Rysy is a mountain in the High Tatras that straddles the border between Poland and Slovakia. It is the tallest mountain in Poland and the highest mountain in the High Tatras that you can hike to without a guide.
There are two approaches to the summit of Rysy. From Zakopane, Poland, you hike past Morskie Oko lake to the peak, which is a challenging route. From Slovakia, you hike from Štrbské Pleso, which is an easier route to the summit. If you hike to the Rysy from the Slovak side, you can summit the highest mountain in Poland without ever really hiking in Poland.
About Our Experience
We hiked to the peak of Rysy from Štrbské Pleso in Slovakia.
The weather worked against us, at least a little bit, since clouds blanketed the mountain peak all day, despite sunny skies throughout the rest of the Tatras. In fact, the peak of Rysy was hidden behind the clouds three of the four days we spent in the Slovak Tatras.
Despite the clouds, this was a great hike. High mountain views, a rock scrambling section aided with the use of chains and ladders, and a chance to see several alpine lakes all make this hike worthwhile.
Table of Contents
How to Hike to Rysy
Rysy Hiking Stats
Distance: 20 km (12.5 miles) round trip
Elevation Gain: 1345 meters (4415 feet)
Highest Elevation: 2503 meters (the main summit), although the northwest summit at 2499 meters is the highest peak in Poland
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 7 to 10 hours
When to go: End of May to September. All other times of year snow on the trails can make hiking dangerous or impossible (this should only be attempted with a guide).
Elevation Profile
Please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the hiking trail, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife.
Getting to the Trailhead
Štrbské Pleso to Popradské Pleso
Distance: 4 km (2.5 miles) one-way
Elevation Gain: 280 meters (920 feet)
Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
The trail officially starts at Popradské Pleso, an alpine lake with a hotel and several small restaurants. The only way to get to Popradské Pleso is on your own two feet, unless you are staying at the hotel.
If you have a car, the closest parking is in Štrbské Pleso. To get here, there is an access road along the Poprad River. If you get here early in the day, you can park you car right on the side of this road. When we did this, there was a man collecting a small parking fee for each vehicle. Here are the GPS coordinates of the parking area: 49.125661, 20.074609.
There are toilets here as well as a small snack stand.
Continue north along the road, cross over the train tracks, and follow the asphalt road uphill until you get to Popradské Pleso. It’s an easy, uphill walk the entire way to the lake.
Once you get to Popradské Pleso, you have made a serious dent in the hike to Rysy.
On the Trail to Rysy
Once you get to Popradské Pleso, you will see the trail to Rysy on the left hand side of the asphalt road. While you are here, you have the option to use the bathrooms at the lake or even go for a stroll around the lake if you like. It takes about one hour to walk the circumference of the lake, so you may want to save this for after the hike (if you still have energy to spare).
Map of the trail to Rysy
Popradské Pleso to the Summit of Rysy
Distance: 6 km (3.7 miles) one-way
Elevation Gain: 1065 meters (3,495 feet)
Time: 3 to 5 hours
Now, you are on a dirt trail heading through a forest. Finally, it feels like you are hiking.
The first part of the trail is lovely. You are hiking slowly and steadily uphill through an alpine forest.
From Štrbské Pleso, you will take the blue trail until you get to Mengusovská Valley. Then take the red trail to Rysy. The trails are very easy to follow and well marked with signs like this one.
As you gain elevation, the trees disappear and are replaced by shrubs and wildflowers. The views really open up as you hike into Mengusovská Valley.
Then, you get to the switchbacks. Now, you are really gaining some serious elevation. This part is tiring but the views just keep getting better and better. This was one of my favorite parts of the hike, simply because it is so beautiful here. Plus, we still had the sun shining on our faces.
At the top of the switchbacks the trail almost levels out as you walk through a huge field of boulders. To your left are the lakes Malé Zabie pleso and Vel’ké Zabie pleso and in front of you is Rysy.
It was at this point when we really started feeling chilly. We did this hike in mid-July and temperatures on top of Rysy were on the cold side. Even in the summer months, it’s a good idea to pack light gloves, a light jacket, and a hat.
Once you hike past the lakes, the trail turns to the right and begins to climb again. It is here that you get to use the chains and ladders.
