←→Explore: The Tatras Mountains in Poland

Posted Tuesday, April 10th, 2007 · Permalink

Poland has an extremely interesting history. It’s played roles in many of the major happenings of the last century and before. There are countless places you can visit that educate and mesmerize visitors about this history. History here, history there, history everywhere. Nice, but sometimes it can become too much. That’s why it’s so great that Poland also has something that you can visit that is less history-laden: the Tatras mountain region in the south.

There are two popular ways to visit this amazingly beautiful stretch of mountains. One way is to check-in to one of the various hotels at the foot of the mountains and do day hikes into the mountains. There are many small towns that have many little hostels and more elaborate hotels that cater to various needs and budgets. The second, more adventurous, option is to go backpacking and stay in the mountain hostels along the road.

That’s what I did a two summers ago. It was great.

Do note that it can be very busy during the summers. Plan ahead. Ask around. It might be necessary to book the sleeping arrangements ahead of time. Also, the summer weather during the day can be deceiving at times: during the nights it can get dreadfully cold. So cold, in fact, that it starts snowing. Around 11 AM all the snow will have melted. This results in a lot of mud. Come prepared for all kinds of weather. It can be a tricky issue up there.

What you can also expect is a lot of beautiful, untouched nature. Nowhere in Western Europe will you find so much of it left to be conquered by your hiking boots. And you can go far. You can, in fact, venture towards Poland’s neighbors, though I’d check Visa requirements before you try things like that.

Good luck with your “high-altitude ventures!”

Filed under Explore, Poland, Europe.