Once people tried to find asylum in shacks, gazebos or Bacówkas. Currently, the function of these places is fulfilled by shelters. In shelter you can wait out the bad weather, rest, sleep or eat something warm. These shelters in Tatras were first maintained by the Tatra Society, and then the Polish Tatra Society.
Currently, seven PTTK shelters and one hotel are located in the Tatra National Park. What makes them different is location, standard or size. However, all are open at any time of the year. There in shelters are also points for the Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue, where rescuers are on duty.
The shelter is located in the heart of High Tatras, in the Five Lakes’ Valley and it is the highest located Polish mountains shelter – 1671 m above sea level. It bears the name of Leopold Świerz. It has 67 sleeping accommodations, and the hotel night is from 2pm to 10am. You can make a reservation via website or by phone. The hostel offers full board. Maps, guides and souvenirs are available for purchase. You can also take part in attractios like guided tours or hiking courses. We can admire beautiful views there and the vicinity of the lake is also big advantage.
You can get to the shelter only by foot. From „Palenica Białczańska”, through „Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza” and Roztoka Valley. This tour takes about 2.5 hours. The shelter is a perfect place to start the trip when you plan to go higher for example to Świnica or Orla Perć.
The Murowaniec shelter at Hala Gąsienicowa is located in the Valley of Sucha Woda Gąsienicowa, at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level. From 2 to 12 people rooms are available. 116 accommodations wait for tourists. Important information – the shelter does not offer substitute accommodation, meaning “on the floor”. Reservations can be made via website or by phone. The shelter is located in a beautiful place, called the “cradle of Polish mountains climbing”.
You can reach this shelter by yellow trail through the Jaworzynka Valley or the blue one from Kuźnice through Boczań. Murowaniec is a great starting point, for example to Świnica, Kasprowy Wierch or Orla Perć.
The shelter at Chochołowska clearing is located in Western Tatras and it is the largest shelter in Polish Tatras. This shelter offers rooms of various sizes, there are 121 accommodations available. Reservations can be made both by phone and via website. Surrounding of the shelter is most spectacular in spring, when crocuses bloom and sheep are on the meadows. The place is extremely picturesque. It is worth noting that Chochołowska Valley has a chapel, built for the needs of the famous series “Janosik”.
Green trail from Siwa Polana leads to the shelter. From the shelter you can go on a trip, for example, along the red trail to Trzydniowiański Wierch, yellow to Grześ.
The shelter is located in the upper part of the Kościeliska Valley. It has 48 accommodations. The building made of wooden logs makes a huge impression. It is surrounded by a forest. Foxes and bears live there, and deer rutting takes place in autumn.
The shelter can be reached by horse-drawn carriage from Kiry to the Pisana clearing and in winter by sleigh. From this shelter you can start your trip to Ornak, Czerwone Wierchy, Wołowiec, or Bystra, as well as to the caves of the Kościeliska Valley or to the Chochołowska Valley.
Despite its name, the shelter is located in the Białka Valley. It has rooms for 2 to 9 people and provides 75 accommodations. Reservations can be made via the website or by phone. The hostel impresses with its location at the edge of the pine forest, where deer rutting takes place in autumn.
At the trails crossing, turn to Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza and you can get there in about 15 minutes. The shelter is a great start point for trips to Rysy, Rusinowa clearing and Five Lakes’ Valley.
The shelter is located in Western Tatras, in the Kondratowa Valley, at an altitude of 1333 m above sea level and it is the smallest shelter in Polish Tatras. It offers only 20 accommodations in three rooms. Reservations can be made by phone or on the PTTK website – www.schroniska.pttk.pl/kondratowa/pl. From the shelter you can admire beautiful views for example Giewont or Kasprowy Wierch.
You can reach the Hala Kondratowa from Kuźnice in about 1 hour. The hostel is a very good starting point to Kondracka Przełęcz, Giewont, or Czerwone Wierchy.
The shelter is located in the Rybiego Potoku Valley next to the beautiful lake – Morskie Oko. It consists of two parts – new and old. There are 35 accommodations in the new one, in the old one there is more – 43. It is recommended to make a reservation in advance, by phone. Spectacular landscapes guaranteed! Millions of tourists visit Morskie Oko every year.
The trail to the shelter begins at Palenica Białczańska where you can find last parkings. The route is easy even for amateours – it is comfortable and asphalt. The shelter can be a starting point for trip to the higher parts of Tatras, for example, to Rysy, Szpiglasowy Wierch or Czarny Staw.
The hotel is located in Western Tatras, at the Kalatówki clearing. It has 92 accommodations – both in rooms and apartments. Hotel offers cafe, restaurant, gym, solarium, sauna, and a tennis room. Want to stay with your children? The hotel has a kids corner, ski kindergarten and even yoga for children.
There is a blue trail from Kuźnice to the hotel which takes about 40 minutes to get there.
