Mountain huts — Tatra trails and posts

Priečne sedlo (Czerwona Ławka)

Priečne sedlo (2352 m) from Hrebienok via Téryho chata to Zbojnícka chata: 17.9 km, 8 h 11 min, chains, rungs and exposure. Closed 1 Nov – 31 May.

Difficulty: very difficult (chains, exposure)

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

Dolina Pięciu Stawów (Five Polish Lakes Valley) from Palenica via Wielka Siklawa, Poland's highest waterfall: 16.5 km, 5 h 45 min, no chains. Parking, ways back.

Difficulty: average

Dolina Siedmich prameňov (Chata Plesnivec)

Dolina Siedmiu Źródeł from Tatranská Kotlina to Chata Plesnivec, the only hut in the Belianske Tatras: 10.1 km, 3 h 26 min, short and steep, no chains.

Difficulty: moderate (short, steep)

Hala Gąsienicowa and Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy

Hala Gąsienicowa and Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy from Kuźnice in Zakopane: 12.6 km, 5 h 13 min, no chains. Murowaniec hut and views of Kościelec and Orla Perć.

Difficulty: medium

Kalatówki and Hala Kondratowa

Kalatówki and Hala Kondratowa from Kuźnice: an easy walk to the Kondratowa hut, 7.2 km, 3 h 20 min, +327 m. A good first day in the Tatras.

Difficulty: easy

Rysy (from the Slovak side)

Rysy (2503 m) from the Slovak side via Popradské pleso and Chata pod Rysmi: 21.9 km, 9 h 12 min. Easier than from Poland, chains below the summit.

Difficulty: difficult (fitness-wise)

Skrajne Solisko (Predné Solisko)

Predné Solisko (2117 m) on foot from Štrbské Pleso: 10 km, 4 h 27 min, +855 m, no chains. The chairlift option is in the table. Closed 1 Nov – 31 May.

Difficulty: moderate (steep red)

Zelené pleso (Chata pri Zelenom plese)

Zelené pleso (Zielony Staw Kieżmarski) from Biela Voda to the lakeside hut: 15.4 km, 6 h 14 min, no chains. Hut open all year, peaks above closed in winter.

Difficulty: moderate

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.