Editing Tatra Mountains

{{short description|Mountain range on the Polish–Slovak border}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name               = Tatra Mountains
| photo              = Tatra mountains western side 2.jpg
| photo_caption      = Bird's-eye view of [[Western Tatras]]
| country            = {{hlist|[[Slovakia]]|[[Poland]]}}
| parent             = [[Western Carpathians]]
| geology            = 
| area_km2           = 
| coordinates        = 
| length_km          = 
| length_orientation = 
| width_km           = 
| width_orientation  = 
| highest            = [[Gerlachovský štít]]
| elevation_m        = 2655
| range_coordinates  = {{Wikidatacoord|Q194263|type:mountain_scale:300000|display=inline,title}}
| map_image          = Tatra Mountains location map.svg
| map_caption        = 
}}
{{Location map
| Europe
| label = Tatra Mountains
| relief = yes
| lat_dir = N
| lat_deg = 49.2
| lon_dir = E
| lon_deg = 20.0
| position = right
| mark = Red pog.svg
| caption = Location in Europe
}}

The '''Tatra Mountains''' ({{audio|Tatra-Mountains-English.wav|pronounced}}), '''Tatras''' (''Tatry'' either in [[Slovak language|Slovak]] ({{IPA|sk|ˈtatri|pron|Tatry-Slovak.wav}}) or in [[Polish language|Polish]] ({{IPA|pl|ˈtatrɨ|pron}}) - ''[[plurale tantum]]'', {{langx|hu|Tátra}}), are a series of mountains within the [[Western Carpathians]] that form a [[natural border]] between [[Slovakia]] and [[Poland]]. They are the highest mountains in the [[Carpathians]]. The Tatras are distinct from the [[Low Tatras]] ({{langx|sk|Nízke Tatry}}), a separate Slovak mountain range further south.

The Tatra Mountains occupy an area of {{convert|785|km²|0|abbr=out}}, of which about {{convert|610|km²|0|abbr=out}} (77.7%) lie within Slovakia and about {{convert|175|km²|0|abbr=out}} (22.3%) within Poland. The highest peak, called [[Gerlachovský štít]], at {{convert|2,655|m|ft|abbr=off}}, is located north of [[Poprad]], entirely in Slovakia. The highest point in Poland, [[Rysy]], at {{convert|2500|m|ft}},<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 August 2020 |title=Polskie Rysy ze zmienioną wysokością na nowej mapie Tatr |url=https://podroze.onet.pl/aktualnosci/tatry-na-nowej-mapie-polskie-rysy-maja-2500-a-nie-2499-m-npm/097r930 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222211135/https://podroze.onet.pl/aktualnosci/tatry-na-nowej-mapie-polskie-rysy-maja-2500-a-nie-2499-m-npm/097r930 |archive-date=22 December 2022 |access-date=9 May 2023 |website=Onet Podróże |language=pl }}</ref> is located south of [[Zakopane]], on the border with Slovakia.<ref name="peaklist.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/euro600/tatra/tatraintro.html |title=Introduction to the Tatras |website=PeakList: Mountains of the World |date=July 2005 |access-date=1 January 2013 |author=Trengove, Mark |archive-date=24 October 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051024043124/http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/euro600/tatra/tatraintro.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Strzala">{{cite web |url=http://www.krakow-info.com/1tatry.htm |title=Tatra Mountains. Features. Weather. Wildlife |website=Krakow Info: National Parks |year=2012 |access-date=1 January 2013 |author=Strzala, Marek |archive-date=5 February 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020205101819/http://www.krakow-info.com/1tatry.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Tatras' length, measured from the eastern foothills of the ''Kobylí vrch'' ({{convert|1109|m|0|abbr=out}}) to the southwestern foot of ''Ostrý vrch'' (1128 m), in a straight line, is {{cvt|57|km|0}} (or {{cvt|53|km|0}} according to some),<ref name="Strzala"/> and strictly along the main ridge, {{cvt|80|km|0}}. The range is only {{cvt|19|km|0}} wide.<ref name="discoverzakopane">{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverzakopane.com/poprad.html |title=The Tatra Mountains and Tatra National Park |publisher=BAW Altius |website=Discover Zakopane |year=2012 |access-date=1 January 2013 |author=Krupa, Maciek |archive-date=30 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630211525/http://www.discoverzakopane.com/poprad.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The main ridge of the Tatras runs from the village of [[Huty]] at the western end to the village of [[Ždiar]] at the eastern end.

The Tatras are now protected by law by the establishment of the [[Tatra National Park, Slovakia]] and the [[Tatra National Park, Poland]], which are jointly entered in UNESCO's [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves]].
In 1992, [[UNESCO]] jointly designated the Polish and Slovak parks a transboundary [[biosphere reserve]] in the [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves]], under its [[Man and the Biosphere Programme]].<ref name="unesco.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/europe-north-america/# |website=UNESCO: Ecological Sciences for Sustainable Development |title=Europe & North America: 297 biosphere reserves in 36 countries |access-date=31 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805094626/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/europe-north-america |archive-date=5 August 2015 }}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The first written record of the name is from 999, when the Bohemian Duke [[Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia|Boleslaus II]], on his deathbed, recalled when the Duchy of Bohemia extended to the ''Tritri montes''. Another mention is in the 1086 document from [[Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry IV]], wherein he referred to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Prague|Diocese of Prague]] with ''Tritri'' mountains. Still another is in 1125, where the Kosmas chronicles (''[[Chronica Boëmorum|Chronica Boemorum]])'' mention the name ''Tatri''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Tatry |last1=František |first1=Kele |last2=Lučanský |first2=Milan |publisher=Knižní klub |year=2001 |location=Praha |language=cs }}</ref>

