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With a funicular to Hrebienok, a cable car to Skalnaté pleso or even to Mt Lomnický štít? The High Tatras offer much more. Let’s explore the possibilities available for the whole family together.
The High Tatras offer literally mountains of experiences. This is not only because of the mountains themselves, which many of us travel to see, but also because of the many different activities available. Cable cars, caves, hiking, mountain carts and a bobsleigh track are just the beginning. In winter, there are perfect skiing adventures and in summer, over 600 km of marked hiking trails with the option to climb to one of the accessible peaks or finish your trip with delicious lunch at one of the 13 mountain chalets. If that’s not enough, one can climb with a certified mountain guide to a peak that’s not accessible to tourists. This is truly an unforgettable experience. There are also cycling routes and trails, whether in the magical valleys of Tichá dolina or Kôprová dolina, or along the entire main cycle route below the Tatras. If this has piqued your interest, read on. We have trip tips in the High Tatras for young and old alike.
Where to go with a pram in the High Tatras
The High Tatras are not just about challenging hikes and high mountain ascents. They really are for everyone, including the littlest ones still in prams. So where to go with a pram? There are several options. The route from Starý Smokovec to Hrebienok is 2.5 km long each way and is suitable for prams. Once you arrive at Hrebienok, you’ll be greeted by KUBO the Bear, which weighs 350 kg and has eyes made of semi-precious stones. Besides the restaurant, there’s also an interactive light gallery – Kvantárium. Hrebienok also offers the advantage of using the funicular from Starý Smokovec, saving you time and the altitude gain with a pram.
A bit to the east of Starý Smokovec is Tatranská Lomnica. From here, you can take a pram-friendly trip along the asphalt road to the Štart cable car station, from which a hiking trail or a cable car continues to Skalnaté Pleso. You can take the cable car already from Tatranská Lomnica to Skalnaté pleso. It pays off to buy tickets online through Gopass at the best prices. Whether you decide to go all the way to Skalnaté Pleso or just to the Štart cable car station, you will be rewarded with beautiful views of the majestic and second highest peak of the High Tatras – Mt Lomnický štít at 2,634 m and neighbouring Mt Kežmarský štít on the right. These two peaks are separated by sharp Vidlový hrebeň (ridge).
Other pram-friendly options include walks around Štrbské pleso (tarn), where you can experience a Venetian night in summer or take a trip to Popradské pleso (tarn). The Sliezsky dom mountain hotel is located at the altitude of 1,670 m, and if you push a pram 680 meters up and walk 5 km, all on asphalt, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views of Velická dolina (valley) with Velické pleso (tarn), where the highest peak of the Tatras – Mt Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 m – towers on the left. In the westernmost part of the High Tatras, you can find Tichá dolina and Kôprová dolina (valleys). After parking at Podbanské, you can take all-day walks through these two valleys. The 12 km long Tichá valley (24 km round trip) leads from Podbanské to Liptovský Košiar along an asphalt road. There are plenty of shelters along the way for resting. The neighbouring Kôprová valley, with a similar length of 11 km (22 km round trip) but greater altitude gain, leads from Podbanské to the mouth of Hlinská dolina (valley), also along an asphalt road. Both valleys offer peace in the embrace of nature, as they are less visited than the previously mentioned locations.
Where to go with Small Children in the Tatras
Everyone can find something to enjoy in the Tatras. For younger children, there are many options. Mountain carts in Tatranská Lomnica offer a great adventure from the Štart station down to Tatranská Lomnica. You can walk up to Štart or take the cable car or a buy combined ticket to Skalnaté pleso. The Tatra Wilderness is a funny and educational game that takes you through various places in the High Tatras like Tatranská Lomnica, Skalnaté pleso, Lomnické sedlo (pass), Mt Solisko, and Rainer’s chalet from Hrebienok. With seven adventurous stages, you’ll not only discover the beauty of these places but also learn about nature – flora and fauna – and can win interesting prizes. The Tatra Wilderness guidebook is included for free in every children’s cable car ticket.
Have you already taken a trip to Rainer’s chalet or gone with children to Zamkovský’s chalet? A large steamed bun filled with cocoa will surely reward them for such a hike. Have you seen the Skok waterfall above Štrbské pleso (tarn) together? They’ll love it and as the Eagle Land amusement park too. It’s located at Štrbské Pleso below the ski jumps. Children can ride cars or mini boats there.
