are included.
In Slovak place names, as in English, it is usually (but not always) correct to put the type of geographical feature last, such as chata (chalet), dolina (valley), pleso (tarn), polana (clearing), potok (brook), sedlo (saddle or pass) and vrch (hill).
In Polish it is usually (but not always) correct to put, for example, dolina (valley), polana (clearing), hala (pasture), jaskinia (cave) and schronisko (refuge) first, but some Polish mapmakers have chosen to show these terms last in some (but not all) cases. However, potok (brook), przełęcz (saddle or pass), staw (tarn) and wierch (hill) nearly always come last on all maps. Sometimes the correct procedure is abandoned, simply because the opposite sounds better to native ears, as in Siwa Polana. In this guidebook we try to follow the correct procedure, but what is correct is not always clear.
Bear in mind that the circumstances and names of some places and chalets shown on older maps may have changed since your map was published. In Slovakia the chalet Chata Kapitána Rašu (near Tri Studničky) has burned down, Chata Kapitána Morávku (at Popradské Pleso) has been renamed Chata pri Popradskom Plese, and Poľana Kamzik (near Hrebienok) has been renamed Starolesnianska Poľana.
In Poland the refuges are usually known by a name that is shorter than that shown on maps, and some older maps may show names that are no longer used. The saddle that is known to local people as Raczkowa Przełęcz is shown on some maps as Gaborowa Przełęcz Wyžnia, with a note that the other name is incorrect.
We try to explain these situations in the text or gazetteers, where relevant, and hope that it will not be too confusing.
Border controls
In 2007 Poland and Slovakia became members of the Schengen Convention, which meant that they had to abolish border controls between the two countries. Now you can normally cross the border freely at all accessible points, including Rysy, where eagle-eyed guards once ensured that walkers returned the way they came. However, there may be times when guards or customs officials are required to set up temporary controls, so always take your passport if planning to cross the border.
See also ‘Cross-border walking’.
SECTION 2
PREPARATION FOR WALKING
When to go
Your decision may be affected by the weather – see page 28. For settled weather (although there is no guarantee) and to avoid crowds in the honeypots, the best time to go is between the end of August and early October. The peak period is from mid July to late August, when it is more difficult to find suitable accommodation, and the more popular walking routes and the honeypots are very busy. There is even good walking in the winter (see page 59), but it is probably not worth going in the spring, when the paths are awash with melting snow and many paths on the Slovak side are closed to walkers. Whatever time you decide to go, book as far ahead as possible, as even at off-peak times a conference or other event may take up much of the accommodation.
Obtaining information
Postal and internet addresses, phone numbers and websites are given in this book so that you can obtain further information as required. The person who answers the phone may not speak English, and although German is widely spoken in Slovakia, it is not in Poland.
The electric train to Studený Potok at Tatranská Lomnica station, Slovakia
Phone numbers for places in Poland and Slovakia are those that you dial while in those countries. If dialling from outside, you need to prefix the local number with the international dialling code and remove its initial zero. The international dialling codes vary between countries, as follows.
To Poland from: UK, Irish Republic, New Zealand and Slovakia – 0048, Australia – 001148, Canada and USA – 01148, South Africa – 0948.
To Slovakia from: UK, Irish Republic, New Zealand and Slovakia – 00421, Australia – 0011421, Canada and USA – 011421, South Africa – 09421. If calling Slovakia from Poland, you dial 0, await a second tone, then 0421.
Websites may appear initially in the local language. Many have an English equivalent, for which you click ‘English’, ‘EN’ or the Union Jack logo near the top. If not, your browser should offer a translation facility.
Travel and insurance
Details of travel to and within Poland and Slovakia are given in Sections 3 and 4, for each country.
For either country, with rail services becoming ever faster in Europe, and if your finances and diary are reasonably elastic, you may wish to consider travelling all the way by train from the UK, perhaps with an overnight stop en route, or by using an overnight sleeper. If time is pressing, out by train, home by air, could be the answer. For international rail travel your first step should be to consult a website known as ‘The Man in Seat 61’ (www.seat61.com) – it provides very useful advice but does not make bookings. Several agents sell tickets to Poprad or Zakopane, such as Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com), ETrains4U (www.etrains4u.com) or German Railways (www.bahn.de/en).
Travel insurance is vital. Although it is unlikely that you will need mountain rescue, there is a charge for this in Slovakia (also Poland in some circumstances) and you should check that your insurance covers it. If not, a policy is available at local tourist and mountain rescue information offices.
Health and other advice for travellers from the United Kingdom can be obtained from the Government website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, or the NHS website www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. You should also obtain the free EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which entitles citizens of EU and some other European countries to reciprocal health benefits – or check that yours is still valid for the duration of your planned trip. Visit the NHS website www.nhs.uk and search for ‘EHIC’, and beware unofficial websites that charge for providing the card.
Accommodation
As you would expect in a holiday area that has been established for over two hundred years, there is plenty of accommodation in the High Tatras. There are at least ten thousand beds in hotels and pensions in the Slovak resorts, and a similar number in Zakopane and its outlying villages, making them the most important tourist areas in their respective countries.
During the communist era, virtually all the accommodation was owned either by government agencies, which limited the opportunities for commercial enterprise, or by trade unions for the exclusive use of their members. Several establishments are still owned by the trade unions in the shape of the hotel group Sorea in Slovakia, while some of the big multinational chains are starting to build or acquire hotels in the Tatras.
There is a good choice of hotels and pensions in all categories up to four stars. At the time of writing there is one five-star hotel in the Slovak Tatras (Grand Hotel Kempinski in Štrbské Pleso) and three in Zakopane (Hotels Litwor, Rysy and Rezydencja Nosalowy Dwór). Many hotels include ‘fitness’ or ‘wellness’ in their names, to signify that they offer a swimming pool, jacuzzi, massage, gym and/or other facilities.
Hotels and pensions
