The European mountain system is attractive to numerous tourists who come here from all over the world. After all, a vacation spent in the mountains is one of the most correct decisions for organizing an excellent, complete vacation both in summer and in winter. What could be more beautiful than stunning mountain landscapes combined with amazingly clean air!
This article briefly introduces mountains in the Czech Republic and Poland, Slovakia and Germany. Let's start with Poland.
General information about the mountain systems of Poland
The main mountain systems passing through the territory of Poland are the Carpathians and the Sudetes. Also on the territory of this country there are low Świętokrzyskie rocks. In general, the mountains in Poland extend in the south of the country: the Sudetes in the western territory, the Carpathians in the eastern. Here is the famous pass called the Moravian Gate, through which in ancient times the Great Trade Route ran from Northern Europe to Southern Europe.
The Carpathians stretch along the borders of Poland with the state of Slovakia, and the Sudetes along the borders with the Czech Republic. The highest point of the Polish Carpathians, located at an altitude of 2499 meters, is the peak of Rysa. This mountain peak is located in the High Tatras Mountains (the highest in Eastern Europe). In the Sudetes, the highest point is the Snezka peak (height - 1603 meters).
Now let's take a closer look at the largest mountains.
Carpathians
The mountains in Poland and Slovakia (Carpathians), according to their physical and geographical position, are divided into Southern, Western and Eastern. The Polish Carpathians almost completely belong to the Western Carpathians and only partially occupy the Eastern ones on the Ukrainian border.
In turn, the Western Carpathians on Polish territory are divided into the Beskids and the Tatras, the latter standing out among other Carpathian mountain ranges with their beautiful alpine-shaped relief and powerful height. The border of the Polish state with Slovakia runs along the main Tatra ridge. Compared to the highest point of Rysa, most of the remaining peaks reach levels from 1700 to 2300 meters.
At the northernmost foot of the Tatras, on a section of the intermountain basin, is located the wonderful resort of Zakopane.
The Beskids are the western Carpathian mountain ranges in Poland. For example, Beskid Zywiecki (1557 meters), Beskid Wysoki (1725 meters), Bekyd Szlenski (1257 m) and others. They are located north, east and west of the Tatras.
At the very edge of Poland (southeast), near the borders with Ukraine and Slovakia, Beschady stands out (the highest point is 1348 meters), geographically belonging to the Eastern Carpathians.
All the mountains in Poland are very beautiful.
Sudetes
The western mountains, stretching along the Polish border with the Czech Republic, are the Sudetes. Their highest ridge is the Karkonosze Mountains (1603 meters - Śnieżka). As in the case of the Carpathians, geographical zoning divides the Sudetes into 3 parts: Central, Western and Eastern. A characteristic feature of the ancient Sudetes is the presence of large intermountain basins and smooth outlines of the slopes of most of the mountains.
Thanks to such a unique territory of Poland with numerous mountain ranges, this country attracts lovers of skiing and hiking.
Tourists heading to the mountains in Poland for skiing or hiking have the advantage of choosing a wide variety of options to suit their tastes.
Mountains of the Czech Republic and Slovakia
And Slovakia is also mostly represented. In the western parts they are heavily destroyed and similar to the mountains of Germany (medium altitude), not exceeding 1500 meters. And to the east lies the mountain arc of the Carpathians, but much larger in height and younger in age. However, it, composed of sedimentary rocks, has rounded peaks and gentle slopes.
Only in some places where there is an outcrop of crystalline basement rocks, the mountain ranges have sharper peaks and rather steep cliffs.
Mountains of Germany
Not only the mountains in Poland, but also the slopes of Germany attract tourists.
In these places, the mountain system is very interesting due to the presence of several large mountain ranges with wonderful nature and interesting climbs for tourists. The most extensive mountains are the Bavarian Alps, located in the south of the country and bordering Austria. The highest point is the Zugspitz (height over 3000 meters). And the remaining peaks have heights of at least 2000 meters. Moreover, many of them are covered with snow.
To the southeast of the country, where dense forests and a huge number of mineral springs predominate, is the Black Forest peak.
Near the regions of Saxony lies the large mountain range of the Hercynian Mountains. They are very popular among travelers, especially for visiting in the summer.
