The Around the Tatra Mountains Cycling Trail is a unique Polish-Slovak cycling loop that leads through four historic Tatra regions: Podhale, Orava, Liptov and Spiš. The route starts and ends in Nowy Targ, next to the railway station, making it convenient for completing the entire circuit without needing to arrange return transport. Thanks to its loop format, you can begin riding from virtually any point along the trail.

The trail impresses with its diverse landscapes and cultural richness. Cyclists traverse river valleys, forests and meadows, passing wooden churches, historic highland buildings and picturesque towns on both sides of the border. The proximity of the Tatra Mountains means mountain panoramas are visible for much of the route.

Essential Route Information

Difficulty level: moderate to challenging, requiring good fitness due to the mountainous terrain
Elevation profile: hilly with total climbs reaching nearly 2,500 m across the entire route
Surface: predominantly asphalt, with remaining sections on gravel and short stretches requiring a mountain bike
Route type: mixed, approximately one third on separated cycle paths, one third on low-traffic public roads, and the remainder on roads with heavy traffic
Recommended direction: clockwise, which offers better views of the mountain panoramas
Recommended bike: trekking, gravel or touring bike; road bikes may require planning detours on gravel sections
Not family-friendly: due to numerous public roads, including those with heavy traffic and no shoulder, the trail is not safe for families with children

Route Marking and Navigation

Signage quality along the trail varies on both sides of the border. In Poland, the section between Nowy Targ and the border towards Tvrdošín is very well marked with white signs featuring the trail logo depicting the Tatra Mountains. However, the eastern part of the Polish section lacks trail logo markings. In Slovakia, the route is not officially signed as the Around the Tatra Mountains Trail, only partially overlapping with local regional trails marked with signs bearing the letter "C".

Due to incomplete signage, using GPS navigation is essential. This allows you to focus on the views instead of stopping to check directions.

Best Time to Ride

The mountainous character of the route means the best time for cycling is during summer months and early autumn, when weather conditions are most favourable. Be prepared for changeable mountain weather and varying conditions even during a single day of riding.

Key Attractions Along the Route

The Around the Tatra Mountains Trail combines historical, cultural and natural values of four Tatra regions. Along the way you can see:

Wooden churches characteristic of Podhale and Slovak architecture
Highland buildings and folklore authentically preserved in the villages you pass
Niedzica Castle accessible via a detour from the route in Kacwin
Diverse landscapes from river valleys through forests and meadows to rocks and peatlands

On the Polish side, the trail leads through Nowy Targ, Gronków, Dębno, Czorsztyn, Sromowce Niżne, Czarny Dunajec, Podczerwone and Chochołów. In Slovakia, the route passes through Trstená, Dolný Kubín, Liptovský Mikuláš, Štrbské Pleso, Poprad, Kežmarok, Stará Ľubovňa and Spišská Stará Ves.

Accommodation Options

Both the Polish and Slovak sides of the trail offer a wide range of accommodation. The tourist character of the Tatra regions makes it easy to find lodging in guesthouses, farm stays and hotels in larger towns along the route.

Access and Transportation

By Train

Currently, travelling by train with a bicycle directly to Nowy Targ is difficult. On the route from Kraków Główny, replacement bus services operate which generally do not transport bicycles. An alternative is to travel by train to Kraków and transfer to a bus.

By Bus

From Kraków to Nowy Targ, you can travel with a bicycle using Flixbus services. On the carrier's website, you can select the number of bicycles during booking and the system will find suitable connections. Bicycle transport incurs an additional fee.

By Car

The loop format makes travelling by car very convenient. National road 47 leads to Nowy Targ. The town has numerous car parks, including a free car park at ul. Św. Doroty 8. A paid parking zone applies in the centre. You can also leave your car at the railway station or near the market square.

Practical Considerations

Safety requires particular attention on sections running along public roads with heavy traffic, which constitute approximately one third of the entire trail. Some of these roads have wide shoulders, but on certain stretches there is no shoulder at all.

Consider an alternative for the final section: in Kacwin you can leave the Around the Tatra Mountains Trail towards Niedzica Castle and continue riding on the Velo Czorsztyn and Velo Dunajec trails all the way to Nowy Targ. This adds approximately ten to fifteen kilometres, but these sections offer more scenic views than the last stretch of the main trail.

Final Tips

The Around the Tatra Mountains Trail is a demanding but highly rewarding route for cyclists seeking mountain challenges combined with the cultural richness of the Polish-Slovak borderland. Before setting off, download the GPX file and familiarise yourself with the detailed guide prepared by Wojciech Goj as part of a local government project.

The trail intersects with Velo Dunajec in Nowy Targ, opening up possibilities for combining routes and planning longer cycling trips in the region. Velo Czorsztyn also runs nearby, offering an attractive addition to your journey.