Eastern Tatras

The Eastern Tatras extend roughly 16 miles (26 kilometers) along the border between Slovakia and Poland, featuring steep rocky peaks and deep glacial valleys across an area of about 132 square miles (341 square kilometers).

The region became part of Europe's first transfrontier national park in 1948, establishing a framework for cross-border conservation efforts and protecting the diverse mountain ecosystems from development pressures over decades.

The Goral people, an ethnographic group inhabiting these highlands, maintain traditional practices including distinctive folk music, wooden alpine architecture, and handicrafts that reflect centuries of adaptation to mountain life.

Visitors should plan trips between late spring and early autumn for hiking, while winter sports enthusiasts will find ski resorts around Tatranská Lomnica and Zakopane operational from December through March with proper snow equipment required.

Lomnický štít, the range's second highest peak at 8,638 feet (2,633 meters), can be reached by cable car, offering accessible panoramic views across the alpine terrain without technical climbing skills.