Colin Saunders and Renáta Nárožná have co-operated with Cicerone Press to produce the definitive English language guide to the wonderful Tatras mountains, which straddle the border between Slovakia and Poland.  You can buy a signed copy of it from this website for £10.99 plus postage by clicking ‘Shop’ or the three-bar menu above; or by sending a cheque for £12.99 to Colin Saunders at 35 Gerrards Close, London, N14 4RH; or by online bank transfer – please email for details.  If you decide to buy it elsewhere, make sure it’s the latest 2017 fourth edition, as in this image.

The High Tatras are like the Alps in miniature – the highest peaks reach well over 2600 metres (8500 feet).  From the broad valleys below, the sight of the craggy summits is unforgettable, beautiful and dramatic.  Soaring abruptly skywards, they are like a phalanx of gigantic sentries barring the way to and from the north.  With a dusting of snow and a swirl of mist, they assume the ghostly appearance of a phantom army.

As well as the whole of the High Tatras in both countries, the book covers the adjoining, smaller White Tatras range in Slovakia and part of the Western Tatras in Poland.

The ranges are dotted with sparkling tarns, large and small, and streams crash down waterfalls in delightful valleys.  There are mountain huts for refreshment – you can even stay in them if you want – but the resorts offer a wide range of accommodation from self-catering to luxury hotels.  Both sides have an extensive and well-maintained network of paths, ranging from easy and gently-graded to difficult and very steep, sometimes with chains and other metalwork to help you up or down.  They are all described in this book.

People often ask, ‘Which side is better?’  Well, the Slovak side has a chain of comparatively small resorts along the lower slopes, linked by an excellent train service, from which you can get into the higher parts relatively easily, sometimes with the help of assorted mountain lifts.  Whereas the Polish side is dominated by the large town of Zakopane (though surrounding villages are developing fast), and to get to the higher routes you either take transport or walk some distance along pretty valleys that penetrate deep into the mountains.  You must make your own choice – or spend time on both sides!