Machek in 1931 favored the theory of the Polish linguist Rozwadowski with a syllabic ''r'' like in the words ''[[wiktionary:Chrt|chrt]]'' (Czech hound), ''[[wiktionary:Smrt|smrt]]'' (Czech death)''.'' In [[Czech language|Czech]] this syllabic is sometimes with vowels ''i'', ''e'' or ''u'' for example ''črný'' – ''[[wiktionary:Černý|černý]]'', so the Czech reconstruction from Tritri/Tritry would be ''Trtry.'' In [[Polish language|Polish]], the term ''Tatry'' is firstly mentioned in 1255. [[Syllabic r|Syllabic ''r'']] often has [[vowel]]s on both sides in Polish, so in case of ''Tarty'' we can reconstruct the name to ''Tartry'', where the vowel ''a'' originated before the syllabic ''r'' which [[Dissimilation|dissimilated]]. This theory is supported by [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] forms ''Turtur'', ''Turtul'' and ''Tortol'' from 12th to 14th centuries. It is unclear what form the [[Slovak language|Slovak]] term took before the 17th century when the first references to ''Tatry'' appear, probably as a loan word from Polish that later found its way into Czech and Hungarian. The term ''Tatra'' also appears as a general term in Slovak for barren or stony land and also in [[Ukraine]] for small stones in a river. Machek stresses that the name has no [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] origin and mentions Rozwadowski's theory of an [[Illyrian languages|Illyrian]] origin because of a connection with a [[Herzegovina|Herzegovian]] highland called ''Tatra'', thus taken from local inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Machek |first=Václav |year=1931 |title=Tatry |url=http://nase-rec.ujc.cas.cz/archiv.php?art=2334 |journal=Naše řeč |issue=15 |pages=119–120 |archive-date=26 September 2017 |access-date=25 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926042412/http://nase-rec.ujc.cas.cz/archiv.php?art=2334 |url-status=live }}</ref> The name is also close to the [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] word for gravel, ''toltry''.<ref name=":0" />

==Overview==
[[File:Morskie oko o swicie.jpg|thumb|[[Morskie Oko|Eye of the Sea]], [[Mięguszowiecki Summits]], [[Cubryna]], [[Mnich (mountain)|Mnich]]]]
[[File:Rysy 006.JPG|thumb|Mountain lakes of [[Czarny Staw pod Rysami]] and [[Morskie Oko]] seen from Poland's highest point, the north-western summit of [[Rysy]], {{convert|2500|m|ft|0}} in elevation.]]
The Tatras are a mountain range of a corrugated nature, originating from the [[Alpine orogeny]], and therefore characterized by a relatively young-looking lie of the land, quite similar to the [[landscape]] of the [[Alps]], although significantly smaller. It is the highest mountain range within the [[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathians]].

It consists of the internal mountain chains of:
* [[Eastern Tatras]] (''Východné Tatry'', ''Tatry Wschodnie''), which in turn consist of: 
** the [[Belianske Tatras]] (''Belianske Tatry'', ''Tatry Bielskie'')
** and the [[High Tatras]] (''Vysoké Tatry'', ''Tatry Wysokie'')
* [[Western Tatras]] ({{langx|sk|Západné Tatry}}, {{langx|pl|Tatry Zachodnie}})

The overall nature of the Tatras, together with their easy accessibility, makes them a favorite with tourists and researchers. Therefore, these mountains are a popular [[winter sports]] area, with resorts such as [[Poprad]] and the [[Vysoké Tatry (town)|town Vysoké Tatry]] (The Town of High Tatras) in Slovakia created in 1999, including former separate [[resort]]s: [[Štrbské Pleso]], [[Starý Smokovec]], and [[Tatranská Lomnica]] or [[Zakopane]], called also "winter capital of Poland". The High Tatras, with their 24 (or 25) peaks exceeding 2,500 m above sea level, together with the [[Southern Carpathians]], represent the only form of alpine landscape in the entire {{convert|1200|km|0|abbr=off}} length of arc of the Carpathians.

==Ownership and border disputes==
By the end of the [[First Polish Republic]], the border with the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] in the Tatras was not exactly defined. The Tatras became an unoccupied borderland. On 20 November 1770, under the guise of protection against the epidemic of [[Plague (disease)|plague]] in the [[Podolia]], an [[Habsburg monarchy|Austrian]] army entered into Polish land and formed a [[Cordon sanitaire (politics)|cordon sanitaire]], seizing [[Nowy Sącz|Sądecczyzna]], [[Spiš]] and [[Podhale]]. Two years later, the [[First Partition of Poland]] allocated the lands to [[Habsburg monarchy|Austria]]. In 1824, [[Zakopane]] region and area around [[Morskie Oko]] were purchased from the authorities of the [[Austrian Empire]] by a Hungarian Emanuel Homolacs. When [[Austria-Hungary]] was formed in 1867, the Tatra Mountains have become a natural border between the two states of the dual monarchy, but the border itself still has not been exactly determined. In 1889, a Polish Count [[Władysław Zamoyski]] purchased at auction the Zakopane region along with the area around Morskie Oko. Due to numerous disputes over land ownership in the late 19th century, attempts were made at the [[Boundary delimitation|delimitation of the border]]. They were fruitless until 1897, and the case went to an international court which determined on 13 September 1902 the exact course of the Austro-Hungarian border in the disputed area.