Expect traffic jams on the cables. Midday these chains and ladders get two-way traffic, once people start hiking back down the mountain. It’s not unusual to have to wait in line, at least for a little bit, for your turn to climb the cables. If you get here early in the day, you can at least climb up the cables before the two-way traffic begins.
As you can see in these photos, crowds weren’t too bad when we climbed up the ladders and cables. Later in the day this section was much more crowded and there was a line of people waiting to start their climb up the cables.
Chata pod Rysmi and Beyond
After navigating the chains, it is just a little more hiking to get to Chata pod Rysmi, a lodge and restaurant that sits smack in a field of boulders along the hiking trail. If you need to take a break, use the bathroom, or warm up, this is the perfect place to do it.
Prayer flags right before you get to Chata pod Rysmi.
There are several goofy things set up around Chata pod Rysmi, like this “bus stop” and bicycle.
From Chata pod Rysmi, it takes about an hour to reach the summit of Rysy. This is the most challenging part of the hike. It’s a rocky, steep climb to the summit with short sections of rock scrambling. Our visibility was very low and we could only see several feet in front of us. We just climbed from trail marker to trail marker.
Looking back down the trail to Chata pod Rysmi.
The summit of Rysy is a small, rocky peak. It felt quite crowded here, and even though there was no view today, there were a number of people lounging on the rocks, catching their breath before starting back downhill.
And here we are, on the highest peak in Poland!
I’m still bummed we missed out on the amazing views, but this was our final day in the Tatras so hiking without the view was better than skipping the hike altogether.
Hopefully you will have clear skies and much better views on the day you do this. From seeing other people’s photos online, the views across the Tatras are incredible!
The Return Hike
Retrace your steps back down the mountain. It’s a lot easier and a lot faster going down.
Chata pod Rysmi is a good place to take a break before hiking back to Štrbské Pleso. It’s warm inside and they serve food and drinks.
Helpful Tips for the Best Experience
Bring warm clothing! Even in mid-summer the temperatures on top of Rysy can be downright cold. At a minimum, I would recommend bringing a light pair of gloves and a jacket. We saw many people wearing long pants and heavy jackets on the upper part of the hike.
Check the weather before you go. It’s OK to do this on a cloudy day as long as you don’t mind missing out on the views from the top of Rysy. If thunderstorms are in the forecast, save this hike for a different day. Thunderstorms can be wicked in the Tatras and a mountain peak is last place you want to be during one of these storms.
I was amazed at the number of people on the trails in the Tatras, since the travel sources I read called this an off-the-beaten-path hiking destination. I don’t know where they got their information but on the day we did this, it was a steady line of hikers climbing to the summit. Be prepared for a lot of traffic on the trails and on the chains. If you get here early (8 am or earlier) you can avoid the crowds for at least the first part of the hike.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Villa Meribel in Tatranská Lomnica. This place is awesome! We had a two bedroom, two bath apartment with a small kitchen and living area. From Villa Meribel, it was a 25 minute drive to Štrbské Pleso. Tatranská Lomnica is a great home base for hiking the Tatras. There are several restaurants and a grocery store in town. There is also a toboggan, a great place to take kids if you are traveling as a family.
Are you planning a hiking trip in the High Tatras? If you have any questions about how to hike to Rysy, ask us in the comment section below.
More Information for Your Trip to Slovakia
SLOVAKIA: Discover the best things to do in Bratislava, how to visit the High Tatras in Slovakia, how to visit Slovak Paradise, and how to hike to Vel’ká Svišt’ovka, a beautiful alpine lake in the High Tatras.
TATRAS: If you like hiking, consider spending a few days in the High Tatras. Learn how to hike to Koscielec from Zakopane and whether you should visit the Tatras from Poland or Slovakia.
POLAND: Learn about the best things to do in Krakow, how to spend 2 days in Warsaw, and the best things to do in Gdansk. Put this all together with our 10 Day Poland Itinerary.
MORE GREAT HIKES IN EUROPE: From thrilling trails in the Alps to easy walks along the coast, read our article 20 Best Hikes in Europe for some beautiful hiking trails to put on your travel wish list.
Planning a trip to Slovakia? Read all of our articles in our Slovakia Travel Guide.
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Comments 20
Hi Julie!
