Slovakia is home to the Tatra Mountains, a beautiful national park with peaks as high as 2,655 metres. The Tatra Mountains sit half in Poland and half in Slovakia, I only explored the Slovakian side on this trip, but I’d absolutely go back to see the Polish side too. It’s also home to Slovak Paradise National Park where you can do a via feratta through the gorge.

Affordability: Very affordable overall. The only thing that caught us out was car hire and parking.

Transport: Car hire isn’t super common in Slovakia, and honestly if I were to do this again, I’d probably just use taxis as it would’ve worked out cheaper. If you do want to hire a car, we used Hertz.

Wildlife: Slovakia has the second largest population of Eurasian brown bears. They’re most active in the warmer months and around dawn and dusk. I’d recommend bringing bear spray and a bell just in case, we heard them on three separate occasions, so they’re definitely around.

Closest airport: Poprad–Tatry Airport (around a 20-minute drive to Tatranská Lomnica)

Best time to visit: July - September for hiking

Where to stay?

Penzion Slnecny Dom in Tatranská Lomnica

The town of Tatranská Lomnica is one of the best bases for easy access into the Tatra Mountains. We stayed at Penzion Slnecny Dom, which was perfect for what we needed, super affordable, parking included, and all the cooking facilities. The cable cars are located about a 20-minute walk from the accommodation and can take you all the way up to Lomnický štít, the second-highest peak in the Tatra Mountains.

Where to hike?

Day 1: Zelené pleso

Zelené pleso is a beautiful lake in the Tatra Mountains. Its bright blue waters and towering rocky mountains are a sight to behold! We took the cable car up from Tatranská Lomnica to Skalnaté pleso, then walked round to the right and up onto the rocky path. This is the only path for the whole route to the lake, so you can’t go wrong, it just takes a while to get there. There’s also a section of the route that’s slightly challenging underfoot; however, there is a chain to hold on to. The AllTrails route I’ve linked below takes around 6–6.5 hours, so make sure you leave plenty of time. After the lake, you follow the stunning river down towards the town.

Day 2 (Morning): Lomnický štít (2,634 m)

I would highly recommend going up to the top of Lomnický štít whilst you’re here. You can either climb it with suitable climbing gear and expertise, or you can do what we did and get the cable car up. You do need to pre-book this to get a place, as there’s only one cable car that takes you up at a time.

Day 2 (Afternoon): Hohe Tatra Trail

This was such a great hiking route, taking you along beautiful mountain trails and crystal clear rivers and waterfalls. Begin at Skalnaté pleso again and take a left this time along a lower rocky trail. This route was fairly easy to follow as there is one main path, as shown on the AllTrails route below. Allow around 4.5 hours for this hike.

Day 3: Slovak Paradise National Park - Kysel Via Ferrata

This may have been the coolest part of the trip! This is the Kysel Via Ferrata trail in Slovak Paradise National Park, a 35-minute drive from Tatranská Lomnica. The trail starts in Čingov, and you can hire all of the equipment from Chata na Rázcestí (a small café). There is another equipment hire shop opposite the car park in Čingov, but that was shut when we went. The trail takes you up tall waterfalls, through deep gorges and over rivers. You do need a head for heights and sensible shoes for this, but it’s a great via ferrata if you’re new to it.

If you have time:

Štrbské pleso

Štrbské pleso is a stunning lake just a 25-minute drive from Tatranská Lomnica. The main focal point of the lake looks out towards a uniquely designed hotel, with the Tatra Mountains towering behind it. This location is a bit of a tourist hot spot, so expect crowds and pricey car parks.

Overall, Slovakia completely exceeded my expectations. From dramatic mountain hikes to waterfalls and via ferratas, it’s such an underrated destination if you love the outdoors. If you’re planning a trip to Slovakia, I hope this guide helps you get started. I’ve linked the routes and places we visited throughout, and if you have any questions at all, feel free to message me on Instagram.

@amys_littletrips

3 Days Hiking in Slovakia