A [[Polish-Czechoslovak border conflicts|new round of border disputes]] between [[Poland]] and [[Czechoslovakia]] started immediately after the end of the [[First World War]], when these two countries were established. Among other claims, Poland claimed ownership of a large part of the [[Spiš]] region. This claim also included additional parts of the Tatra Mountains. After several years of border conflicts, the first treaty (facilitated by the [[League of Nations]]) was signed in 1925, with Poland receiving a small northernmost part of the Spiš region, immediately outside (to the north-east of) the Tatra Mountains, thus not changing the border in the mountains themselves. During the [[Second World War]] there were multiple attempts by both sides of the conflict to occupy more land, but the final treaty signed in 1958 (valid until present day) preserved the border line agreed in 1925.

=== Borders and hiking ===

With the collapse of the [[Austrian Empire]] in 1918 and the creation of Poland and Czechoslovakia, the Tatra Mountains started to be divided by international border. This brought considerable difficulties to hikers, as it was illegal to cross the border without passing through an official border checkpoint, and for many decades there were no checkpoints for hikers anywhere on the border ridge. The nearest road border crossings were [[Tatranská Javorina]] - [[Łysa Polana]] and [[Podspády]] - [[Jurgów]] in the east, and [[Suchá Hora]] - [[Chochołów, Lesser Poland Voivodeship|Chocholów]] in the west. Indeed, those who did cross elsewhere were frequently fined or even detained by border police of both countries. On the other hand, the permeable border in the Tatra Mountains was also heavily used for cross-border smuggling of goods such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, etc. between Poland and Czechoslovakia. Only in 1999, more than 80 years after the dissolution of the Austrian Empire, the governments of Poland and Slovakia signed an agreement designating several unstaffed border crossings (with only irregular spot checks by border police) for hikers and cyclists on the 444&nbsp;km-long Slovak-Polish border. One of these border crossings was created in the Tatra Mountains themselves, on the summit of the [[Rysy]] peak. However, there were still many other peaks and passes where hiking trails ran across the border, but where crossing remained illegal. This situation finally improved in 2007, with both countries accessing the [[Schengen Area]]. Since then, it is legal to cross the border at any point (i.e. no further official checkpoints were designated). Rules of the national parks on both sides of the border still apply and they restrict movement to official hiking trails and (especially on the Slovak side) mandate extensive seasonal closures in order to protect wildlife.

==Climate==
[[File:Kościelec view 6.jpg|thumb|Snow covered Tatras in May 2019.]]

The Tatras lie in the [[temperate zone]] of [[Central Europe]]. They are an important barrier to the movements of air masses. Their mountainous topography causes one of the most diverse climates in that region.

===Precipitation===
The highest [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] figures are recorded on the northern slopes. In June and July, monthly precipitation reaches around {{cvt|250|mm|0}}. Precipitation occurs from 215 to 228 days a year. [[Thunderstorm]]s occur 36 days a year on average.<ref>{{Cite book |last=USA |first=IBP |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTv_CwAAQBAJ&q=tatra+mountains+Thunderstorms+occur+36+days+a+year+on+average.&pg=PA39 |title=Slovakia Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments |date=3 March 2012 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-4387-7555-5 |language=en }}</ref>

===Snow cover===
Maximum snow cover on the summit amounts to:
* in Poland - [[Kasprowy Wierch]]: maximum {{cvt|388|cm|0}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wysokogórskie Obserwatorium Meteorologizne IMGW-PIB |url=https://www.pkl.pl/post/kasprowy-wierch/atrakcje/wysokogorskie-obserwatorium-meteorologiczne-imgw-pib-na-kasprowym-wierchu.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325182113/https://www.pkl.pl/post/kasprowy-wierch/atrakcje-kopia/wysokogorskie-obserwatorium-meteorologiczne-imgw-pib-kopia.html |archive-date=25 March 2019 |access-date=5 December 2023 |website=PKL }}</ref>
* in Slovakia - [[Lomnický štít|Lomnický Štít]]: mean maximum of {{cvt|204|cm|0}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vojtek |first=Martin |date=31 July 2010 |title=The dynamics of snow cover in mountainous regions of Slovakia |url=https://vojtex.snailnet.sk/PhD/vojtek_PhD2010_cor.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205175343/https://vojtex.snailnet.sk/PhD/vojtek_PhD2010_cor.pdf |archive-date=5 December 2023 |access-date=5 December 2023 |page=76 }}</ref>
Peaks are sometimes covered with snow or ice throughout the year. Avalanches are frequent.

