Ždiarsky Dom museum in Ždiar. (source: SME-Jozef Ryník)
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Hiking, exploring caves, walking along treetop paths, and enjoying the tranquillity on the slopes—all of this can be experienced in the eastern part of the High Tatras, which remains less crowded than popular areas like Štrbské Pleso.
The Belianske Tatras are often overlooked by tourists compared to the High Tatras, and this is a mistake. While they may not offer as many popular hiking trails or meadows as other parts of the Tatras, there is still plenty to see and do in this beautiful region.
Rarity in the Tatras
Tatras travel guide: A fresh take on the stunning soul of Slovakia. (source: Spectacular Slovakia)
The village of Ždiar, home to the Goral culture, serves as a hub and starting point
for exploring the Belianske Tatras. Visitors can choose from various accommodations, including hotels, private homes, and guesthouses.
In Ždiar, tourists can enjoy amenities such as bicycle rental shops, souvenir stores, and stalls selling traditional cheese specialties. There is also a museum dedicated to folk culture, as well as an ATM—a rarity in the Tatra settlements.
The village offers family attractions, including a light dome resembling a Nordic igloo where children can interact with fascinating animated animal models.
Despite recent improvements, Ždiar’s tourism potential still remain high. Several dilapidated wooden buildings could be transformed into attractive hotels or restaurants.
The architecture varies widely, featuring everything from a rustic retro pizzeria to luxurious brick hotels and traditional Slovak wooden restaurants. One of the most beautiful buildings is a Ždiar-style wooden house that hosts a museum, although it is not an original structure.
(source: Facebook of Chodník Korunami Stromov (Treetop Walk))
Treetop walkway
Bachledova dolina is a popular valley and attraction, featuring a treetop walkway, which draws tourists from Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
Jaroslav Strachan, co-owner of the local hotel and ski resort, remarks, “The walkway benefits not only us but the entire area.”
Visitors can take a cable car to reach the treetop path, or, for a challenge, hike up a nearby trail, which takes about an hour to ascend and half an hour to descend.
At the observation tower along the wooden walkway, visitors can enjoy a dry toboggan ride and stop by a charming souvenir shop offering coffee—though it is worth noting the high mountain prices.
Children can also enjoy the bobsled track, play in the playground, or walk to a nearby observation tower along an educational trail. You could easily spend a full day in the valley without getting bored, though it may be costly.
Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side.
Restaurant Doma u nás offers delicious food and more. (source: SME-Jozef Ryník)
Gastronomic paradise
If you prefer cities over mountains, consider a visit to Spišská Sobota. This charming town features a picturesque square framed by Renaissance houses, along with a variety of culinary experiences and accommodation options.
One choice is the restaurant Doma u nás. Not only does it offer delicious food, but you can also stay there and enjoy wellness services.
Those who enjoy beer more than food should stop by Dobré Časy (Good Times) in Poprad or head straight to the brewery where it’s made.
On the way to the swimming pool in the town of Svit, you will pass brick apartment buildings constructed here by the well-known businessman Tomáš Baťa. While some brick facades have been preserved, others have been insulated, with the bricks now hidden beneath polystyrene—a real pity. A small craft brewery is located within the pool complex.
Brewer Eduard Börszörményi (l) and Viktor Andrejkovič, the head and co-owner of Dobré Časy (source: SME-Jozef Ryník)
Inside the establishment, you’ll notice the bar is not operational. “Since the town does not invest in the building and cannot guarantee its technical condition, it’s not worthwhile for us to operate a bar here,” explains Viktor Andrejkovič, the head and co-owner of Dobré Časy. Nevertheless, they continue to supply beer to their four pubs in Košice, Prešov, Poprad, and Starý Smokovec.
The name “God Times Brewery Svit” arose out of necessity. “It was originally supposed to be called the same as our pubs, ‘Good Times’, but that name is already taken by a brewery in the United States, so we had to rename it,” Andrejkovič explains. He adds that they are considering rebranding the brewery under the original name, Dobré Časy.
Dobré Časy began as the largest beer gallery in Slovakia, located in Košice and expanding to Poprad in 2016, opening a location in the historic Alfonz Tavern, which was damaged by a Soviet tank during the Prague Spring of 1968. In 2017, they merged with the Buntavar brewery, bringing on brewer Jozef Buňa, and now produce 800 to 900 hectolitres of beer annually.
“We’re planning to relocate the brewery to the Tatras in the next one to two years and open a beer restaurant to attract tourists,” Andrejkovič explains.
He emphasises the importance of offering both quality taste and an experiential brewing journey, as craft beers are more expensive to produce. Additionally, he hopes to allow companies to brew their own beer during team-building events.
“The Tatras are our dream—whether by renovating an old building or constructing a new brewery on a greenfield site,” he says.
A return to the past
The settlement of Tatranská Kotlina, alongside Ždiar, is a key starting point for hikers in the Belianske Tatras. It is primarily known for the Belianska Cave and a sanatorium that serves pensioners with breathing issues. Although the building has undergone some renovations over the past 30 years, it continues to cater mostly to older visitors.
The area’s main attraction is the Belianska Cave, which draws large crowds, especially in summer. Visitors should expect to wait for up to an hour before entering.
What else to see in the region:
The wooden church of St Anna in Tatranská Javorina.
Gánovce is known for the discovery of a travertine cast of a Neanderthal brain.
Svit railway station is a hidden gem of Baťa architecture.
Museum of Tatra Cinematography and Photography, Starý Smokovec, is located in the renovated historical building Vila Alica. There, you will find historical photos of the Tatras.
Popradské Pleso symbolic cemetery is intended to commemorate those who died in the High Tatras.
Tricklandia, Starý Smokovec, a gallery of trick art and optical illusions, is especially suitable for children.
Kvantarium on Hrebienok offers various audiovisual multimedia shows.
Tatra National Park Museum has many objects from the fields of botany, zoology, history, cartography, geology, and ethnography.
The Ski Museum in Tatranská Lomnica is devoted to the history of the origin and development of winter sports in the High Tatras.
The Tatra Gallery in Poprad is located in a renovated building of a former steam power plant.
Spectacular Slovakia travel guide
Spiš Castle (source: Peter Baňas (Spectauclar Slovakia))
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Our detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side.
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