The best hiking routes in Národný park Poloniny

Národný park Poloniny occupies the easternmost corner of Slovakia, characterized by deep beech forests and high-altitude alpine meadows known locally as poloniny. Unlike the rocky, jagged peaks found in other parts of the Carpathians, this landscape consists of long, rounded ridges and gentle, grass-covered crests. The underlying flysch geology, made of alternating layers of sandstone and claystone, shapes these soft contours and feeds numerous small streams that cut through the valleys.

Walking here means spending hours under a dense canopy of ancient beech and fir trees, where the forest floor is thick with decaying wood and moss. As you ascend toward the main ridge along the Polish border, the trees abruptly give way to wide, windswept grasslands. Underfoot, the paths transition from soft, leaf-littered soil in the valleys to narrow, clay-heavy tracks that can become slick and muddy along the ridges, interspersed with exposed sandstone slabs.

The area feels remote, with signposted trails that are often quieter than those in the western Tatras, though key access points near Runina or Nová Sedlica see steady foot traffic. You will not find dramatic rocky gorges or cable cars here; the appeal lies in the transition from dark, silent forest depths to the open, grassy views along the border trail.