===Temperature===
Extreme temperatures range from {{cvt|-40|°C|0}} in the winter to {{cvt|33|°C|0}} in warmer months. Temperatures also vary depending on the altitude and sun exposure of a given slope. Temperatures below {{cvt|0|°C|0}} last for 192 days on the summits.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Slovakia Republic Country: Strategic Information and Developments |publisher=International Business Publications USA |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-4387-7555-5 |location=United States |pages=38 }}</ref>

===Winds===
[[File:tatra storm.jpg|thumb|Visible effects of the 2004 storm in Slovakia]]
The average wind speed on the summits is 6&nbsp;m/s (13.4&nbsp;mi/hr).
* southerly winds on the northern side
* westerly winds at the base of Tatra ([[Orava-Nowy Targ Basin]])
* [[foehn winds]] (Polish: [[halny]]) most often occur between October and May. They are warm and dry and can cause extensive damage.
* Maximum wind speed {{cvt|288|km/h|0}} (6 May 1968).<ref name=tpn1>{{cite web |url=http://www.tpn.pl/pl/klimat/news/102/Wiatr-halny |title=Wiatr halny |author=Igor J. Zaleski |author2=Tomasz Mączka |website=Tatrzański Park Narodowy |language=pl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109105526/http://tpn.pl/pl/klimat/news/102/Wiatr-halny |archive-date=9 January 2011 }}</ref>

On 19 November 2004, large parts of the forests in the southern Slovak part of the High Tatras were damaged by a strong [[wind storm]].<ref name=tpn1 /> Three million cubic metres (1,864 square miles) of trees were uprooted, two people died, and several villages were totally cut off. Further damage was done by a subsequent [[forest fire]], and it will take many years until the local [[natural environment|ecology]] is fully recovered.<ref>{{cite book |last1=USA |first1=IBP |title=Slovakia Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments |date=3 March 2012 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-4387-7555-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTv_CwAAQBAJ&q=tetra+mountain+Three+million+cubic+metres |language=en }}</ref>

==Flora==
[[File:Gentiana punctata a1.jpg|thumb|''[[Gentiana punctata]]'']]
The Tatra Mountains have a diverse variety of plant life. Many of the plant species are also found in the [[Alps]]. They are home to more than 1,000 species of [[vascular plants]], about 450 [[moss]]es, 200 [[hepatics|liverworts]], 700 [[lichen]]s, 900 [[fungi]], and 70 [[slime moulds]]. There are five [[Altitudinal zonation|climatic-vegetation belts]] in the Tatras.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The distribution of plants depends on altitude:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://tpn.gov.pl/szata-roslinna |title=Szata roślinna |website=tpn.gov.pl |language=pl |access-date=1 February 2025 |archive-date=13 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213102838/https://tpn.gov.pl/szata-roslinna |url-status=live }}</ref>
* up to {{convert|1,300|m|ft|abbr=off}}: Carpathian [[beech]] forest; almost no [[shrub layer]], [[herbaceous layer]] occupies most of the forest floor
* to {{convert|1,550|m|ft|abbr=off}}: [[Spruce]] forest; [[shrub layer]] poorly developed, mosses are a major component
* to {{convert|1,800|m|ft|abbr=off}}: [[Mountain Pine]], numerous herbs
* to {{convert|2,300|m|ft|abbr=off}}: high altitude grasslands
* from {{convert|2,300|m|ft|abbr=off}} up: [[Subnivean]] - bare rock and almost no vegetation (mostly [[lichen]]s)
[[File:Nízké Tatry, Dereše (5).JPG|thumb|[[Tatra chamois]] (''Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica'')]]

==Fauna==

The Tatra Mountains are home to many species of animals: 54 [[tardigrades]], 22 [[turbellarians]], 100 [[rotifers]], 22 [[copepods]], 162 spiders, 81 [[molluscs]], 43 mammals, 200 birds, 7 [[amphibians]] and 2 reptiles.

The most notable mammals are the [[Tatra chamois]], [[Alpine marmot]], [[Tatra marmot]], [[European Snow Vole|snow vole]], [[brown bear]], [[wolf]], [[Eurasian lynx]], [[red deer]], [[roe deer]], and [[wild boar]]. Notable fish include the [[brown trout]] and [[alpine bullhead]].

The [[Endemism|endemic]] arthropod species include a [[caddis fly]], the spider ''[[Xysticus alpicola]]''<ref name=fe1>{{cite web |url=https://fauna-eu.org/ |author=Kulczynski |date=1882 |website=Fauna Europaea |title=Xysticus alpicola |version=2.4 |access-date=12 January 2023 |archive-date=30 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830205314/https://fauna-eu.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and a [[springtail]].

==Summits==
<gallery mode="packed">
Gerlach south face B.jpg|[[Gerlachovský štít]] ({{convert|2655|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}}), the highest peak in Slovakia
Kriváň.JPG|[[Kriváň (peak)|Kriváň]] ({{convert|2495|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}}), the country's symbol on 1,2 and 5 euro cents
STANICA LANOVKY S OBSERVATÓRIOM - výhlad.JPG|View from [[Lomnický štít]] ({{convert|2634|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}})
Observatory Skalnate pleso.jpg|[[Skalnaté pleso Observatory]] ({{convert|1751|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}})
Bystra a4.jpg|[[Bystrá (mountain)|Bystrá]] ({{convert|2248|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}})
Kościelec view 4.jpg|[[Kościelec (mountain in Tatras)|Kościelec]] ({{convert|2155|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}})
</gallery>

