Western Carpathians

The Western Carpathians form a chain of ridges and enclosed basins across the northern lands of the Hungarian crown. Here the Tatras rise above neighbouring valleys, their rocky summits forming part of the mountain boundary between Hungary and Poland. To their south and west lie other ranges and basins drained by the Váh and its tributaries. Forested slopes give way to exposed high ground, where snow and steep terrain make travel far more difficult than in the valleys below.