Summer season in the High Tatras is about to begin. According to the new visitor regulations, the national park's hiking trails will open on Saturday, 1 June. However, the start of the summer season also brings with it new rules.
This fact was highlighted on the website of the Tatra National Park Administration (TANAP), which noted that the new visitor regulations introduce several significant changes to the activities that can be undertaken within the national park. These include hiking and other mountain sports. What the new visitor regulations change for the 2024 summer season: Although all marked hiking trails will be fully open from 1 June, the section of the red trail from Hrebienok to Rainer's Shelter remains closed due to a landslide last year.
"There is still a serious risk to life and health. Instead, hikers can use the detour marked in green," the TANAP Administration stated, adding that it plans future repairs. New designated areas allow visitors to legally leave the trail: for a distance of 25 metres around each peak, near cable car stations, mountain huts, etc.
This legalises current practice, as these are spots where people tend to relax. The time restrictions for hiking have changed. Previously, you could hike from an hour after sunrise to an hour before sunset.
Now, hiking is allowed during "daylight hours," defined as sunrise to sunset at the location. This means you can hike to a hut like Brnčalka after work, as long as you follow the shortest route and a.