Tatra range and its foothills, with brown bears, chamois and marmots in the high valleys and a trail network signed in the old colour system. Guides are compulsory above the marked paths and on exposed ridge routes. Rangers enforce the seasonal closure and the ban on camping, and fines apply to wild pitching.