Holidays in the mountains of Poland
The mountains of Poland leave indelible impressions, enchanting with their unique beauty. At their feet there are wonderful recreation areas.
Some of the most attractive resorts:
- The largest tourist center in Poland is Zakopane (Tatry Mountains). There is a climatological station, a base for visitors to the magnificent National Park, a modern cable car to Gubalowka and a funicular to Kasprowy Wierch, a large number of ski lifts, jumps, an ice rink, a slalom track, and a speed skating track. There is also an opportunity for cultural education: a museum and architectural monuments.
- Famous resort and ski center Bukovina Tatshantska.
- The resort and recreation area is Szczawnica, which is extremely popular among lovers of rafting on the Dunajca River. The starting point for wonderful excursions around the Pieniny Mountains is also located here.
- A large sports tourist resort with numerous ski lifts, with jumps, a cable car to Mount Malaya Kopa (height 1325 m), with a climatological station, a museum of tourism and sports. There is also an ancient church (XVIII century), moved to these places from Norway.
Conclusion
The mountains in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Slovakia are magnificent with their wonderful natural landscapes. Moreover, the mountains are all somewhat similar, and at the same time, each has its own characteristics and charm.
All these countries are famous for their numerous ski resorts, where tourists come from all over the world. These places provide opportunities for winter sports and simply a romantic holiday amidst magnificent nature with amazingly clean mountain air in winter and summer.
So, first of all, let us understand that in Poland there are three mountain ranges: the Carpathians, the Sudetes and the Świętokryšskie Mountains, everything else is just a variation of these three.
The Carpathian Mountains in Poland are divided by the Lupkow Pass (Przełęcza Łupkowska) into Western and Eastern (Zachodnie and Wschodnie).
Part of the Western Carpathians actually includes the most popular Tatra Mountains, as well as Podhale, Pieniny and Beskidy. A small part of the Eastern Carpathians in Poland is called the Bieszczady Mountains. The Tatras and Pieniny Mountains are a common treasure for Poland and Slovakia; no one would dare to say where they are more beautiful, and is there any need to compare?
In the southwest of the country are the Sudety Mountains with its main massif, the Karkonosze Mountains. The Sudetes, in addition to Poland, also occupy territory in the north of the Czech Republic, and even a little in Germany, but the highest point of the massif - Mount Snezka (Śnieżka) rises at an altitude of 1602 m in Poland.
Cztery pory roku w Tatrach Timelapse (4 seasons in Tatra Mountains)
The smallest Polish mountains are Świętokrzyskie (Gory Świętokrzyskie), which even gave their name to an entire voivodeship. Interestingly, the mountains got their name from a religious relic that is kept in one of the monasteries in this area.
Bieszczady — Cztery Pory Roku
The highest point in Poland is located in the Tatras and is called Rysy - 2499 m above sea level.
All videos used in the material are taken from YouTube.
The main mountain systems passing through the territory of Poland are the Carpathians and the Sudetes. In addition, Poland also has low Świętokrzyskie Mountains. The mountains in Poland are located in the southern part of the country: the Sudetes in the west and the Carpathians in the east. Between them is the Moravian Gate pass, which since ancient times has been a trade route from Northern to Southern Europe.
The Carpathians stretch along the border of Poland and Slovakia, and the Sudeten Mountains stretch along the border of Poland and the Czech Republic. The highest point in the Polish Carpathians is Rysy (2499 m), a mountain peak in the High Tatras. The highest point in the Sudetes is Mount Snezka (1603 m).
Physico-geographical zoning distinguishes the Western, Eastern and Southern Carpathians. The Polish Carpathians belong almost entirely to the Western Carpathians and only partially, on the border with Ukraine, to the Eastern Carpathians. The Western Carpathians in Poland are divided into the Tatras and Beskids. The Tatras stand out sharply from other Carpathian mountain ranges with their alpine topography and height. The Polish state border with Slovakia runs along their main ridge. The highest elevation of the Polish Tatras is the peak of Rysy (2499 m), and most other peaks have elevations of 1700-2300 m. At the northern foot of the Tatras, in the intermountain basin, is the resort of Zakopane. The Beskids are the mountain ranges of the Western Carpathians, located to the west, north and east of the Tatras. The Beskids are divided into Beskid Wysoki (Babia Góra - 1725 m), Beskid Zywiecki (Pilsko - 1557 m), Beskid Śląski (Skrzyczne - 1257 m), Beskid Makowski, Wyspowy and Maly, Gorce massif (Turbacz - 1311 m), Pieniny (Three Crowns - 982 m), Beskid Sądecki (Radzejowa - 1262 m) and Beskid Niski (Lackova - 997 m). In the extreme southeast of Poland, near the borders with Ukraine and Slovakia, there are Beschady (Tarnica - 1348 m), which geographically belong to the Eastern Carpathians.
