'High Tatras' or 'High Tatra' (Slovak and Czech: ''Vysoké Tatry'', Polish: ''Tatry Wysokie'', Hungarian: ''Magas Tátra'', German: ''Hohe Tatra'') are a mountain range on the borders between
Slovakia and
Poland. They are a part of the
Eastern Tatras Mountains.
Description
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 1200 km length of the
Carpathian Mountains.
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.
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.
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 |
Mountain lakes
Major lakes

''Veľké Žabie pleso (Mengusovské)'' lake in the ''Žabia dolina'' valley
★
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 Gąsienic - 1,624 m, 51 m deep.

Panorama of High Tatras from
Poprad
See also
★
Tatra mountains
★
Vysoké Tatry (town)
★
Tatra National Park
References
1. ''Najvyššie pohoria Slovenska'' (Highest mountains in Slovakia)
★ The Tatras: High, Western, Bela's (1:50,000 hiking map) BBKart/Marco Polo 2005.
External links
★
Official site of the town of High Tatras
★
Tatry Open Directory
★
Tatra Cable Railways
★
Vysoké Tatry at Summitpost.org
★
Various maps of High Tatras at VysokeTatry.com