| High Tatras | |
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 Panorama of High Tatras. Peaks, from left to right:Gerlachovský štít,Batizovský štít, Kačací štít,Končistá, Gánok, Vysoká, andRysy | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Gerlachovský štít, Slovakia |
| Elevation | 2,655 m (8,711 ft) |
| Coordinates | 49°10′N20°08′E / 49.167°N 20.133°E /49.167; 20.133 |
| Geography | |
  High Tatras Location of the High Tatras in Slovakia and Poland Show map of Slovakia High Tatras High Tatras (Poland) Show map of Poland | |
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| Parent range | Eastern Tatras |
TheHigh Tatras orHigh Tatra Mountains (Slovak:Vysoké Tatry;Polish:Tatry Wysokie;Rusyn:Высокы Татры, Vŷsokŷ Tatrŷ;German:Hohe Tatra;Hungarian:Magas-Tátra), are amountain range along the border of northernSlovakia in thePrešov Region, and southernPoland in theLesser Poland Voivodeship. They are a range of theTatra Mountains chain.
The mountain range borders theBelianske Tatras to the east, thePodtatranská kotlina to the south, and theWestern Tatras to the west. Most of the range, and all the highest peaks, are in Slovakia. The highest peak isGerlachovský štít, at 2,655 metres (8,711 ft).
The High Tatras, having 29 peaks over 2,500 metres (8,200 ft)AMSL are, with theSouthern Carpathians, the only mountain ranges with analpine character andhabitats in the entire 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) length of theCarpathian Mountains system.The first European cross-bordernational park, Tatra National Park, was founded here withTatra National Park (Tatranský národný park) in Slovakia in 1948, andTatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy) in Poland in 1954. The contiguous parks protectUNESCO's trans-border Tatrabiosphere reserve.[1]
Many rare andendemic animals and plant species are native to the High Tatras. They include the Tatras' endemicgoat-antelope andcritically endangered species, theTatra chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica). Predators includeEurasian brown bear,Eurasian lynx,marten,wolf andfox. TheAlpine marmot is common in the range.
Flora of the High Tatras includes: theendemicTatra scurvy-grass (Cochlearia tatrae),yellow mountain saxifrage (Saxifraga aizoides),ground coveringnet-leaved willow (Salix reticulata),Norway spruce (Picea abies),Swiss pine (Pinus cembra), andEuropean larch (Larix decidua).
The 15 highest peaks of the High Tatras—all located in Slovakia—are:[2]
| Peak | 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 |
The area is well known forwinter sports.Ski resorts includeŠtrbské pleso,Starý Smokovec andTatranská Lomnica in Slovakia, andZakopane in Poland. The town ofPoprad is the gateway to the Slovak Tatra resorts.
TheGórale 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 identifiedGerlachovský štít (Gerlachovský Peak) (2,665 metres (8,743 ft)) as the highest summit of theTatra Mountains, and the entireCarpathian Mountains system. It is also thehighest point of Slovakia.
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