Morskie Oko and Kasprowy Wierch have emerged as the top attractions, drawing significant numbers of visitors.

From January to July 2024, the Tatra trails were traversed by 2.622 million tourists. Comparatively, during the same period last year, there were 2.433 million visitors, and in 2022, nearly 2.5 million people visited the Polish Tatras.

Data from TPN reveals that in July alone, almost 833,000 visitors flocked to the park, while nearly 470,000 visited in June.

The trail leading to Morskie Oko remains the most popular, with over 375,000 people taking the route in the first seven months of this year. Additionally, the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch transported over 333,500 tourists to the summit by the end of July. The Kościeliska Valley ranked third in popularity, attracting nearly 300,000 visitors, including over 82,000 in July alone.

Tomasz Zając, a guide and educator with TPN, said that the number of tourists in the Tatras is constantly monitored, and as long as visitors to the mountains follow the national park regulations, there is no significant negative impact on the protected environment.

“Summer holidays consistently bring the highest tourist influx to the Tatras, reaching a peak in mid-August. This year, favorable weather has further encouraged hiking, resulting in record numbers during the first half of the holiday season. While these figures may raise concerns about overcrowding, if everyone follows park guidelines, the impact on nature would be minimal. However, tourist behavior does vary,” said Zając.

He added that some tourists still litter, deface trails with graffiti, and disregard rules by venturing into mountain lakes or streams.

“Instances of off-trail hiking, which can be detrimental to the environment, still occur. However, the majority of tourist traffic adheres to designated paths, helping to minimize negative effects on nature,” Zając concluded.