High Tatras
| High Tatras | |
|---|---|
| Vysoké Tatry | |
 Panorama of High Tatras, mountains from left to right: Gerlachovský štít, Batizovský štít, Kačací štít, Končistá, Gánok, Vysoká, and Rysy |
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Gerlachovský štít |
| Elevation | 2,655 m (8,711 ft) |
| Coordinates | 49°10′N 20°08′E / 49.167°N 20.133°ECoordinates: 49°10′N 20°08′E / 49.167°N 20.133°E |
| Geography | |
  Location of the High Tatras in Slovakia and Poland
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| Countries | Slovakia and Poland |
| Parent range | Eastern Tatras |
High Tatras or High Tatra (Slovak and Czech: Vysoké Tatry, Polish: Tatry Wysokie) are a mountain range on the borders between Slovakia and Poland. They are a part of the Tatra Mountains. The High Tatras, with their 17 peaks over 2500 m AMSL, are, together with the Southern Carpathians, the only mountain ranges with an alpine character in the whole 1200 km length of the Carpathian Mountains.
The mountain range borders Belianske Tatras to the east, Podtatranská kotlina to the south and Western Tatras to the west. The major part and all the highest peaks of the mountains are situated in Slovakia. The highest peak is Gerlachovský štít 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.
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Description
The area is well known for winter sports. Ski resorts include Štrbské pleso, Starý Smokovec and Tatranská 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—Tatranský národný park in Slovakia in 1948 and Tatrzański Park Narodowy in Poland in 1954.
Parts of the Eragon movie were filmed here.
Peaks
Highest peaks
The 15 highest peaks of the High Tatras—all located in Slovakia—are:1
| Peak | Elevation (m|ft) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gerlachovský štít | 2,655 | 8,711 |
| Gerlachovská veža | 2,642 | 8,668 |
| Lomnický štít | 2,633 | 8,638 |
| Ľadový štít | 2,627 | 8,619 |
| Pyšný štít | 2,623 | 8,605 |
| Zadný Gerlach | 2,616 | 8,583 |
| Lavínový štít | 2,606 | 8,550 |
| Malý Ľadový štít | 2,602 | 8,537 |
| Kotlový štít | 2,601 | 8,533 |
| Lavínová veža | 2,600 | 8,530 |
| Malý Pyšný štít | 2,591 | 8,501 |
| Veľká Litvorová veža | 2,581 | 8 468 |
| Strapatá veža | 2,565 | 8,415 |
| Kežmarský štít | 2,556 | 8,386 |
| Vysoká | 2,547 | 8,356 |
Other notable peaks
- Kriváň, 2494 meters, Slovakia's "most beautiful mountain"
- Rysy, the popular Polish−Slovak summit border crossing. Rysy has three peaks: the middle at 2,503 meters; the north-western at 2,499 meters; and the south-eastern at 2,473 meters. The north-western peak is the highest point of Poland.
- Slavkovský štít, 2452 meters tall, within the Tatra National Park, Slovakia
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.
- Štrbské pleso - 1,347 m, 20 m deep.
- Veľké Hincovo pleso - 1,945 m, 54 m deep.
Other lakes
- Zmrzlé pleso
- Ťažké pleso
- Ľadové pleso
- Batizovské pleso
- Veľké Spišské pleso - 2,019 m, 10 m deep.
- Veľké Žabie pleso (Mengusovské) - 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 Gąsienicowy - 1,624 m, 51 m deep.
Notable people
Ludwig Greiner identified Gerlachovský Peak as the summit of the Tatras, Carpathians.
See also
- Tatra Mountains
- Vysoké Tatry (town)
- Gorals
- Orla Perć
- Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (Poland)
- Mountain Rescue Service (Slovakia)
- Tatra National Park
- Tourism in Poland
References
- ^ "Najvyššie pohoria Slovenska (Highest mountain ranges in Slovakia)" (in Slovak). Matej Lednár. 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
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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