This trip gives you the almost guaranteed chance to see European Brown Bears in the wild, doing what bears do naturally.
We start on the northern Polish side of the High Tatras and walk into Slovakia. Staying in remote mountain cottages we will look for bears
feeding and if conditions are right we will walk to get closer.
On other days we will go to areas that we know are bear rich and try and see
some of the characters of the area from as close as is safe and practical. After leaving the mountains we go to one of the largest medieval
castles in Europe and Levoca, the old capital of the Spis region. As we head north back to Krakow we stop one more time in the Pieniny National Park,
which is full of butterflies, great walking and caves.
Day 1:
We commence the tour in Krakow. On arrival we head south towards the High Tatras. The journey is about 2 hours, once we leave the outskirts of Krakow we pass through farmland and small villages and if the weather is clear we will get great views of the mountains ahead. On arrival in Zakopane we check in to our hotel and meet for a briefing about the tour. In the evening we head out for a traditional Goral dinner.
Day 2:
After a relatively lazy start to the day we split our luggage into a daysack containing one night's clothes and your walking gear and the rest of your luggage. The majority of your luggage will meet you in Slovakia. We transfer to Kuznice. From here we walk up hill towards the famous Polish lakes area. We walk for about 2 and a half hours before we arrive at Murowaniec, a mountain refuge at 1500 metres. We have lunch here and then continue uphill to the lakes.
Although the area can be quite busy with tourists there is still opportunity to see wildlife and of course if the weather is good the scenery is dramatic. The walking will depend on the levels of fitness of the group, for the fitter ones there is an opportunity to climb to the top of Kozi Wierch at 2291 metres from which you get stunning views. After walking we return to the refuge for a hearty dinner. (B, D)
Day 3:
We get up very early today (0400) and head up to the ridgeline that forms the Polish and Slovak border. From here we walk to the cable car station at Kasprowy Wierch. We will be there well before the first cable car and tourists. Continuing past the station, we are now in prime bear country. Down the slopes on the Slovakian side we have a chance to see our first bears of the trip. One of the team will be in the valleys below in radio contact with us. He will be spotting bears from below whilst we try and get closer sightings from above. Hopefully after seeing some bears we arrive at the descent point into Slovakia. Here we will meet a National Park Ranger as we will be walking on trails that are closed to the general public. We descend via a well-used bear trail with ample evidence of scratching trees and maybe even footprints or dung; these trails are also used by red deer and wolves.
On arrival at the bottom we walk along another trail parallel to the ridgeline that we walked along this morning. Hopefully the tourists from the cable car have caused the bears to move further down the slopes and easier to see from this trail. Again our spotter will advise us on any sightings he has made. On arrival at the end of the valley the vehicle will pick us up and take us to our exclusive ranger cottage in the Koprova valley. All drives along the valleys involve stopping at the avalanche slopes to check for bears. We have a home cooked meal in the cosy but basic cottage. (B, PL, D)
Day 4:
Very early in the morning one of the team will check the valleys for bears and advise us if there is anything interesting about. We head out and drive the two valleys to check the slopes for bears. The rest of the day is dependent on what we see. There are various walks that we can do; all of them are off the tourist trails (we will again be with a Ranger) and aim to get us closer to bears. These walks are generally fairly tough but the reward is great with fantastic scenery and the chance to see some great wildlife. Not only do we have the chance to see bears but we will also have the chance to see the endemic subspecies of Chamois and Marmot, as well as red and roe deer and for the very, very lucky maybe even wolves.
The high mountains also provide good thermals for raptors, Peregrine Falcon, Goshawk and the Golden Eagle are all possibilities. In the forest woodpeckers, Hazel hen and maybe even Capercaillie might show themselves. We eat lunch en route.
On descent back into the valley floor we again walk the small trail that we walked yesterday parallel to the ridge, a favourite route for all wildlife. The vehicle picks us up and we return to the cottage for dinner. In the late evening, weather permitting we will head out on a night walk. We will stop at a favourite spot of ours and wait to see if anything passes by. We should hear owls and if we are lucky we might see bears or wolves. (B, PL, D)
Day 5:
We again get up early and check the slopes in both valleys. On our return to the cottage mid-morning we pack our things into the vehicle and
walk out of the valleys. Depending on the group we can either do an hour long walk or a full day ascent of Krivan (2494 metres),
the national peak of Slovakia. After being picked up by the vehicle we transfer to the medieval square of Spisska Sobota, a quieter part of
the much bigger Poprad If we have chosen not to do a long walk today then we have the afternoon free to relax. You can go to Aquacity,
an award-winning spa and thermal bath resort, ascend the second highest peak in the High Tatras by cable car or just relax in the town with
it street café culture. (B)
Day 6:
After a relatively leisurely start to the day we head to a nearby field that frequently has a high density of raptors hunting. We have seen at least five species on a few occasions. Hopefully we will see the Lesser-spotted Eagle sat patiently on the ground waiting for an unlucky hamster to show itself. We then head to Spis Castle, one of the biggest castle complexes in Europe. This imposing structure is perched on a lump of travertine rock which also makes it a great place to spot wildlife from, especially birds. This is a stronghold of the endangered European Souslik, a type of ground squirrel. This is turn attracts raptors, the very lucky might see an Imperial Eagle or even a Saker Falcon. After the castle we head for a short walk at Drevenik, a strange landscape with a great diversity of plants and butterflies.
For lunch we go to a traditional Salas for some fantastic local food. The Pirohy and Halusky are not to be turned down! With full stomachs we then head to Levoca, the largest and arguably prettiest Spis town. Along with Spis Castle this forms a UNESCO World Heritage site. Included is a visit to the Catholic church with its wooden altar, carved by Master Pavol, the top craftsman of his time. We head back to Spisska Sobota after this long day. Depending on how hungry we are, we have an early dinner and head out to a lake about an hour before nightfall. Here there is a large beaver colony. We wait in silence as darkness falls and hopefully catch some glimpses of the world's second largest rodent by torchlight. (B)
Day 7:
Our final full day starts relatively late. We head north to Pieniny National Park. We stop in Cerveny Klastor and walk along the Dunajec River through its large limestone canyon. The limestone rocks are home to a different set of plants and on sunny days the butterflies, including the beautiful Apollo, are out in full force. We arrive at a Chata where there is usually quite a lively musical offering and eat some traditional food; the goulash is delicious. In the afternoon we head to some rocky outcrops which contain a number of caves. One of these is home to eight bat species and we enter this to see if we can spot them. We return to our hotel for our final night and farewell dinner. (B)
Day 8:
We transfer to Krakow for your flight home. (B)
Key:
B = Breakfast (P)L = (Packed)Lunch D = Dinner
Price: € 915 per person.
Minimum: 2 people. Includes all accommodation, local transport, entrance fees, expert wildlife guide, National Park ranger and meals as shown. Price does not include international flights, drinks, meals not highlighted and gratuities.
2012 Dates:
27 MAY - 03 JUNE 2012
01 - 08 SEPTEMBER 2012
30 SEPTEMBER - 07 OCTOBER 2012
Extension:
On the starred dates above this tour can be combined with our Nature Itinerary.
Day 7 on the Bear Itinerary is equivalent to Day 3 of the Nature Itinerary, therefore on Day 8 you head to Zdiar and follow the rest of the trip. This will make a 12 day itinerary and gives a comprehensive overview of the nature of this stunning area. The cost of this extension is € 450.