If you decide to spend time with children in nature, there are several alternatives for easier hiking. Those who can handle a lot of uphill climbing can reach the cross on Mt Solisko, located above Štrbské Pleso at the altitude of 2,126 m. There’s also a shorter route – take the chairlift to the Chalet below Solisko and climb up to the cross from there. On the opposite side of the Tatras, there’s a great hike suitable for children running to the Chalet at zelené pleso, also known as “Brnčalka” among locals. The route is 8 km from Kežmarská Biela voda to the chalet, with a 655 m altitude gain each way. The views will stay with you for a long time. Beautiful nature, excellent food and a well-spent day with the family – that’s a trip to the Chalet at the Zelené pleso.
Teenagers won’t get bored in the High Tatras
Engaging teenagers is becoming increasingly difficult nowadays, with the dopamine provided by mobile phones being unparalleled. How about replacing dopamine with a dose of adrenaline for a few days? The aforementioned mountain carts are available from the age of 16 without an accompanying person and guarantee enough fun and adrenaline on a 3 km track. Still not enough? There’s the TATRABOB mountain bobsleigh track in Tatranská Lomnica. 482 metres long, it will make any teenager scream with adrenaline. And what about a detoxification in nature? The Tatras offer many available hiking trails and to make it more interesting, it doesn’t have to be just peaks.
The circuit starting in Starý Smokovec and continuing to Hrebienok and up to Rainer’s chalet is ideal for the whole family. Then those who want a challenge can continue to Zamkovský’s chalet and to Téry’s chalet. After resting at Téry’s chalet, you can return the same way.
For those who like reaching summits, there’s Mt Slavkovský štít or Mt Rysy. Mt Slavkovský štít offers beautiful views into Veľká Studená dolina (valley), where Zbojnícka chalet is located, as well as the ridge with Mt Lomnický štít. The hike is challenging, with 7.5 km from Starý Smokovec to the summit and 1,457 metres of altitude gain, and that’s just the half of it, you still need to go down.
Mt Rysy is the highest peak in Poland, that’s why you’ll find many tourists on the summit. The trip is suitable for the whole family up to Popradské pleso, which you can reach even with a pram. Then continue to the Chalet below Rysy and through the Váha pass to the summit at 2,500 m. From the Popradské pleso car park, it’s 20 km and 1,381 metres of altitude gain both ways.
How about doing something truly unforgettable? Give your teenager the gift of climbing with a mountain guide to one of the peaks not accessible to tourists. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Whether it’s Gerlachovský štít, Lomnický štít or Vysoká, each is unique and unforgettable. Not only will your son or daughter learn something new about the Tatras, but they’ll also get to know the work of a mountain guide, which has been around since 1873.
More family trip tips
The Botanical Garden – Tatra Nature Exposition is suitable for the whole family. Here, you’ll find flowers and trees that grow in the Tatra National Park. Both children and adults will learn find out new about Tatra nature. In case of bad weather, you can visit the TANAP Museum and learn about nature and the history of the Tatras and get to know the life and culture of the people living at the foot of the Tatras in the past. The tour experience is enhanced by a free audio guide for smartphones. The Belianska Cave located at the very east of the Tatras, i.e. in the Belianske Tatras, is also worth visiting. Apart from bizarre rock formations, it’s known for calcit sinter decorations. The cave tour begins in the Tatranská Kotlina village.
The High Tatras – high mountains of a manageable size
Whether you’re planning a trip with the youngest ones in strollers or with older children, a visit to the Tatras is always a good choice. There are numerous opportunities for both sports and cultural activities, e.g. in the Encián Gallery at Skalnaté Pleso. Everyone will find something to enjoy. Athletes can tackle long and challenging hikes or runs, families with children in strollers can take walks to the mountain chalets on paved paths or travel with cable cars to enjoy beautiful valley views. Teenagers will find adrenaline-filled adventures with mountain carts or ta bobsleigh track or they can have an unforgettable high-altitude experience with a professional mountain guide at one of the peaks. In the Tatras, you won’t face altitude sickness, but you should definitely be cautious of the quickly changing weather, especially during the summer season. Various deals on cable cars or experiences can be found on the Gopass website or the High Tatras website.
This article has been created in cooperation with MTHIKER.sk.
