Mountain huts — Tatra trails and posts

Dolina Pięciu Stawów Polskich (The Valley of the Five Polish Lakes)

The Valley of the Five Polish Lakes is the very heart of the High Tatras. It is a rugged, rocky and breathtaking place, quite unlike the forested valleys to the west. Here you will find Poland’s highest waterfall, deepest lakes and highest-altitude mountain hut.

Difficulty: average

Hala Gąsienicowa and Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy

Hala Gąsienicowa and Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy are a High Tatras classic. This is one of the most beautiful places in the Polish Tatras.

Difficulty: medium

Rysy (from the Slovak side)

The ascent to Rysy from the Slovak side is the most popular and easiest route to the highest peak of the Tatras. Unlike the dark and precipitous north wall (the Polish side), the Slovak trail follows a sunny southern slope.

Difficulty: difficult (fitness-wise)

Skrajne Solisko (Predné Solisko)

Skrajne Solisko from Štrbské Pleso on foot: blue to the hut, red to the dome. The tiles are 10 km / 4 h 27 min / 855 m. No chains. The chairlift is in the table, not instead of legs. Summit closed 1 Nov–31 May.

Difficulty: moderate (steep red)

Mountain huts in the Tatras: Where is the best food, and where do you feel the real mountains?

Morskie Oko, Murowaniec, or Ornak? Which hut feels like a train station, and where can you still feel the magic of old-school alpine outings? A subjective guide to Tatras buffets and overnight stays.

Your first night in a hostel: What the guidebooks don’t tell you (but it’s worth knowing)

Sleeping in a room with 15 strangers, no hot water and a scramble for boiling water? A night in a Tatra mountain hut is an adventure you need to be prepared for

Gastro-Tatras: What should you eat at the mountain hut to make sure you don’t regret it?

Apple pie in Dolina Pięciu Stawów or sour soup in Murowaniec? Pork chop or pancakes? A brief guide to the best food at an altitude of 1,500 metres above sea level.