Thank you for the wonderful article on the hike. I actually stumbled across it by chance and I am totally inspired to do the hike. Me and my son (8 y) are mountain lovers and my kid had been climbing and hiking with me since he was 5! He loves mountains and has extreme endurance by default!! He even made the hike up the Strada delle 52 Gallerie in Trentino, Italy with such ease, bypassers were simply amazed (that was last year and if you have not been there, I highly recommend it!). So, we decided from this year on to select a few mountain ranges to hike and Rysy has made it to the top;). We are planning to do it in July (between 15th – 19th). I have a couple of questions, to prepare myself for the hike basically. How is the hike bascially from the last lodge to the summit? How prepared should we be to cover that stretch and make it to the top? What gear do you recommend is very necessary?
– I read some reviews about the last part of the hike from the polish side which mentioned it to be extremely technical and dangerous (but kind of doable). The part with the chains is nerve wracking is what I hear. But I would like to know how is it from the Slovak side, is it also the same?
– What time would you recommend that we be at the parking lot to start the hike?
– How would you estimate the weather to be around this time of year, I mean in July?
– Any other tips you would recommend to hike with an 8y old?
Thank you in advance for your reply and wish you a pleasant day!
Author
Hello Swathi. That’s awesome your young son is such a great hiker. Tyler and Kara were like that too which opened us to being able to do many great hikes with them despite their young age. We did this hike in July as well. Bring hiking shoes and pack some layers and a rain jacket. At times we were warm enough for shorts and a Tshirt but at the summit it was very chilly and our rain jackets were not enough to keep us warm. We had a lot of cloud cover at the top which made it cooler but still, you won’t really know what to expect until you are on the trail. I recommend starting at 8 am or sooner to get a head start on the crowds and get through the chains section before it becomes a traffic jam of people (if I did it again I’d probably start closer to 7). There are some chains and ladders on the Slovak side but I wouldn’t call them technical or dangerous. They are doable for most people and it could be one of the favorite parts of the hike for your son (our kids loved that sort of thing). As far as preparing yourself, be ready to hike the distance and elevation gain on this hike, so some hilly hikes in the weeks leading up to your time in Slovakia is beneficial. You can also hike from Zakopane in Poland or do one of the other hikes in the Slovak Tatras before Rysy because those are all great too. I will caution you in that we did a bunch of hikes back to back in this area and they are all very steep (up and down) and our knees were very sore by the time we finished the last hike (even Tyler and Kara, who were about 14 and 15 at the time). But it is a wonderful place to go hiking in Europe. Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers, Julie
Thank you very much Julie, much appreciated.
With all your tips and hints, I guess I am well prepared mentally :). I shall also plan a couple of more hikes based on your recommendations but our primary goal to is conquer Rysy 😀
I will definitely get back to you if anything else pops up. And I will also surely write to you after our hike!
Wish you a nice day and weekend.
Hey there,
Thank you so much for the amazing info on Tatras. We are planning a visit this May (17-21st) and will be visiting with our 8 year old daughter. Could you please help with options for hike – We plan to base ourselves near Poprad for 3 days and move to another place for 2 days (have not decided) depending on hiking opportunities. We would prefer few nice scenic walks lasting 6-7 hours and few short hikes 3-4 hours. There is very lmited resource on internet regarding options in May for Tatra hike from slovakia.
Hope you can help,
Arun
p.s. – We will have our car and are reasonable fir though not professional trekkers.
Author
Hello Arun. I don’t know much about hiking the Tatras in May. From what I know from signs at the trailheads, trails open in late May to early June. This may depend on the amount of spring snowfall, so if snowfall is light, you could get lucky and be able to start hiking in mid-May. Take a look at our Tatras guide for recommended hikes. This is the extent of our experience. Beyond this, I recommend doing more internet searching or seeing if your hotel staff can assist you. Good luck! Cheers, Julie
Great article, thank You!
My question is, are people hiking to Rysy with kids? Ours are 8 and 12, last summer we had an amazing hike to Giewont, so looking for something extra this summer 🙂
Author
We did not see any kids on the trail, not at least any younger than Tyler and Kara. When we did this, Tyler was 15 and Kara was 13. They had no problems and I would have taken them on this trail when they were younger than that. Your 8 year old may have a tough time towards the end but it is still doable, especially since they have hiking experience. Even if you just get up to the hut it’s a great hike. Cheers, Julie
Hi earth trekkers
Your article made me want to visit tatry! We are coming to tatry mountains Slovakia side next week, will we be allowed to do the hike to Rysy ?
