The Tatra Mountains occupy an area of 785 square kilometres (303 sq mi), of which about 610 square kilometres (236 sq mi) (77.7%) lie within Slovakia and about 175 square kilometres (68 sq mi) (22.3%) within Poland. The highest peak, calledGerlachovský štít, at 2,655 metres (8,711 feet), is located north ofPoprad, entirely in Slovakia. The highest point in Poland,Rysy, at 2,500 metres (8,200 ft),[1] is located southeast ofZakopane, on the border with Slovakia.[2][3]
The Tatras' length, measured from the eastern foothills of theKobylí vrch (1,109 metres (3,638 ft)) to the southwestern foot ofOstrý vrch (1128 m), in a straight line, is 57 km (35 mi) (or 53 km (33 mi) according to some),[3] and strictly along the main ridge, 80 km (50 mi). The range is only 19 km (12 mi) wide.[4] The main ridge of the Tatras runs from the village ofHuty at the western end to the village ofŽdiar at the eastern end.
The first written record of the name is from 999, when the Bohemian DukeBoleslaus II, on his deathbed, recalled when the Duchy of Bohemia extended to theTritri montes. Another mention is in the 1086 document fromHenry IV, wherein he referred to theDiocese of Prague withTritri mountains. Still another is in 1125, where the Kosmas chronicles (Chronica Boemorum) mention the nameTatri.[6]
In 1790Belsazar Hacquet wrote that Slavs call these mountainsTatari or Tatri because there used to beTatarhordes roaming the area.[7]
Machek in 1931 favored the theory of the Polish linguist Rozwadowski with a syllabicr like in the wordschrt (Czech hound),smrt (Czech death). InCzech this syllabic is sometimes with vowelsi,e oru for examplečrný –černý, so the Czech reconstruction from Tritri/Tritry would beTrtry. InPolish, the termTatry is firstly mentioned in 1255.Syllabicr often hasvowels on both sides in Polish, so in the case ofTarty, we can reconstruct the name toTartry, where the vowela originated before the syllabicr, whichdissimilated. This theory is supported byHungarian formsTurtur,Turtul, andTortol from the 12th to 14th centuries. It is unclear what form theSlovak term took before the 17th century when the first references toTatry appear, probably as a loan word from Polish that later found its way into Czech and Hungarian. The termTatra also appears as a general term in Slovak for barren or stony land, and also inUkraine for small stones in a river. Machek stresses that the name has noSlavic origin and mentions Rozwadowski's theory of anIllyrian origin because of a connection with aHerzegovian highland calledTatra, thus taken from local inhabitants.[8] The name is also close to theUkrainian word for gravel,toltry.[6]
The Tatras are a mountain range of a corrugated nature, originating from theAlpine orogeny, and therefore characterized by a relatively young-looking lie of the land, quite similar to thelandscape of theAlps, although significantly smaller. It is the highest mountain range within theCarpathians.
It consists of the internal mountain chains of:
Eastern Tatras (Východné Tatry,Tatry Wschodnie), which in turn consist of:
The overall nature of the Tatras, together with their easy accessibility, makes them a favorite with tourists and researchers. Therefore, these mountains are a popularwinter sports area, with resorts such asPoprad and thetown Vysoké Tatry (The Town of High Tatras) in Slovakia created in 1999, including former separateresorts:Štrbské Pleso,Starý Smokovec, andTatranská Lomnica orZakopane, called also "winter capital of Poland". The High Tatras, with their 24 (or 25) peaks exceeding 2,500 m above sea level, together with theSouthern Carpathians, represent the only form of alpine landscape in the entire 1,200 kilometres (746 miles) length of arc of the Carpathians.
By the end of theFirst Polish Republic, the border with theKingdom of Hungary in the Tatras was not exactly defined. The Tatras became an unoccupied borderland. On 20 November 1770, under the guise of protection against the epidemic ofplague in thePodolia, anAustrian army entered into Polish land and formed acordon sanitaire, seizingSądecczyzna,Spiš andPodhale. Two years later, theFirst Partition of Poland allocated the lands toAustria. In 1824,Zakopane region and the area aroundMorskie Oko were purchased from the authorities of theAustrian Empire by a Hungarian, Emanuel Homolacs. WhenAustria-Hungary was formed in 1867, the Tatra Mountains became a natural border between the two states of the dual monarchy, but the border itself has not been exactly determined. In 1889, a Polish CountWładysław Zamoyski purchased at auction the Zakopane region along with the area around Morskie Oko. Due to numerous disputes over land ownership in the late 19th century, attempts were made at thedelimitation of the border. They were fruitless until 1897, and the case went to an international court, which determined on 13 September 1902 the exact course of the Austro-Hungarian border in the disputed area.