In the southwest of Poland, along the state border with the Czech Republic, the Sudetes are located. The highest Sudeten mountain range is the Karkonosze Mountains (Śnieżka – 1603 m). Physico-geographical zoning distinguishes Western, Central and Eastern Sudetes. In addition to the Karkonosze range, in the Western Sudetes there are the Iser Mountains and the Kaczawa Mountains. On a large territory of the Central Sudetes, a number of ridges and massifs are distinguished - in their western part the Stone Mountains, Wałbrzysk and Sucha, in the north of the Kłodzka Basin the Sowe Mountains, the Bardskie Mountains, the Bystrzyskie Mountains and the Złote Mountains, and the Stołowie Mountains, Orlicke, Bystrzycke and Bialskie surround the Kłodzka Basin . Even further to the east are the Eastern Sudetes with the mountain ranges of the Opava Mountains, the Golden Mountains and the Sneznik massif. A characteristic feature of the ancient Sudetes is the predominance of smooth contours of the slopes and the presence of very large intermountain basins - Elenegurska at the foot of the Karkonosze ridge and Kłodzka in the Eastern Sudetes.
The Tatras are a mountain range in the Carpathians. The origin of this name is lost in ancient times. Probably from the Proto-Slavic tartr - rock, stone or Thracian tertre - hill, hillock, knoll.The Tatras are the highest of the Carpathian ridges; they stretch along the border of Poland and Slovakia for tens of kilometers. The highest peak of the Tatras is the Slovak mountain Gerlachovsky Štit, rising to a height of more than 2.5 km.
Within the Tatras, three regions are distinguished: the High Tatras (with a conditional border along the Tikha gorges in Slovakia and Dry Water in Poland), Western Tatras and Velskie Tatras.
The High Tatras represent the northernmost and highest part of the mountain arc of the Carpathian Mountains. History and kings decided that most of the mountains ended up within Slovakia. They stand alone, have no foothills and rise like a wall above the plain cut by the rivers Orava, Dunajec and Poprad. The High Tatras are the center of everything. The peaks of the High Tatras do not reach the line of glaciers, but in some of the most shaded places the snow remains for a whole year.
The Low Tatras are an extended mountain range, with rounded peaks, strongly dissected into separate spurs by limestone slopes. Located in the central part of Slovakia. Here, despite the relatively low altitude of the Low Tatras, there is always a lot of snow on the mountain slopes.
The Tatras were formed as a result of crustal movements in the Paleogene, about 50 million years ago. The modern appearance of the mountains was given by the activity of glaciers in the Quaternary period, when rocky peaks (Gerlachovský Štit, Lomnický Štit) and deep glacial valleys (Mengusovska dolina, Velka and Mala Studena dolina) appeared.
The Tatras are composed mainly of granite, gneiss and limestone.
These mountains are characterized by alpine terrain with traces of ancient glaciation (karas, cirques, mountain lakes), deep gorges, steep slopes, cornices and edges. Large karst caves have formed in the limestone strata, pierced by water flows and subject to wind erosion. The Wielka Snezna cave system in Poland is the longest (about 18 km) and deepest (up to 814 m).
In the Tatras there are many turbulent mountain rivers with high waterfalls adjacent to quiet mountain lakes like Morské Oko (Eyes of the Sea) - small but deep lakes located on the tops of mountains and rocks.
The vegetation is typical for mid-altitude Eastern European mountains: up to an altitude of 1250 m, forests of European fir, beech, larch and birch predominate, up to 1500 m there is a zone of coniferous forests, represented by cedar and mountain pine, up to 1900 m - crooked forests, above - alpine meadows.
