Golden autumn in the Tatras: empty trails and quiet apartments

Summer has its crowds, winter its lift queues — but autumn belongs to those who want the Tatras to themselves. The air is crystal clear, the forests blaze gold, and you'll meet more chamois than people on the trails.

From mid-September the valleys turn colour and the morning mist over the spruces gives way to sharp sunshine. It's the ideal time to hike — cooler days walk better than the summer heat, and the views are often the clearest of the year. The Tatra Electric Railway runs all year, so you can reach Štrbské Pleso or Tatranská Lomnica without a car.

And then there's the value: outside the peak season the apartments are calmer and the rates friendlier than in July or during the ski season. Treat yourself to a slow morning with coffee, an afternoon hike and a quiet evening — exactly the ‘I deserve it’ getaway there's no room for in summer.