7 reasons to visit this hidden hiking paradise

How about hiking amidst gin-clear glacial lakes, jagged mountain peaks and alpine meadows shimmering with edelweiss as you head for a cosy mountain hut alive with hearty local produce? No, this is not Austria, nor Switzerland. This is Europe’s best-kept hiking secret – Slovakia, where raw alpine charm embraces warm mountain hospitality. This remarkable country’s biggest ski resort of Chopok– and the rest of the High Tatras and Low Tatras – are a walking wonderland from summer into autumn with accessible, great value and supremely well set-up hiking. Here’s why you should go…

The Tatra Mountains are seriously impressive – the British Isles doesn’t have one peak over 1,500m; the Tatras boast 50 towering above 2,000m. The highest, Gerlachovský štít, soars to 2,655m. Some of Slovakia’s mountains offer life-affirming challenges with a professional guide ensuring safety; others let you strike out independently with real diversity and choice: the High Tatras alone boasts 600km of marked trails. Rysy Peak (2,503m) is a superb hike, starting at Popradske pleso with epic views into Slovakia and Poland. Then there is Téryho Chata via Malá Studená dolina, sweeping through an alpine valley to one of the highest year-round huts. Slovakia’s comprehensive and well-maintained trail marking system has handy colour-coding (red, blue, green, yellow) with clear signage and apps like Mapy.cz and Hiking.sk making route-finding a breeze. Slovakia’s cable cars open up the mountains for all. Ride up to Lomnický štít (2,634 m) – the second-highest Tatra Mountains peak – or the Skalnaté pleso, with its restaurants, short walks and superb photographic opportunities.

If your dreams of wandering through your own alpine meadow and spirit-soaringly fresh pine forest have been dashed by crowds elsewhere, Slovakia is for you. This is the world of the Tatra chamois and the Tatra marmot, a world Slovaks have long kept to themselves, so you can savour its joys untrammelled by the masses. Whether it is tackling a jagged ridge or exploring a gentler mountain, Slovakia never feels too crowded. The country’s nine protected national parks ensure development is kept in check too. Each national park brings unique landscapes, experiences and views. The TANAP (Tatra National Park) is part of a UNESCO Biosphere and protects an area larger than Anglesey in Wales and harbours over 100 lakes. The Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT) is famous for its forested mountains; ideal for multi-day trekking.

Nature is the star in the Tatras, but the compelling culture of Slovakia enriches any hiking trip too. There are a flurry of UNESCO World Heritage sites within a short distance of the Tatras. Historic highlights include Levoča, a medieval town sporting well-preserved fortifications and the wooden altar of Master Paul, while Vlkolínec is an immaculately-preserved mountain village charming with log houses that transports you to the 18^th century. No wonder Slovakia is hailed the ‘Land of Castles’ with over 100 fortresses to explore. Spiš Castle, one of Europe’s largest castle ruins, enjoys a spectacular lofty perch above the valley. Kežmarok Castle is a deeply dramatic stunner. Folk traditions live on in the wooden churches and festivals celebrating music, dance, and crafts, while Open-Air Museums offer a fascinating window into traditional Slovak village life. The Popradské pleso and Symbolic Cemetery walk is an example of an adventure that brings together the impressive nature of one of the largest lakes in the High Tatras and the fascinating imprints of mankind.

Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains are home to over 150 glacial lakes, ice-blue jewels that add life-affirming sparkle to your hike. Veľké Hincovo pleso is both the largest and deepest of the glacial stunners in the High Tatras and it’s a tough and long hike in; deeply rewarding too. At Štrbské Pleso a gentler option is renting a traditional wooden rowing boat and savouring the sublime experience of easing around under the epic mountains in one of the most wild corners of Europe. Rowing goes back over 130 years here, so you’re in good company.

Wilderness meets welcome in Slovakia’s traditional mountain huts. These huts offer warm shelter and hearty meals; sometimes beds too, handy for hut-to-hut hiking. On the menu is freshly prepared traditional food like bryndzové halušky, similar to gnocchi with cheese; often pork too. Kapustnica is a delicious cabbage soup made with smoked pork, mushrooms and the rich spiciness of paprika. Hut hopping is an affordable and friendly way to hike that really immerses you in the Tatras and their culture. For example a three-day hike from Hrebienok overnights at Zbojnícka chata (1,960 m), continuing on to Priečne sedlo and Téryho chata (2,015 m), with a third day venturing to Skalnaté pleso and Tatranská Lomnica.

There is nothing better after a glorious day hiking in the Tatra Mountains than enjoying a muscle-loosening, spirit-soaking soak. Handily the region is blessed with geothermal springs. A state-of-the-art thermal park in Poprad makes the most of the therapeutic waters, a family-friendly eco-resort with 13 pools that also offers restorative cryotherapy. There are wellness zones too and a laser-lit thermal dome. Wellness is woven into Slovak culture – many high-end hotels and mountain lodges offer luxurious spas. Relaxing in a sauna or bubbling in a hot tub with a Tatras view is divine.

Sleeping over in the mountains is easy with the Tatras home to a smorgasbord of diverse accommodation. We’re talking everything from cosy traditional mountain huts through to plush alpine lodges and mountain chalets. Then there are the grand historic hotels that sit alongside more modern boutique boltholes, luxury escapes and homely family-run pensions. or real luxury (and spa facilities), recline at the 5* stars hotels or popular  4* hotels around the region, or revel in the old world grandeur at historical hotels, like many accommodations in the Tatras, has been revamped to make it an ideal base for hiking.