Szlak wokół Tatr, also called the Cycling Route around the Tatras, brings together cycling routes and trip ideas across the Polish-Slovak borderland. Its landscapes range from peatlands and river valleys to forests and mountain views, while its wider cultural setting includes Podhale, Orava, Liptov and Spiš.
A cross-border project in stages
The route project draws on the natural and cultural heritage of the lands around the Tatras. The project website describes historic settlement patterns, former trade routes, wooden architecture and highlander traditions alongside the scenery. Its partners include municipalities on both sides of the border, with the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TATRY among the organisations behind the project.
The ambition described in the first project phase is eventually to encircle the mountains. That is a longer-term project vision: plan around the individual routes described by the project, rather than assuming there is one continuously completed circuit around the entire range.
The former railway from Nowy Targ
A particularly clear introduction is the main Podhale section described by the project from Nowy Targ towards the Slovak border and Trstená. It follows the corridor of a former railway, passing Ludźmierz, Rogoźnik, Stare Bystre, Czarny Dunajec and Podczerwone. The project describes an asphalt section on the Polish side; the landscape opens out beyond the forest into the Nowy Targ Basin.
Near Ludźmierz, a connecting path offers a detour to the village centre and its Marian shrine. Farther west, the route passes the former station area at Czarny Dunajec, crosses an old railway bridge and approaches the Orava–Nowy Targ peatlands. The project also describes a branch towards Chochołów, giving riders another way to explore this part of Podhale.
Exploring Nowy Targ
The project's urban cycling itinerary connects with the main route and makes Nowy Targ a useful base for a shorter outing. It brings together the banks of the Czarny Dunajec and Biały Dunajec, the town park and connections towards Bór Kombinacki and Bór na Czerwonem.
Allow time away from the bike for the town centre and the wooden St Anne's Church, or for the educational path and viewing point at the Bór na Czerwonem peatland reserve. The urban itinerary also connects towards the mountain route to Turbacz, which has a different character from the town ride.
Choosing a ride
The project publishes individual route descriptions and a larger collection of suggested excursions, including outings in Polish and Slovak Spiš, Liptov and Orava. These are useful for choosing a ride around a particular town or landscape rather than committing to a full tour.
Read the description for each chosen section before setting out: the project combines main-route sections, local connections and separate suggested trips. Check current local conditions and any changes to the route before travelling, especially when joining sections across the border.