Anew round of border disputes betweenPoland andCzechoslovakia started immediately after the end of theFirst World War, when these two countries were established. Among other claims, Poland claimed ownership of a large part of theSpiš region. This claim also included additional parts of the Tatra Mountains. After several years of border conflicts, the first treaty (facilitated by theLeague of Nations) was signed in 1925, with Poland receiving a small northernmost part of the Spiš region, immediately outside (to the north-east of) the Tatra Mountains, thus not changing the border in the mountains themselves. During theSecond World War there were multiple attempts by both sides of the conflict to occupy more land, but the final treaty signed in 1958 (valid until the present day) preserved the border line agreed in 1925.
With the collapse of theAustrian Empire in 1918 and the creation of Poland and Czechoslovakia, the Tatra Mountains started to be divided by the international border. This brought considerable difficulties to hikers, as it was illegal to cross the border without passing through an official border checkpoint, and for many decades, there were no checkpoints for hikers anywhere on the border ridge. The nearest road border crossings wereTatranská Javorina -Łysa Polana andPodspády -Jurgów in the east, andSuchá Hora -Chocholów in the west. Indeed, those who did cross elsewhere were frequently fined or even detained by the border police of both countries. On the other hand, the permeable border in the Tatra Mountains was also heavily used for cross-border smuggling of goods such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, etc. between Poland and Czechoslovakia. Only in 1999, more than 80 years after the dissolution of the Austrian Empire, the governments of Poland and Slovakia signed an agreement designating several unstaffed border crossings (with only irregular spot checks by border police) for hikers and cyclists on the 444 km-long Slovak-Polish border. One of these border crossings was created in the Tatra Mountains themselves, on the summit of theRysy peak. However, there were still many other peaks and passes where hiking trails ran across the border, but where crossing remained illegal. This situation finally improved in 2007, with both countries accessing theSchengen Area. Since then, it has been legal to cross the border at any point (i.e., no further official checkpoints were designated). Rules of the national parks on both sides of the border still apply, and they restrict movement to official hiking trails and (especially on the Slovak side) mandate extensive seasonal closures to protect wildlife.
The Tatras lie in thetemperate zone ofCentral Europe. They are an important barrier to the movements of air masses. Their mountainous topography causes one of the most diverse climates in that region.
The highestprecipitation figures are recorded on the northern slopes. In June and July, monthly precipitation reaches around 250 mm (10 in). Precipitation occurs from 215 to 228 days a year.Thunderstorms occur 36 days a year on average.[9]
Extreme temperatures range from −40 °C (−40 °F) in the winter to 33 °C (91 °F) in warmer months. Temperatures also vary depending on the altitude and sun exposure of a given slope. Temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) last for 192 days on the summits.[12]
foehn winds (Polish:halny) most often occur between October and May. They are warm and dry and can cause extensive damage.
Maximum wind speed 288 km/h (179 mph) (6 May 1968).[13]
On 19 November 2004, large parts of the forests in the southern Slovak part of the High Tatras were damaged by a strongwind storm.[13] Three million cubic metres (1,864 square miles) of trees were uprooted, two people died, and several villages were totally cut off. Further damage was done by a subsequentforest fire, and it will take many years until the localecology is fully recovered.[14]
Tourists in Zakopane enjoying views ofGiewont in 1938.