Typical inhabitants of forests on the slopes of the Tatras are the protected alpine marmot, endemic Tatra chamois, golden eagle, eagle owl, red-winged wall climber, brown bear, lynx, badger.
The Tatras are surrounded by large industrial areas, and in the mountains themselves there are many resorts and tourist routes. To preserve the nature of the mountains, the Tatra National Park was created in Poland, and the Tatra National Park was created in Slovakia. They are adjacent to each other and form a single protected natural area, which in 1993 received the status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
The territory of the Tatra National Park contains the highest mountain peak in Poland - Rysy, about 650 karst caves, 30 mountain lakes and the 70-meter Velka Siklava waterfall.
The Tatras remain a natural border between Polynia and Slovakia, but the two countries share nature reserves and national parks, as does the entire natural complex of mountains.
“Giving health” is what the Tatras are called in both countries where they are located: large ski resorts of world importance are located here.
The first inhabitants of the Tatras were shepherds. Even today, mountain meadows are used in the Tatras as pastures for cattle and sheep.
In the XVIII-XIX centuries. forests in the Tatras were widely cut down to make way for pastures and housing construction. Restoration of forest cover is proceeding with great difficulty.
There is practically no industry, almost no mining is being developed, and many deposits of copper and gold have been depleted over many centuries of mining.
The economy in the High and Low Tatras region depends entirely on the occupancy of mountain climatic resorts.
Therefore, local residents monitor the snow level and its structure, as they say here, “like their own pulse.”
Here there is an alpine climate, the weather is extremely changeable, there are significant fluctuations in air temperature and heavy cloudiness. Snow cover (up to 3 m high in March) persists until May-June, and in some places it remains all year long. It is not safe in the mountains: avalanches often occur.
Another misfortune is a strong wind. In 2004, in the southern part of the High Tatras, strong storm winds destroyed 3 million m3 of forest, and subsequent fires worsened the situation.
Winter in the High Tatras is ski season. In the south of the ridge there are several Slovak ski resorts - Strbske Pleso, Stary Smokovec and Tatranska Lomnica, united by the Tatranska Railway, as well as the large Polish resort of Zakopane. All with cable cars, ski lifts, ski and toboggan runs.
Strbske Pleso stands on the shores of the mountain lake of the same name at an altitude of 1355 m, and is home to the highest mountain resort in Slovakia. Stary Smokovec is the oldest in Slovakia, with its Grand Hotel opened in 1904 at an altitude of 1017 m.
Tatranska Lomnica is located at an altitude of 847 m. Zakopane is the highest city in Poland, it is located at an altitude of 830 m and is nicknamed the Winter Capital of Poland.
Significant income is brought to Slovakia and Poland by a network of prepared mountain tourist trails designed for climbing two-kilometer peaks and visiting gorges and waterfalls.
Sanatoriums have been built on the slopes of the mountains, using the healing properties of the high-mountain Tatra climate - cold and dry - which helps in the treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
In the Low Tatras there is the Slovak Jasna - the ski center of all Eastern Europe under the northern slopes of the two-kilometer Chopok mountain.
Unlike the High and Low Tatras, the Belianske Tatras, where rare edelweiss grows and the rarest variety of chamois - the Tatra chamois (there are only about 850 of them here), are closed to tourists. Only the passage to the karst Belyanskaya cave was left for them.
The High Tatras are home to historical towns known since the early Middle Ages.
The Slovak city of Kezmarok appeared in the 13th century. as a result of the merger of settlements of Slavic fishermen, German miners and royal border guards. In the Middle Ages, Kezmarok was a rich trade and craft town. In 1950 it was declared an architectural reserve.
The first written mention of the Slovak cities of Spisska Sobota and Poprad dates back to 1256. The city-reserve Spisska Sobota received city privileges back in 1271. Since 1412, the entire city was given as a “collateral” to Poland for as long as 360 years.
The largest city in the Tatras is Slovak Poprad with a population of over 50 thousand people.
general information
Location: Eastern Europe.Geographical areas: Western Tatras (the highest peak is Mount Bistra), High Tatras (Mount Gerlachovsky Štit) and Velskie Tatras (Mount Havran).
