The Tatra Mountains with a pushchair? Top 10 routes where you won’t lose a wheel

Becoming a parent doesn’t mean the end of your mountain adventures. It’s just a change in logistics (and the size of your rucksack). Many parents worry that there’s ‘nowhere to go’ in the Tatras with a pushchair, or that they’ll end up carrying all their gear on their backs.

Don’t worry. We’ve tested it out. Here’s a subjective ranking of 10 routes where you can get fit pushing a pushchair, whilst your child breathes in the cleanest air in Poland.

The essential requirement? A pushchair with large, preferably inflatable, wheels. A standard ‘umbrella’ pushchair on small wheels will get stuck on the first rock. If you have an all-terrain pushchair – these trails are wide open to you.

1. Rusinowa Polana (from Wierch Poroniec) – An absolute must-do

Surface: Trodden earth, wide forest track.

This is a route you’ll thank us for. You set off from the Wierch Poroniec car park, walk on almost flat ground for an hour and emerge onto a clearing with a breathtaking view of the High Tatras.

• Pros: The best view for the effort. Sheep, oscypek cheese, a shepherd’s hut.
• Cons: The car park fills up by 7:00 am in high season. You need to be there early!
• Who it’s for: Everyone. Even a grandad with a pushchair can manage it.

2. Kościeliska Valley – A Classic of the Genre

Surface: Gravel, with stones protruding in places.

The Kościeliska Valley is a sure bet. The path is wide, long (almost 6 km one way) and ends at a mountain hut, where you can change your little one and enjoy a slice of apple pie.

• Note: There are sections where the gravel is coarse and the pushchair gets a bit of a jolt (guaranteed to lull your child to sleep).
• Logistics: Plenty of car parks in Kiry, easy to reach by bus.

3. Morskie Oko – Asphalt (but beautiful) boredom

Surface: Tarmac. All the way.

Some people complain about the tarmac, but parents with pushchairs love it. Morskie Oko is the only route where you can even go on small wheels (though the climb is tough – it’s uphill all the way!).

• Pros: You’re in the heart of the High Tatras with a child in a pushchair. It’s comfortable by the mountain hut.
• Cons: Crowds. Seriously, crowds. Go early in the morning or in the afternoon. And remember to book your parking ticket online!

4. Strążyska Valley – A quick trip

Surface: Compact, wide, small stones.

Got a ‘window’ between feeds or naps? Strążyska Valley is perfect. Short (40 mins one way), flat and ending with a brilliant view of Giewont.

• Tip: You’ll reach a clearing with a tea house. You won’t be able to take the pushchair any further to Siklawica Waterfall (it’s narrow and rocky), so leave the pushchair at the hut and walk up for 10 minutes carrying your child.

5. Chochołowska Valley – A marathon for the persistent

Surface: Tarmac (up to halfway), then gravel and cobblestones.

This is the longest valley. If your child only sleeps when the pushchair is moving – Chochołowska is a godsend. You have a 7 km walk ahead of you one way.

• Challenge: The final stretch (cobblestones before the mountain hut) is very bumpy. But the hut serves a delicious “Chochołowska Dessert”.
• Plus: Dogs are allowed (if you have both a child and a dog – this is the only option in the Tatra National Park!).

6. Popradské Pleso (Slovakia) – Asphalt in the clouds

Surface: Asphalt.

The Slovaks are masters at paving valleys. The route to Popradské Pleso is their equivalent of our Morskie Oko, but… prettier?

• You start from the tram station. The road climbs steeply, but the surface is perfect.
• At the top, there are two mountain huts and views of Rysy. A high-mountain atmosphere accessible to pushchairs.

7. Roháče Valley (Slovakia) – A walk beneath the Roháče Mountains

Surface: Tarmac.

Another Slovak gem. You head to the Western Tatras (Zverovka), join the tarmac path and walk along the valley floor all the way to the Roháče Buffet.

• The views of Ostry and Płaczliwy (Roháče) are incredible, and you get there with ease. A very gentle ascent.

8. Cicha Valley (Slovakia) – The longest nap in the world

Surface: Tarmac.

This is the longest valley in the Tatras (over 10 km of tarmac!). There’s hardly any traffic here, the views are idyllic, and the silence… just as the name suggests.

• Perfect for a bike with a trailer or for parents who want to take a 20 km walk in total peace. Start in Podbańskie.

9. Droga pod Reglami – A walk with a view of Zakopane

Surface: Wide, gravel.

If you don’t want to venture deep into the Tatra Mountains, but just want to go for a walk – the Road beneath Regle (e.g. from Wielka Krokiew towards Strążyska) is brilliant. Flat, wide, safe.

• It’s a good option when the weather is uncertain and you want to stay close to civilisation.

10. Biała Woda Valley – Wilderness on the border

Surface: Wide gravel road.

You start from Palenica Białczańska (where the route to Morskie Oko begins), but turn towards Slovakia. The Biała Woda Valley is stunning, wide and empty.

• The path is suitable for pushchairs with large wheels.
• This is the only place where you can see the northern faces of the High Tatras from below in such tranquillity.

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A few practical tips:

1. Brake: Double-check it. On descents, the pushchair races downhill like crazy. Wrap a safety lanyard (the kind used for running) around your wrist – this ensures the pushchair won’t run away from you.
2. Weather: Remember to bring a rain cover for the pushchair. In the mountains, the weather can change in 15 minutes.

See you on the trail!