===Eastern Tatras===
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2018}}
* [[Gerlachovský štít]] - 2655 m (Slovakia)
* [[Gerlachovská veža]] - 2642 (Slovakia)
* [[Lomnický štít]] - 2634 m (Slovakia)
* [[Ľadový štít]] - 2627 m (Slovakia)
* Pyšný štít - 2621 m (Slovakia)
* Zadný Gerlach - 2616 m (Slovakia)
* Lavínový štít - 2606 m (Slovakia)
* Ľadová kopa - 2602 m (Slovakia)
* Kotlový štít - 2601 m (Slovakia)
* Malý Pyšný štít - 2592 m (Slovakia)
* Kežmarský štít - 2558 m (Slovakia)
* Vysoká - 2547 m (Slovakia)
* [[Končistá]] - 2538 m (Slovakia)
* Baranie rohy - 2526 m (Slovakia)
* Dračí štít - 2523 m (Slovakia)
* Ťažký štít - 2520 m (Slovakia)
* Malý Kežmarský štít - 2513 m (Slovakia)
* [[Rysy]] - 2503 m, 2499 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Kriváň (peak)|Kriváň]] - 2495 m (Slovakia)
* [[Slavkovský štít]] - 2452 m (Slovakia)
* [[Batizovský štít]] - 2448 m (Slovakia)
* [[Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki|Veľký Mengusovský štít (Slovak); Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki (Polish)]] - 2438 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Niżnie Rysy|Malé Rysy (Slovak); Niżnie Rysy (Polish)]] - 2430 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* Východná Vysoká - 2429 m (Slovakia)
* Východný Mengusovský štít (Slovak); Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Czarny (Polish) - 2410 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* Prostredný Mengusovský štít (Slovak); Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Pośredni (Polish) - 2393 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Cubryna|Čubrina (Slovak); Cubryna (Polish)]] - 2376 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Świnica|Svinica (Slovak); Świnica (Polish)]] - 2301 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Kozi Wierch]] - 2291 m (Poland)
* Jahňaci štít - 2230 m (Slovakia)
* Zamarła Turnia - 2179 m (Poland)
* [[Kościelec (mountain in Tatras)|Kościelec]] - 2155 m (Poland)
* [[Wołoszyn]] - 2155 m (Poland)
* [[Mnich (mountain)|Mnich]] - 2068 m (Poland)

===Western Tatras===
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2018}}
* [[Bystrá (mountain)|Bystrá]] - 2248 m (Slovakia)
* Jakubina - 2194 m (Slovakia)
* Baranec - 2184 m (Slovakia)
* [[Baníkov]] - 2178 m (Slovakia)
* [[Klin (mountain)|Klin (Slovak); Starorobociański Wierch (Polish)]] - 2176 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* Pachoľa - 2167 m (Slovakia)
* Hrubá kopa - 2166 m (Slovakia)
* Nižná Bystrá - 2163 m (Slovakia)
* Štrbavy - 2149 m (Slovakia)
* Jalovecký príslop - 2142 m (Slovakia)
* Hrubý vrch (Slovak); Jarząbczy Wierch (Polish) - 2137 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* Tri kopy - 2136 m (Slovakia)
* Veľká Kamenistá (Slovak); Kamienista (Polish) - 2126 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Krzesanica|Kresanica (Slovak); Krzesanica (Polish)]] - 2122 m (Slovakia/Poland) - summit of [[Czerwone Wierchy]] / Red Peaks
* [[Małołączniak|Malolúčniak (Slovak); Małołączniak (Polish)]] - 2096 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Volovec (Tatra)|Volovec (Slovak); Wołowiec (Polish)]] - 2064 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Kasprowy Wierch|Kasprov vrch (Slovak); Kasprowy Wierch (Polish)]] - 1987 m (Slovakia/Poland)
* [[Giewont]] - 1894 m (Poland)
* [[Kominiarski Wierch]] - 1829 m (Poland)
* Sivý vrch - 1809 m (Slovakia)
* [[Magura (Western Tatras)|Magura]] - 1704 m (Poland)
* [[Nosal]] - 1206 m (Poland)

==Tourism==
[[File:Zakopane Poland 1938.jpg|thumb|Tourists in Zakopane enjoying views of [[Giewont]] in 1938.]]
There are records of tourist visits to the Tatras as early as 1565.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gajewski |first=Jerzy W |title=Robert Townson &ndash; The Great Explorer of the Tatra |journal=The Alpine Journal |date=1 April 2016 |url=https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1990-91_files/AJ%201990%20110-116%20Gajewski%20Townson.pdf |volume=1990-1991 |pages=110–116 |access-date=7 July 2024 |archive-date=16 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716125634/http://alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1990-91_files/AJ%201990%20110-116%20Gajewski%20Townson.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1683, an anonymous author published a book of adventures and excursions in the Tatras titled ''Ungarischer Oder Dacianischer Simplicissimus, Vorstellend Seinen wunderlichen Lebens-Lauff, und sonderliche Begebenheiten gethaner Raisen, Nebenst Wahrhafter Beschreibung dess vormals im Nor gestandenen und offters verunruhigten Urgerland'', which translates roughly to ''Hungarian or Dacian Simplicissimus, presenting his strange life and the peculiar events of his adventures, together with a true description of the ancient lands that once stood in the north and were often troubled''. The author was later discovered to be [[Daniel Speer]]<ref>{{cite journal |last=Teszelszky |first=K. (Ed.) |date=2014 |title=The Making and Uses of the Image of Hungary and Transylvania |journal=(A Divided Hungary in Europe: Exchanges, Networks and Representations, 1541-1699 |url=http://www.cambridgescholars.com/a-divided-hungary-in-europe-3 |volume=3 |access-date=7 July 2024 |archive-date=19 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919232914/http://www.cambridgescholars.com/a-divided-hungary-in-europe-3 |url-status=live }}</ref> of [[Wrocław]],<ref>[https://polskabibliotekamuzyczna.pl/encyklopedia/speer-daniel/ Biogram i literatura]</ref> who lived in the sub-Tatra region for about six years.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.2307/4148521 |jstor=4148521 |last1=Votruba |first1=Martin |title=Hang Him High: The Elevation of Jánošík to an Ethnic Icon |journal=Slavic Review |date=2006 |volume=65 |issue=1 |pages=24–44 |url=http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/2802/1/Martin_Votruba_Hang_Him_High_The_Elevation_of_Janosik.pdf |archive-date=17 September 2024 |access-date=7 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240917093503/http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/2802/1/Martin_Votruba_Hang_Him_High_The_Elevation_of_Janosik.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

