The High Tatras, with their 11 peaks over 2500 m AMSL, are, together with the Southern Carpathians, the only mountain ranges with an alpine character in the whole 1200km length of the Carpathian Mountains.
The major part and all the highest peaks of the mountains are situated in Slovakia. The highest peak is Gerlachovsk tt at 2,655 m. Many rare and endemic animals and plant species are native to the High Tatras. Large predators, such as the bear, Eurasian lynx, marten, wolf and fox live there.
The area is well known for winter sports. Ski resorts include trbsk pleso, Star Smokovec and Tatransk Lomnica in Slovakia and Zakopane in Poland. The town of Poprad is the gateway to the Slovak Tatra resorts.
The first European cross-border national park was founded here - Tatra National Park - Tatransk nrodn park in Slovakia in 1948 and Tatrzaski Park Narodowy in Poland in 1954.
Peaks
Highest peaks
Valley
The alpine character of the High Tatras attracts mountaineers
Mountain huts such as this one half way up Lomnick tt are a common sight in the High Tatras.
The 15 highest peaks of the High Tatras - all located in Slovakia - are:
Peak
Elevation (m|ft)
Gerlachovsk tt
2,655
8,711
Gerlachovsk vea
2,642
8,668
Lomnick tt
2,633
8,638
adov tt
2,627
8,619
Pyn tt
2,623
8,605
Zadn Gerlach
2,616
8,583
Lavnov tt
2,606
8,550
Mal adov tt
2,602
8,537
Kotlov tt
2,601
8,533
Lavnov vea
2,600
8,530
Mal pyn tt
2,591
8,501
Vek Litvorov vea
2,581
8 468
Strapat vea
2,565
8,415
Kemarsk tt
2,556
8,386
Vysok
2,547
8,356
Notable peaks
Kriv (Slovakia's "most beautiful mountain")
Rysy (popular Polishlovak summit border crossing)
Mountain lakes
Major lakes
Morskie Oko - 1,395 m, 51 m deep.
Czarny Staw pod Rysami - 1,583 m, 76 m deep.
Wielki Staw Polski - 1,664 m, 79 m deep.
trbsk pleso - 1,347 m, 20 m deep.
Vek Hincovo pleso - 1,945 m, 54 m deep.
Vek abie pleso (Mengusovsk) lake in abia Valley
Other lakes
Zmrzl pleso
ak pleso
adov pleso
Batizovsk pleso
Vek Spisk pleso - 2,019 m, 10 m deep.
Vek abie pleso (Mengusovsk) - 1,921 m, 7 m deep
Vysne Bielovoeske Zabie pleso - 1,699 m, 25 m deep.
Nizne Bielovodske Zabie pleso - 1,675 m, 21 m deep.
Czarny Staw Gsienic - 1,624 m, 51 m deep.
Notable people
Ludwig Greiner identified Gerlachovsk Peak as the summit of the Tatras, Carpathians.
See also
Gorals
Tatra Mountains
Tatra National Park
Vysok Tatry (town)
Orla Per
References
^ "Najvyie pohoria Slovenska (Highest mountain ranges in Slovakia)" (in Slovak). Matej Lednr. 2003. http://www.slovenska-republika.com/data/oldsites/povrch.htm. Retrieved June 2, 2007.
The Tatras: High, Western, Bela's (1:50,000 hiking map) BBKart/Marco Polo 2005.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: High Tatras
Official site of the town of High Tatras
Tatry Open Directory
Tatra Cable Railways
High Tatras at Summitpost.org
Article about the High Tatras with nice photos (German)
Images
Various maps of the High Tatras at VysokeTatry.com
High Tatras pictures, calamity on 19 November, 2004: villages of High Tatras after the storm
Categories: Mountain ranges of Poland | Mountain ranges of Slovakia | Mountain ranges of the Carpathians | SpiHidden categories: Geobox2 needing maintenance