There are records of tourist visits to the Tatras as early as 1565.[17]
In 1683, an anonymous author published a book of adventures and excursions in the Tatras titledUngarischer Oder Dacianischer Simplicissimus, Vorstellend Seinen wunderlichen Lebens-Lauff, und sonderliche Begebenheiten gethaner Raisen, Nebenst Wahrhafter Beschreibung dess vormals im Nor gestandenen und offters verunruhigten Urgerland, which translates roughly toHungarian or Dacian Simplicissimus, presenting his strange life and the peculiar events of his adventures, together with a true description of the ancient lands that once stood in the north and were often troubled. The author was later discovered to beDaniel Speer[18] ofWrocław,[19] who lived in the sub-Tatra region for about six years.[20]
Pośredni Granat on theOrla PerćHiking in the Polish TatrasCrowded border summit of Rysy
Orla Perć is considered the most difficult and dangerous mountain trail in the Tatras, a suitable destination only for experienced tourists who don't haveacrophobia, because there are strongexposures there. It lies exclusively within the Polish part of the Tatras, was conceived in 1901 byFranciszek Nowicki, a Polish poet and mountain guide, and was built between 1903 and 1906. Over 100 individuals have died on the route since it was established. The path is marked with red signs.[22] The death of Polish philosopherBronisław Bandrowski is often used by guides as a cautionary tale for tourists. He committed suicide after he was trapped for days on a rocky ledge in the Granaty massif.[23][citation needed]
The highest point in the Tatra Mountains that can be freely accessed by alabeled trail isRysy.[24]
Most of the peaks in the Western Tatras (on both sides of the border), including the main ridge, are freely accessible by hiking trails. In the Slovak part of the Eastern Tatras, only seven peaks (out of 48 withprominence of at least 100 m) are accessible by hiking trails (Rysy,Svinica/Świnica,Slavkovský štít,Kriváň,Kôprovský štít,Východná Vysoká, andJahňací štít). Two of these (Rysy andSvinica/Świnica) are located on the border with Poland and accessible from the Polish side. The rest of the peaks on the Slovak side (including the highest one, Gerlachovský štít) can only be accessed when accompanied by a certified mountain guide. Members ofUIAA mountain clubs can climb them without a certified guide.
In the Slovak part, most of the hiking trails in the Tatras are closed from 1 November to 31 May. Only trails from settlements up to the mountain huts are open. In Poland, the trails are open year-round.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the mountains were used for sheep grazing and mining. Many trees were cut down to make way for humans. Although these activities were stopped, the impact is still visible. Moreover, pollution from the industrialized regions ofKraków in Poland orOstrava in the Czech Republic, as well as casual tourism, causes substantial damage.[25] Volunteers, however, initiate litter removal events frequently, on both sides of the border.
In 2013, theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature threatened to cancel the Slovak TANAP's status of a national park because of the large investments (mainly in skiing infrastructure) in the park, which seriously interfere with the landscape and nature.[citation needed]
The 1999 filmRavenous was filmed in the Tatra Mountains.[27]
In 2006, theBollywood filmFanaa, portraying places inKashmir, was filmed atZakopane, mainly because of the risks associated with insurgency in Kashmir, as well due to some similarities in a mountain landscape.[citation needed][28]
Jan Nepomucen Głowacki, considered the father ofPolish school of landscape painting, was the first to devote an entire series of works to Tatra Mountains
^Trengove, Mark (July 2005)."Introduction to the Tatras".PeakList: Mountains of the World.Archived from the original on 24 October 2005. Retrieved1 January 2013.
^abFrantišek, Kele; Lučanský, Milan (2001).Tatry (in Czech). Praha: Knižní klub.
^Etnografia polska, PAN. t. 5 1961. s. 54.; Montes Tartari, per contractionem Tatri, [w:] Historia Naturalis Curiosa Regni Poloniae. Sandomiriae. 1721. s. 20.; na Tartari „przybysze z Tartaru”, z piekła rodem, [w:] Józef Staszewski. Słownik geograficzny: pochodzenie i znaczenie nazw geograficznych, s. 305. z. Tatry.; „od miasta Carpis starożytnych Bastarnów” ku krajom tatarskim, [w:] Jacek Kolbuszewski. Tatry i górale w literaturze polskiej: antologia. 1992.
^Machek, Václav (1931)."Tatry".Naše řeč (15):119–120.Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved25 September 2017.
^Slovakia Republic Country: Strategic Information and Developments. United States: International Business Publications USA. 2012. p. 38.ISBN978-1-4387-7555-5.
^abIgor J. Zaleski; Tomasz Mączka."Wiatr halny".Tatrzański Park Narodowy (in Polish). Archived fromthe original on 9 January 2011.
^Brożek, Anna; Chybińska, Alicja; Jadacki, Jacek; Woleński, Jan (2015).Tradition of the Lvov-Warsaw School: Ideas and Continuations. Leiden: BRILL. pp. 265, 271.ISBN978-90-04-31175-6.
^Styles, Ruth (22 July 2014)."Great Lakes Around the World".The Wall Street Journal.Archived from the original on 28 September 2014. Retrieved4 February 2021.
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