A popular tourist destination in Poland is [[Zakopane]] but the developed tourist base also includes [[Kościelisko]], [[Poronin]], [[Biały Dunajec]], [[Bukowina Tatrzańska]], [[Białka Tatrzańska]], [[Murzasichle]], [[Małe Ciche]], [[Ząb]], [[Jurgów]], [[Brzegi, Tatra County|Brzegi]].{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

In Slovakia, the most important tourist base is the city [[Vysoké Tatry]], consisting of three parts: [[Štrbské Pleso]], [[Starý Smokovec]] and [[Tatranská Lomnica]].{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

The Polish "national mountain" (featured prominently in myths and folklore) is [[Giewont]],<ref>{{cite summitpost |id=153793 |title=Giewont }}</ref> while the Slovak one is [[Kriváň (peak)|Kriváň]].{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

===Trails===
[[File:Pośredni Granat a2.jpg|thumb|Pośredni Granat on the [[Orla Perć]]]]
[[File:Tatra Hike 2023-09-08.jpg|thumb|Hiking in the Polish Tatras]]
[[File:Rysy 2.jpg|thumb|Crowded border summit of Rysy]]
[[Orla Perć]] is considered the most difficult and dangerous mountain trail in the Tatras, a suitable destination only for experienced tourists those who don't have [[acrophobia]], because there are strong [[Exposure (heights)|exposures]] there. It lies exclusively within the Polish part of the Tatras, was conceived in 1901 by [[Franciszek Nowicki]], a Polish poet and mountain guide, and was built between 1903 and 1906. Over 100 individuals have died on the route since it was established. The path is marked with red signs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orla Perć : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost |url=https://www.summitpost.org/orla-per-263/317834 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.summitpost.org}}</ref> The death of Polish philosopher [[Bronisław Bandrowski]] is often used by guides as a cautionary tale for tourists. He committed suicide after he was trapped for days on a rocky ledge in the Granaty massif.<ref>Brożek, Anna; Chybińska, Alicja; Jadacki, Jacek; Woleński, Jan (2015). ''Tradition of the Lvov-Warsaw School: Ideas and Continuations''. Leiden: BRILL. pp. 265, 271. {{ISBN|978-90-04-31175-6}}.</ref>{{cn|reason=The source doesn't say it was on Granaty|date=May 2025}}

The highest point in the Tatra Mountains that can be freely accessed by a [[Trail blazing|labeled trail]] is [[Rysy]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zabi Szczyt Wyzni : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering: SummitPost |url=https://www.summitpost.org/zabi-szczyt-wyzni/506053 |access-date=10 October 2022 |website=www.summitpost.org |archive-date=10 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010080003/https://www.summitpost.org/zabi-szczyt-wyzni/506053 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Most of the peaks in the Western Tatras (on both sides of the border), including the main ridge are freely accessible by hiking trails. In the Slovak part of the Eastern Tatras, only seven peaks (out of 48 with [[Topographic prominence|prominence]] of at least 100 m) are accessible by hiking trails (''[[Rysy]]'', ''[[Świnica|Svinica/Świnica]]'', ''[[Slavkovský štít]]'', ''[[Kriváň (peak)|Kriváň]]'', ''[[Kôprovský štít]]'', ''[[Východná Vysoká]]'', and ''[[Jahňací štít]]''). Two of these (''Rysy'' and ''Svinica/Świnica'') are located on the border with Poland and accessible from the Polish side. The rest of the peaks on the Slovak side (including the highest one, Gerlachovský štít) can only be accessed when accompanied by a certified mountain guide. Members of [[UIAA]] mountain clubs can climb them without a certified guide.

In the Slovak part most of the hiking trails in the Tatras are closed from 1 November to 31 May. Only trails from settlements up to the mountain huts are open. In Poland, the trails are open year-round.

==Human engagement==
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the mountains were used for sheep grazing and mining. Many trees were cut down to make way for humans. Although these activities were stopped, the impact is still visible. Moreover, pollution from the industrialized regions of [[Kraków]] in Poland or [[Ostrava]] in Czech Republic, as well as casual tourism, cause substantial damage.<ref>{{cite web |website=lter-europe.net |title=Multi-scale interactions between disturbances and ecological and socioeconomical changes – case study High Tatra Mts. (Slovakia) |url=http://www.lter-europe.net/projects/ecosystem-services-initiative-esi/ESI%20Tatra%20Mts%20Slovakia%20v4.pdf |access-date=14 June 2015 }}</ref> Volunteers however initiate litter removal events frequently, on both sides of the border.

