Tatra Chamois: Where to See Wild Chamois in the Tatra Mountains

Imagine walking on a stone trail high in the Tatras and suddenly a chamois steps onto the path a few metres in front of you, looks at you and keeps eating grass. That’s exactly what happened on the ridge near Kasprowy Wierch when these photos were taken. If you hike in the Tatras, there’s a good chance you’ll meet one too.

A mountain goat found only here

The Tatra chamois (kozica tatrzańska) is a subspecies that lives only in the Tatra Mountains, on both the Polish and Slovak side. It’s the symbol of the Tatra National Park, you’ll see it on the park’s logo at every trail entrance.

Some 25 years ago it was close to disappearing, with only a couple of hundred animals left. Thanks to strict protection, today there are well over a thousand of them in the whole range. Every autumn park rangers from both countries count them together.

Where to see chamois

• The ridge around Kasprowy Wierch (1987 m a.s.l.): take the cable car up and walk along the main ridge towards Beskid or Kondracka Kopa. Chamois often graze on the slopes right by the trail.
• The Gąsienicowa Valley and Kozi Wierch area, on the way to Zawrat and the Orla Perć ridge.
• The Valley of Five Polish Lakes and the slopes above Morskie Oko.

The best time is early morning and late afternoon, and spring, when snow still lies higher up and the animals come down to the fresh grass. Bring binoculars.

How to behave

• Keep your distance and let the chamois decide. If it moves away, don’t follow it.
• Never feed them. Bread and snacks make them sick and teach them to come close to people.
• Stay on the trail. Going off the path is not allowed in the national park, and it scares the animals, especially mothers with kids in late spring.
• Be quiet and don’t use drones. Drones are banned in the park.

More Tatra hikes: Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy and Karb, Giewont. All guides: Kraków & Małopolska in English.

Łukasz, Niezwykła Małopolska