Author
From what I know this hiking trail opens at the end of May. There is a chance it could open earlier if there isn’t any snow on the trails, but you may not know that until you get there. If you have a hotel booked, you could also reach out to them and they might know more. Have fun in the Tatras! Cheers, Julie
Hi,
Great article… My wife and I are planning on doing Rysy this summer (2023). We do have a couple of questions:
1. What is the earliest time of the day that you can access the trail? I understand the National Park rules are “no hiking during dark hours”, but is there a rule on what specific time of day you can park and start to walk?
2. Can you share a link for where to buy the mapping required for the area please
3. Is there a decent app (in English) other than the “Hiking Map Poland” app which allows offline navigation.
Thanks for your help
Chris & Ali
Author
I think if you got to the trailhead at or just before sunrise you would be fine. I don’t know where online you can see maps of the area. However, if you look on Google Maps, you can see the trail. The entire trail is very well marked and easy to follow, so you don’t need a map. The other trails, like Skalnate Pleso to Veľká Svišťovka, also show up on Google. And I don’t know of any English apps for the hiking trails in Poland, either. We use Garmin Fenix watches and download trail maps onto that before we travel, so that’s another thing to look into. It’s very handy, especially if you lose you way (which is unlikely on this hike). Cheers, Julie
Thank you for the details of the hike.
May I ask from the summit in the Slovakia side to the summit to the Poland side, can we get there? Do you know how far is the hike? Is it possible to do it?
Thanks
Grace
Author
The summit of Rysy sits on the border of Poland and Slovakia, so even if you hike up from Slovakia, once on the top of Rysy, you will be standing in Poland. You don’t have to do any extra hiking from what is listed in this post. Cheers, Julie
Thank you so much for all the information! Do you know anything about getting there by bus, or about staying at Chata pod Rysmi?
Author
You’re welcome! I know that there is a public bus that runs between the towns in the Slovakian Tatras. We actually used the bus on a different hike since it was a point to point hike. A Google search about the bus could give you some more info. Here is the link to the website for Chata pod Rysmi for more info about staying here. We didn’t do it but I think it would be a neat experience to stay in a mountain lodge like this. Cheers, Julie
Hi Earth Trekkers,
I have been in Slovakia for a week now, I spent a couple of days in Kosice and then up to the High Tartra’s for a few days. I took the hike to Rysy today! I just wanted to say how amazing all of your articles are. I struggled to find detailed information about Slovakia, especially in English, you have some of the most detailed and easy to follow postings out there.
I am travelling solo and it has really helped to give me the confidence to find my way around Slovakia and make the most of my time here so a big thanks for that! I am travelling some more of Eastern Europe over the next month so I will be sure to see some of your postings on different locations.
Thanks once again, April.
Author
Hello April. I’m glad we were able to help you out. I hope you had clearer weather at the summit than we did! 🙂 Have fun exploring Eastern Europe! Cheers, Julie
Great article, guys! You have all the informations I was looking for. Thank you for write it and please keep up the good work. Cheers!
Great article, like every other article you ‘ve published! They are helping me a lot to plan my trip to Slovakia.
I wanted to ask you, despite the fact that is strenuous, do you think that the hike to Rysy peak from the Slovakian side is suitable for a not experienced hiker? I’ve read conflicting opinions about it: some sites say it is too difficult, some others say that, since ladders have been added to the path, it is not so difficult, even if you are not a very experienced hiker.
I’ve hiked before in my life, but never in high mountains (max. 700-800 m.), so I really want to ponder decisions about my time in the High Tatras.
Thanks in advance
Author
Hello Francesco. I’m glad we can help! I think it’s more important to be fit than an experienced hiker for Rysy. The trail is easy to follow and not technically difficult (there’s no rock scrambling or real route finding). The only part that was “challenging” was staying on the trail at the very top. In our situation, with the clouds, it was hard to really know where to go. In this case, you hike to one hash mark, look for the next one, and then hike to it, and repeat until you get to the top. But if you get a clear day, the trail will be much easier to follow and you will be able to see the summit. Overall, the hike is long and strenuous, but as long as you are relatively fit (able to walk 12 to 13 km) and handle some hills, you should be fine. Cheers, Julie