The [[Slovak Tatra National Park]] (''Tatranský národný park''; TANAP) was founded in 1949 ({{cvt|738|km²|disp=comma}}), and the contiguous [[Polish Tatra National Park]] (''Tatrzański Park Narodowy'') in 1954 ({{cvt|215.56|km²|2|disp=comma}}).<ref name=tpn2>{{cite web |url=http://www.tpn.pl/pl/poznaj |title=Official website of Polish Tatra National Park |website=www.tpn.pl |language=pl |access-date=10 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225010036/http://tpn.pl/pl/poznaj |archive-date=25 February 2011 }}</ref> The two parks were added jointly to the [[UNESCO]] [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves|Biosphere Reserve list]] in 1993.<ref name="unesco.org"/>

In 2013, the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] threatened to cancel the Slovak TANAP's status of a national park because of the large investments (mainly in skiing infrastructure) in the park, which seriously interfere with the landscape and nature.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

==In popular culture==
* The theme of the song "[[Nad Tatrou sa blýska]]" is that there is a storm in the Tatras. The song was the second part of the dual [[national anthem]] of [[Czechoslovakia]] from 1918 to its [[Dissolution of Czechoslovakia|dissolution in 1993]], and since became the national anthem of Slovakia.
* Czech composer [[Vítězslav Novák]]'s 1902 [[symphonic poem]] ''V Tatrách'' ('In the Tatras', Op.26) was directly inspired by the mountains.
* {{cite web |url=http://www.nevasport.com/nevablogs/d/tatras---1930/4580 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070621032604/http://www.nevasport.com/nevablogs/d/tatras---1930/4580 |archive-date=21 June 2007 |title=A 1930's ski-movie, filmed in Tatras, Poland |website=nevaasport.com}}
* The 1999 film ''[[Ravenous (1999 film)|Ravenous]]'' was filmed in the Tatra Mountains.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129332/locations |title=''Ravenous'' filming locations |website=imdb.com |access-date=29 June 2018 |archive-date=1 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401153241/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129332/locations |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In 2006, the [[Bollywood]] film ''[[Fanaa (2006 film)|Fanaa]]'', portraying places in [[Kashmir]], was filmed at [[Zakopane]], mainly because of the risks associated with insurgency in Kashmir, as well due to some similarities in a mountain landscape.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.krakowpost.com/5656/2012/08/bollywood-beats-a-path-to-krakow |title=Bollywood Beats a Path to Krakow |last=Sedia |first=Giuseppe |date=11 August 2012 |website=The Krakow Post |language=en-US |access-date=24 March 2019 |archive-date=24 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324162543/http://www.krakowpost.com/5656/2012/08/bollywood-beats-a-path-to-krakow |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Leo Frankowski]] mentions the Tatras several times in his [[science fiction]] novels in the [[The Adventures of Conrad Stargard|Adventures of Conrad Stargard]] series.
* The Tatra Mountains are the setting of the 2024 [[Netflix]] [[crime drama]] television series ''[[Detective Forst]]'', based on the ''Forst'' series by [[Remigiusz Mróz]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wawrzyn |first1=Marta |title=Detektyw Forst - ruszyły zdjęcia! Co już wiemy o polskim serialu Netfliksa? |url=https://www.serialowa.pl/366508/detektyw-forst-serial-netflix-zdjecia-borys-szyc/ |website=Serialowa |access-date=27 November 2023 |language=pl |date=21 October 2022 |archive-date=3 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203024705/https://www.serialowa.pl/366508/detektyw-forst-serial-netflix-zdjecia-borys-szyc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==
(Alphabetical by surname)
* [[Adam Asnyk]], poet and dramatist, one of the first members of the Tatra Society
* [[Klemens Bachleda]] (1851–1910), Polish mountain guide and mountain rescuer
* [[Oswald Balzer]]
* [[Tytus Chałubiński]], founder of the [[Polskie Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie|Polish Tatra Society]]
* [[Jan Długosz (mountaineer)]]
* [[Walery Eljasz-Radzikowski]]
* [[Julian Fałat]]
* [[Jan Nepomucen Głowacki]], considered the father of [[Romanticism in Poland|Polish school]] of landscape painting, was the first to devote an entire series of works to Tatra Mountains
* [[Seweryn Goszczyński]], Polish Romantic poet who escaped there from the [[Austrian partition|Austrian invader]]
* [[Ludwig Greiner]], identified [[Gerlachovský štít|Gerlachovský Peak]] as the summit of the Tatras and [[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathians]]
* [[:pl:Ruth Hale (alpinistka)|Ruth Hale (alpinist)]]
* [[Władysław Hasior]]
* [[William Horwood (novelist)]], whose novel ''Wolves of Time'' largely takes place in the Tatra mountains
* [[Juraj Janosik]]
* [[Mieczysław Karłowicz]]
* [[Jan Kasprowicz]]
* [[Kornel Makuszyński]]
* [[Franciszek Nowicki]]
* [[Władysław Orkan]]
* [[Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer]]
* [[Daniel Speer]], Baroque composer and writer
* [[Stanisław Staszic]]
* [[Mieczysław Szczuka]]
* [[Karol Szymanowski]]
* [[Göran Wahlenberg]]
* [[Stanisław Witkiewicz]]
* [[Leon Wyczółkowski]]
* [[Władysław Zamoyski]]
* [[Mariusz Zaruski]]
* [[:pl:Ludwik Zejszner|Ludwik Zejszner]]
* [[Stefan Żeromski]]

