The summer season begins in the High Tatras and with it new regulations

The summer season begins in the High Tatras. According to the new visiting regulations, the tourist trails of the national park will be opened on Saturday, June 1.

However, the beginning of the summer season also brings with it new rules. This fact was highlighted on the website of the Tatra National Park Authority (TANAP), which noted that the new visiting regulations introduce several significant changes in the scope of activities that can be undertaken in the national park.

These include hiking and other mountain sports.

What will change in the new visiting regulations for the 2024 summer season:

• Hiking with dogs in high altitude areas is no longer allowed.
• The seasonal closure is shortened.
• Climbing with a lower level of difficulty has been introduced.
• Four bicycle routes have been extended.
• Climbers and ski mountaineers must register before each trip.
• Climbers, skiers, mountaineers and kayakers must have permits.

Constant restrictions

Although all marked hiking trails will be fully open from June 1, the section of the red trail from Hrebienok to Rainer’s Shelter remains closed due to last year’s landslide.

“There is still a serious threat to life and health. Instead, tourists can use the green marked detour,” the TANAP administration said, adding that it plans for future repairs.

New designated areas

New designated places allow you to leave the trail legally: within a distance of 25 meters around each peak, near the cable car station, mountain huts, etc. This legalizes the current practice because these are places for relaxation.

Hiking time restrictions have changed. Previously, you could hike from an hour after sunrise to an hour before sunset. Currently, hiking is allowed during “daylight hours,” defined as the period from sunrise to sunset in a given location. This means you can go hiking to a hut like Brnčalka after work, as long as you follow the shortest route and avoid disturbing wildlife.

Climbing and high mountain hiking

Climbers must present a valid membership card of their national climbing association, which may include foreign associations such as the Czech or Austrian climbing federation.

Traditional high-mountain hikes with certified guides have ended. The new regulations distinguish between high and low difficulty climbing, which effectively replaces high-mountain tourism. Previously, this required membership in the Slovak Hiking Club (KST) or the Slovak Association of High Mountain Tourists (SVTS), completion of a high mountain tourism and guided hiking course.

Currently, participants must have a climbing association card and proof of basic training from an authorized person, as referred to in the sports experts section of the Sports Act.

Restrictions on walking dogs

Dog walking is now limited to designated sections of trails and paved roads. Under the new regulations, dogs are not allowed in high altitude areas or in most Tatra mountain shelters.

Examples of dog-friendly routes include the trail from the Popradské Pleso stop to Popradské Pleso, the trail from Tatrzańska Polianka to Sliezsky Dom, the trail from the mouth of the Žiarska Valley to Žiarska Chata. Additionally, a blue trail to Chata pod Soliskom and a route from Podbański to the Cicha and Kôprové valleys are available for walkers.

Detailed restrictions and maps are available on the TANAP website.

Bicycle touring

Cycling is only allowed during the day, except for class I, II and III roads and local roads. You can ride a bicycle in designated places, listed in the visiting regulations, and on marked bicycle routes, which are to be found on the park’s website. However, they cannot be found there currently.

In the Bielovodska Valley, the bicycle route leads to the climbing camp, and in the Kôprová Valley from the Kmeť Waterfall to the shelter under the Garajová Valley. The Javorova Valley should also be accessible up to the forester’s lodge near Muráňom.

In the Orava part of the Tatra Mountains, almost the entire Bobrovecka Valley and at least part of the Cicha Valley up to the forester’s lodge should be accessible to cyclists. The tourist regulations indicate areas in the Western Tatras, including: Žiarska Valley, Zuberec – Ťatliakova Chalet, Látaná Valley and Oravice Valley – Bobrovecká. However, the exact turning points in these valleys are unclear due to the illegible map.

Geocaching is not forgotten

Cyclists have longer routes that reach almost to the campsite in Poľana pod Vysoká in the Bielovodska Valley and up to the mountain hut under Garajova Valley in the Kôprové Valley. The visiting regulations currently cover 22 designated bicycle areas from Oravice to Tatranská Javorina.

The new regulations also include geocaching, enabling searchers to use marked trails, educational paths and bicycle routes. Special rules apply to them as well.

Areas for kayakers

New designated places for kayakers have been added, including two places on the Belá River and Studený brook in Orava.

“According to tourism regulations, only members of tourist or sports organizations engaged in water tourism or slalom can kayak on these waterways,” the national park noted.