High Tatras

{{short description|Mountain range along the border of Slovakia and Poland}} {{Infobox mountain  | name = High Tatras | native_name = | other_name = {{ubl|Vysoké Tatry|Tatry Wysokie}}  | image = Tatry_Panorama01xxx.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Panorama of High Tatras.<br/>Peaks, from left to right: Gerlachovský štít, Batizovský štít, Kačací štít, Končistá, Gánok, Vysoká, and Rysy  | country = {{hlist|Slovakia|Poland}} | subdivision1_type = States | subdivision1 = {{hlist|Prešov Region|Lesser Poland Voivodeship}} | subdivision2_type = Regions | subdivision2 = {{hlist|Tatra National Park—''Tatranský národný park'' (Slovakia)|Tatra National Park—''Tatrzański Park Narodowy'' (Poland)}}

| parent = Eastern Tatras | geology = | orogeny =  | area_km2 = | length_km = | length_orientation = | width_km = | width_orientation = | highest = Gerlachovský štít | highest_location = Slovakia | elevation_m = 2655 | coordinates = {{coord|49|10|N|20|08|E|region:SK_type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | map = Slovakia#Poland | map_size = | map_caption = Location of the High Tatras in Slovakia and Poland }}

The '''High Tatras''' or '''High Tatra Mountains''' ({{langx|sk|Vysoké Tatry}}; {{langx|pl|Tatry Wysokie}}; {{langx|rue|Высокы Татры}},'' Vŷsokŷ Tatrŷ''; {{langx|de|Hohe Tatra}}; {{langx|hu|Magas-Tátra}}), are a mountain range along the border of northern Slovakia in the Prešov Region, and southern Poland in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. They are a range of the Tatra Mountains chain.

== Description == [[File:Frozen Morskie Oko 2019.jpg|thumb|right|Morskie Oko ("Sea Eye"), the largest lake in the Tatra mountains, is found at an elevation of 1,395m and is surrounded by peaks that rise about 1,000m above it.]] The mountain range borders the Belianske Tatras to the east, the Podtatranská kotlina to the south, and the Western Tatras to the west. Most of the range, and all the highest peaks, are in Slovakia. The highest peak is Gerlachovský štít, at {{convert|2655|m|ft}}.

===Biogeography=== The High Tatras, having 29 peaks over {{convert|2500|m|ft}} AMSL are, with the Southern Carpathians, the only mountain ranges with an alpine character and habitats in the entire {{convert|1200|km|mi}} length of the Carpathian Mountains system. The first European cross-border national park, Tatra National Park, was founded here with Tatra National Park (''Tatranský národný park'') in Slovakia in 1948, and Tatra National Park (''Tatrzański Park Narodowy'') in Poland in 1954. The contiguous parks protect UNESCO's trans-border Tatra biosphere reserve.<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1737/ UNESCO preserves]</ref> ;Fauna Many rare and endemic animals and plant species are native to the High Tatras. They include the Tatras' endemic goat-antelope and critically endangered species, the Tatra chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica''). Predators include Eurasian brown bear, Eurasian lynx, marten, wolf and fox. The Alpine marmot is common in the range. ;Flora Flora of the High Tatras includes: the endemic Tatra scurvy-grass (''Cochlearia tatrae''), yellow mountain saxifrage (''Saxifraga aizoides''), ground covering net-leaved willow (''Salix reticulata''), Norway spruce (''Picea abies''), Swiss pine (''Pinus cembra''), and European larch (''Larix decidua'').

== Peaks ==

===Highest peaks=== [[File:Młoda kozica tatrzańska.jpg|thumb|A young Tatra chamois]] [[Image:Mountaineers in High Tatry mountains winter.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The alpine character of the High Tatras attracts mountaineers.]] [[Image:Kriváň.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Kriváň (2,495 metres), considered to be the symbol of Slovakia]] The 15 highest peaks of the High Tatras—all located in Slovakia—are:<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Matej Lednár |url=http://www.slovenska-republika.com/data/oldsites/povrch.htm |title=''Najvyššie pohoria Slovenska'' (Highest mountain ranges in Slovakia) |year=2003 |language=sk |access-date=June 2, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609201220/http://www.slovenska-republika.com/data/oldsites/povrch.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2007 }}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- !Peak!!colspan=2|Elevation (m|ft) |- | Gerlachovský štít | around 2,655 | 8,711 |- | Gerlachovská veža | 2,642 | 8,668 |- | Lomnický štít | 2,634 | 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, also called 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

===Major lakes=== * Slovak lakes ** Štrbské pleso - 1,347 m, 20 m deep. ** Popradské pleso - 1,494 m, 17 m deep. ** Veľké Hincovo pleso - 1,945 m, 54 m deep. * Polish 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.