Administrative affiliation: And .
Cities: Poprad (Slovakia) - 52,316 people. (2014), Zakopane (Poland) - 27,556 people. (2014), Kezmarok (Slovakia) - 16,636 people. (2014), Spisska Sobota (Slovakia) - 2807 people. (2015).
Languages: Polish, Slovak.
Ethnic composition: Poles, Slovaks, Romanians, Czechs, Hungarians, Germans, Rusyns, Ukrainians.
Religions: Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy.
Currency: Polish zloty, euro (Slovakia).
Rivers: Vjala Voda, Rybi Potok, Czarny Dunajec, Roztoka, Orava, Poprad.
Lakes: Morskie Oko, Velky Stav.
Airport: Poprad-Tatry International Airport (Slovakia).
Numbers
Area: 785 km 2 (Slovakia - 610 km 2, or 77.7%; Poland - 75 km 2, or 22.3%).Length: about 65 km.
Geological age: about 50 million years.
Highest point: Mount Gerlachovsky Štit (Slovakia, 2655 m).
Other peaks: Mount Rysy (Poland, 2499 m), Bistra (Slovakia, 2248 m), Havran (Slovakia, 2152 m), Kasprowy Wierch (Polish-Slovak border, 1987 m).
Climate and weather
Alpine - in the mountains, humid continental - in the valleys.Average January temperature (in valleys): -5°C.
Average July temperature (in valleys): +16°С.
Average annual precipitation: about 570 mm.
Relative humidity: 70%.
Economy
Minerals: copper, gold, mineral springs.Mountain climatic resorts: Zakopane (Poland), Strbske Pleso, Tatranska Lomnica, Stary Smokovec, Gorny Smokovec, New Smokovec, Dolny Smokovec, Jasna, Thale and Donovaly (Slovakia).
Forestry.
Agriculture: livestock farming (mountain pasture, cattle).
Traditional crafts: products made of wood and stone.
Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.
Attractions
■ Natural: traces of ancient glaciation (karsts, cirques, mountain lakes), karst caves Velka Snezna, Demanovskaya, Belianska and Alabastrova, Tatra National Park (Poland, 1954), Tatra National Park (Slovakia, 1949), mountain lakes Morske -Oko, Belki Stav and Skalnoe, Velka Siklava and Mickiewicz waterfalls, the Dry Water Valley, Bialki, Koscieliska and Chocholowska gorges, the Mengusovska, Belka and Mala Studena valleys, Lomnicke sedlo, Lomnicka shield, Tatra Basin.■ Kezmarok (Slovakia): Kezmar Castle (first half of the 15th century), redoubts, Basilica of the Holy Cross, Town Hall (1491), Church of St. Mary (1717).
■ Spisska Sobota (Slovakia): Church of St. Juraj (mid-13th century), Market Square, Renaissance bell tower (1598), town hall, residential buildings (XVI-XVII centuries).
■ Zakopane (Poland): Tatra Museum named after Titus Chalubinski (1889).
■ Others: ethnographic village Ždiar (Slovakia), meteorological observatory (Lomnický Štit, 2632 m).
Curious facts
■ Mount Rysy is located on the Polish-Slovak border, it has three peaks, the highest - the middle one - is located in Slovakia (2503 m), and the northern one is the highest point in Poland (2499 m).■ During hibernation, the alpine marmot wakes up every two weeks for about 24 hours. In one day, he manages to warm up to 37°C, get himself in order, clear the floor of the mink of droppings and go to bed again. Somehow, all the marmots in the burrow wake up at the same time, which allows the animals to minimize energy expenditure.
■ The largest individual karst cave in the Tatras - Belianska - is located in Slovakia: length - 3641 m, height difference - 160 m (overcome by 866 steps). This is the only cave open to the public in the High Tatras. People have lived in it since prehistoric times.
■ The highest meteorological observatory in the Carpathians is Lomnicky Štit, located in the Slovak part of the Tatras on the peak of the same name with a height of 2632 m. The observatory was founded in 1940. In 1964, a high-mountain coronagraph was first installed here, which made it possible to conduct constant observations of the solar corona . Besides the Lomnický-Štit Observatory, only four observatories in the world systematically observe the spectral lines of the solar corona.