==Rankings==
[[File:Morskie Oko o poranku.jpg|thumb|Morskie Oko]]

* [[Tatra National Park, Poland|Polish Tatra National Park]] is ranked 12th place by CNN<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/podhale/tatrzanski-park-narodowy-na-12-miejscu-w-rankingu-cnn/dkplf |title=Tatrzański Park Narodowy na 12. miejscu w rankingu |work=CNN |language=pl |publisher=onet |access-date=11 April 2015 |archive-date=27 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427223638/http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/podhale/tatrzanski-park-narodowy-na-12-miejscu-w-rankingu-cnn/dkplf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* ''The Wall Street Journal'' recognized [[Morskie Oko]] as one of the five most beautiful lakes in the world<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/great-lakes-around-the-world-1405509454?mod=trending_now_1 |title=Great Lakes Around the World |last=Styles |first=Ruth |date=22 July 2014 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=4 February 2021 |archive-date=28 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928004224/https://online.wsj.com/articles/great-lakes-around-the-world-1405509454?mod=trending_now_1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Mała Armia Janosika]]
* [[Mountain Rescue Service (Slovakia)]]
* [[Sudetes]]
* ''[[Tatrzańskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe]]'' (Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (Poland))
* [[Tourism in Poland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |title=Tatras |edition=2nd |last=Lacika |first=Ján |year=2006 |location=Bratislava |isbn=80-88975-95-6 }}
* {{cite book |title=Walking in the High Tatras |edition=2nd |last1=Saunders |first1=Colin |last2=Nárožná |first2=Renáta |year=2006 |publisher=Cicerone Press (Milnthorpe) |isbn=978-1-85284-482-0 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Tatra Mountains}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.travelzenith.com/2014/04/tatras-mountains/ |title=Places to visit Tatras Mountains |website=travelzenith.com |date=April 2014}} – (available in: [[English language|ENG]]) <!--{{en}} {{sk}}-->
* {{cite web |url=http://www.tatry.sk/ |title=Town of Vysoké Tatry |website=tatry.sk |language=sk}} Municipal website (available in: [[English language|ENG]], [[Slovak language|SLV]]) <!--{{en}} {{sk}}-->
* [http://www.zakopane.pl/ Zakopane] – municipal website (available in: [[Polish language|POL]], [[English language|ENG]]) <!--{{pl}} {{en}}-->
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050404064007/http://tanap.org/en/ TANAP] – Slovak Tatra National Park (available in: [[Slovak language|SLV]], [[English language|ENG]], [[Polish language|POL]]) <!--{{sk}} {{en}} {{pl}}-->
* [http://www.tpn.pl/ TPN] – Polish Tatra National Park (available in [[Polish language|POL]] only) <!--{{pl}}-->

;Commercial tourism-oriented websites
* [https://domalenka.sk/ubytovanie/vysoke-tatry The High Tatras - Accommodation and Tourism] (available in: [[Slovak language|SLV]], [[Czech language|CZE]], [[Polish language|POL]], [[English language|ENG]], [[German language|GER]])
* [http://www.tatry.net/ Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia] (available in: [[English language|ENG]], [[German language|GER]], [[Slovak language|SLV]], [[Polish language|POL]])
* [http://www.tatry.cz/en/ Tatry - The smallest mountains in the biggest detail.] (available in: [[English language|ENG]], [[Czech language|CZE]])
* [http://www.travelia.sk/en/region/tatry Tatra] auf [http://www.travelia.sk/en Travelia.sk]

;Mountaineering
* [http://www.topr.pl/ Tatra Volunteer Rescue Service] (available in [[Polish language|POL]] only)
* [http://winterclimb.com/climbing-base/item/34-climbing-in-tatra-mountains-poland-slovakia Mountaineering in Tatra Mountains] (practical info about climbing in Tatras)

;Photography
* [http://www.k2studio.sk/?cube=galerie&c=59&lg=en K2 Studio - photographs of the Tatras] (available in: [[Slovak language|SLV]], [[English language|ENG]])
* [http://panoramy.zbooy.pl/360/?c=tatry&lang=e&pg=cat 360 - a spherical panoramic journey in 1583 pieces] (available in: [[Polish language|POL]], [[English language|ENG]])
* [http://cinemaphoto.pl/?page_id=396 CinemaPhoto.pl - photographs in Tatras] (available in: [[Polish language|POL]], [[English language|ENG]])
* [http://culture.pl/en/article/the-tatra-mountains-astonishing-images-of-a-lost-land Astonishing Vintage Images of the Tatra Mountains]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tatra Mountains| ]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Poland]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Slovakia]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of the Western Carpathians]]
[[Category:Natura 2000 in Poland]]
[[Category:Natura 2000 in Slovakia]]
[[Category:Prešov Region]]
[[Category:Lesser Poland Voivodeship]]