Tatra Mountains/Slovakia. High-altitude hut to hut trekking

Day 1-2. Gothenburg – Malmö – Tatranská Lomnica

We plan to depart from central Gothenburg at around 3 PM and make a stop in Malmö around 7 PM to pick up passengers before taking the evening ferry from Gedser to Rostock. Then we will drive through Germany and Poland to Slovakia. Along the way, we will stop for breakfast, and if everything goes smoothly, we will reach our guesthouse in Tatranská Lomnica around lunchtime.

After lunch, we’ll check in at the hotel, and for those with energy and interest, there will be an opportunity for a short afternoon hike in the area. In the evening, we’ll enjoy a nice dinner, followed by a thorough briefing for the upcoming hut-to-hut hike.

Day 3. Tatranská Lomnica (850 m) – Pri Zelenom Plese Hut (1551 m)

After a delicious breakfast, we start our hike right from the door. We leave behind anything we don’t need during the hike in the hotel’s luggage storage. Our backpacks will be trimmed to 23-30 liters, with a maximum weight of 8 kg, carrying everything needed for a couple of days in the mountains.

We head north, with the towering peaks of the High Tatras rising before us. Initially, we walk on roads, but soon veer onto a trail through the forest. We cross several stream ravines and gradually ascend, reaching a powerful river gorge, which will be a good spot for lunch.

Then, we enter the gorge, framed by steep cliffs, and hike northwest. When we reach an elevation of 1350 m, the landscape opens into several large valleys, and we veer southwest toward the Pri Zelenom Plese hut (1551 m). The location is incredibly beautiful, situated by the Zelené Lake and surrounded by sharp, towering peaks. We settle into the hut and enjoy being in this alpine environment after an amazing hiking day.

Hiking time: 6 hours | Distance: 12 km | Elevation gain: +781 / -81

Day 4. Pri Zelenom Plese Hut – Zamkovského Hut (1475 m) – Téryho Hut (2015 m)

Today we begin by hiking south, soon ascending a steep serpentined path that leads us to a pass at 2030 m. We then descend toward the ski area above Tatranská Lomnica, cross it, and head into a valley toward the Zamkovského hut for a hearty lunch.

Refreshed, we continue ascending the valley in a northwest direction, surrounded by mighty mountains. The climb is moderate at first, but by the end of the day, it becomes steeper, and we find ourselves in a true high-altitude environment. We reach Téryho Hut and perhaps take a well-earned after-hike drink with a stunning view of another alpine lake, Prostredné Spisské. Afterward, we enjoy dinner, some social time, and a good night’s sleep.

Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: 12 km | Elevation gain: +993 m / -81 m

Day 5. Téryho Hut – Zbojnícka Hut (1925 m) – Sliezsky Dom (1670 m)

Today presents an exciting stretch, and we’ll mostly be navigating alpine terrain all day. We pass three beautiful mountain lakes, ascend toward Pfinniova Kopa (approx. +150 m), and continue to the Priečne sedlo pass (2352 m). This section is steep and exposed, with occasional use of wires and ladders. (There is also a Via Ferrata variant that leads to the pass.) After the pass, we descend along the mountainside, passing several beautiful lakes, and reach the Zbojnícka Hut for lunch and a well-needed break.

We continue westward, gradually gaining height again to the Prielom pass (2288 m), followed by Polsky hreben (2200 m), before descending to our destination for the day, Sliezsky Dom. We check into a mountain hotel and enjoy the view of the Velické Lake and the majestic Gerlachovský Štít peak.

Hiking time: 6 hours | Distance: 11 km | Elevation gain: +770 m / -1117 m

Day 6. Sliezsky Dom, Summit of Gerlachovský Štít

Today, you have two options. The first is to summit Slovakia’s highest peak, Gerlachovský Štít (2654 m), with a certified mountain guide. The second is to do a less advanced hike with Simona.

The summit ascent is physically demanding and requires several hours of hiking, including exposed sections and easy climbing where you’ll be roped in with a harness. To guide in this type of terrain, a UIAGM/IFMGA certification is required. The cost for a guide is approximately 5500 SEK per day, and each guide can take 3 people. If you’re interested, we’ll arrange the guide(s) in advance. The ascent takes about 8 hours, with an elevation gain of about 1100 m.

If you choose not to summit, Simona will guide you on a slightly less challenging but still exciting hike. The choice of hike will be made on-site, with several great options available.

In the evening, we’ll gather for dinner at the hotel to reflect on a great day of hiking.

Day 7. Sliezsky Dom – Popradské Pleso – Štrbské Pleso – Tatranská Lomnica

We wake up to our last hiking day. Today we’ll hike across the southern side of the mountain massif, avoiding any steep ascents but instead gaining height continuously. Just before lunch (which will be a bit late), we’ll descend on a zigzag trail to the Popradské Pleso hut, beautifully located by the lake.

After lunch, we continue southward, leaving the high-altitude terrain behind. Late in the afternoon, we reach the village of Štrbské Pleso, where we’ll celebrate a successful hiking week with a hearty after-hike. We’ll then be picked up by our bus and return to the hotel in Tatranská Lomnica. Here, we’ll reunite with the guests who have done day hikes in the area and enjoy a farewell dinner together. In the evening, we’ll pack up the bus for an early departure the next day.

Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: 16 km | Elevation gain: +462 m / -905 m

Day 8. Tatranská Lomnica – Malmö – Gothenburg

To make it back to Sweden in time for onward connections, we plan to leave early. We aim to depart from Tatranská Lomnica at 4 AM (breakfast packages will be available on the bus, and most will likely sleep during the journey). We plan to arrive in Malmö just before 8 PM and in Gothenburg around midnight, where there will be options to take the night train to Stockholm from Malmö.