■ In 1412, when the Tatra part of present-day Slovakia belonged to Hungary, Hungary transferred 13 local cities, including the historical Spisska Sobota, to Poland as collateral for a large monetary loan. The loan was not repaid, and these lands became part of Poland for more than three centuries. They returned back only as a result of the first partition of Poland.
■ Not far from the Slovak city of Poprad there is the Poprad-Tatry Airport - the highest in Europe: 718 m above sea level.
■ Zakopane is not only a mountain climatic resort, but also a “city of museums”: here are the Tatra Museum, the Stanisław Witkiewicz Museum of Zakopane Style, the Cornelius Makuszynski Museum, the Jan Kasprowicz Museum, and the Museum of Nature of the Tatra National Park.
■ The name of the highest peak of the Tatras - Gerlachovsky Štit - comes from the town of Gerlachov at its foot, “štit” translated from Slovak - “shield”, “peak”, “peak”. From 1949 to 1959, the mountain was called Stalinsky Štit (Stalin's Peak) in gratitude for the liberation of Czechoslovakia from the German Nazis.
■ The absolute minimum temperature in the Tatras was recorded at the top of the Kasprowy Wierch mountain (Polish-Slovak border, 1987 m) in 1929 (-39.5°C).
The mountain belt of Poland stretches along the southern borders of the country: the Sudetes in the west and the Carpathians in the east. They are separated by the Moravian Gate pass, through which the trade route from Northern to Southern Europe once passed. The highest point of the Sudetenland is Mount Snezka (Karkonose Mountains), its height is 1603 meters above sea level. The Tatra Mountains, located in the Polish Carpathians, are home to Mount Rysy, the highest point in the country, rising 2,499 meters above sea level. The Tatras are the largest mountain range in Poland. After it comes the Beskid Żywiecki, which is part of the Outer Western Carpathians.
Despite the fact that both the Tatras and the Beskids belong to the Carpathians, their topography is very different. In the Tatras, spiky rocky mountains alternate with deep rocky gorges, while the Beskids mainly feature forested, rounded mountain peaks and beautiful mountain meadows. 
The Western Beskids include several mountain ranges:
Silesian Beskids, highest point – Skrzyczne, 257 meters above sea level;
Beskydy Maly, the highest mountain is Chupel, 933 meters above sea level;
the densely populated Makowski Beskids with small towns and farmland;
Beskid Wyspowy, located between the Sądecki Basin and the Raba Valley, with characteristic isolated peaks resembling islands;
as well as Gorce, Beskid Sądecki (the highest mountain is Radzejowa, 1262 meters above sea level) and the Lower Beskids, considered the wildest mountain strip in Poland.
The Beshady mountain range (Eastern Carpathians) is famous for its beautiful nature, and the Pieniny (Western Carpathians) are famous for its rich flora and fauna. The highest point of the Pieniny is Mount Wielkie Skalki, whose height is 1050 meters above sea level. The Pieniny rocks are picturesquely adjacent to steep slopes covered with pine groves, thickets of maple, yew and sycamore, with bushes surrounding lush alpine meadows. Fir and spruce trees grow here, and closer to the base of the mountains you can find beech forests and oak groves.
Health-improving holidays in the mountains are represented by balneological resorts. In the Carpathians and Western Sudetes there are mineral springs that are used in the treatment of many diseases.
The largest and most popular ski resorts in Poland are Zakopane, Krynica, and Bialka Tatrzanska. In Zakopane there is a tourist center that welcomes tourists who want to visit the Tatra National Park. There is a cable car to Gubałówka, a funicular that takes people to Kasprowy Wierch, ski slopes, jumps, an ice rink, a slalom track and a speed skating track. As a cultural program, you can visit the Tatra Museum and explore local architectural monuments.
In total, there are about 150 ski centers in Poland with slopes, jumps, and snow parks for snowboarders. Here you can find trails of varying difficulty, suitable for trained skiers and for comfortable skiing for families with children. It is noteworthy that many winter resorts have their own mineral springs and have developed medical facilities, which allows you not only to enjoy active recreation, but also to take advantage of medical procedures.