===Other lakes=== * Slovak 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. ** Vyšné Bielovodské Žabie pleso - 1,699 m, 25 m deep. ** Nižné Bielovodské Žabie pleso - 1,675 m, 21 m deep. * Polish lakes ** Kurtkowiec Lake - 1,686 m, 5 m deep. ** Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy - 1,624 m, 51 m deep. ** Zielony Staw Gąsienicowy - 1,672 m, 15 m deep.

[[Image:Skalnata chata.jpg|thumb|250px|Mountain huts are common in the High Tatras, this one is halfway up Lomnický štít.]]

== Transport == * By TEŽ ** Line {{rcb|Poprad trains|183|inline=croute}}: ''from'': Štrbské Pleso - ''to'': Poprad-Tatry ** Line {{rcb|Poprad trains|184|inline=croute}}: ''from'': Starý Smokovec - ''to'': Tatranská Lomnica * By OŽ ** Line {{rcb|Poprad trains|182|inline=croute}}: ''from'': Štrbské Pleso - ''to'': Štrba * By ŽSR ** Line {{rcb|Poprad trains|185|inline=croute}}: ''from'': Tatranská Lomnica - ''to'': Studený Potok or ''from'': Poprad-Tatry - ''to'': Plaveč * By PKP ** Line 99 from: Chabówka to Zakopane

==Culture== 250px|thumb|1922 postcard of tourists in the High Tatras.

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.

;People The Górale people ("highlanders"), a group of indigenous people with a distinctive traditional culture, are of the High Tatras and other mountain ranges and valleys in the Tatra Mountains region.

Ludwig Greiner identified Gerlachovský štít (Gerlachovský Peak) ({{convert|2665|m|ft}}) as the highest summit of the Tatra Mountains, and the entire Carpathian Mountains system. It is also the highest point of Slovakia.

;Places and services *Vysoké Tatry (town) *Orla Perć — notable tourist mountain path/trail *Siklawa Falls — highest waterfall in Poland *Mickiewicz Falls *Black Lake Falls *Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (Poland) *Mountain Rescue Service (Slovakia)

==See also== *Tatra National Park, Poland *Tatra National Park, Slovakia *Tourism in Poland *Tourism in Slovakia *1989 Tatry - named after High Tatras

==References== {{reflist}} *"The Tatras: High, Western, Bela's" (1:50,000 hiking map); BBKart/Marco Polo; 2005.

==External links== {{commons and category}} *[https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1737/ UNESCO — Natural Reserves of Tatras Mountains] * [http://www.tatry.org/ Tatry.org: Tatry Open Directory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625081758/http://www.tatry.org/ |date=2011-06-25 }} * [http://www.tatry.sk/ Tatry.sk: Official town of High Tatry website] * [http://www.tldtatry.sk/index.cfm?NewLanguageID=en TldTatry.sk: Tatra Cable Railways] * [http://www.summitpost.org/area/range/154185/high-tatra-vysoke-tatry-group.html Summitpost.org: High Tatra Mountains] * [http://melown.com/maps/#tatras_slovakia High Tatra Mountains visualized in 3D] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418090217/https://www.melown.com/maps/#tatras_slovakia |date=2021-04-18 }} * [https://sketchfab.com/models/f9d96fca765044f6a0e83f24bd9dcaa0 3D scan of Lomnický peak, one of the highest mountain peaks in the High Tatras mountains. ]

===Images=== * [http://www.vysoketatry.com/mapy/mapy/mapy.html VysokeTatry.com— various maps of the High Tatras] * [http://www.butkaj.com/visit/high_tatras Butkaj.com: photos of villages in the High Tatras] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326202411/http://www.butkaj.com/visit/high_tatras |date=2009-03-26 }} — ''after the 2004 storm calamity''.

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