What to see in Tatranská Lomnica, plus my favourite restaurants

For me, Tatranská Lomnica is the ideal place for a weekend in the High Tatras if you want hiking, adrenaline, spa time and good food in one trip. I’ve been several times and tried something different on every visit. If you hike from the town, expect to come back down the same way most of the time.

Quick factsby Milan Bez Mapy

Mountain cart

2.8 km down from Štart station; I was so scared I braked all the way and took about 7 minutes

Skalnaté pleso

Once I walked up, once I took the cable car and came down by cart; I enjoyed the hike more

Where to eat

Stará Mama restaurant, where I always order the roast sausage, the best I’ve had in Slovakia

Watch out for

Pizzeria Lino adds a couvert, a cover charge, to every bill

Waterfall hike

The Studený potok waterfalls, then Zamkovského chata an hour further on; the only way back is the same route

I wrote this article in 2018. Prices, opening hours and timetables may have changed since then, so check them before you go.

What is there to see in Tatranská Lomnica? I’ve been here several times, and each time I tried or visited something new. So I decided to write down where to go in Tatranská Lomnica and what to see and do there, and I’ve added my two favourite restaurants too.

Things to do in Tatranská Lomnica

Tatranská Lomnica is a pleasant mountain town with exactly what I’m after when I swap busy Bratislava for a weekend in the Tatras: hiking, adrenaline, spa time and good food. Here are my ideas for what to see in Tatranská Lomnica and what to order when you sit down to eat.

Here’s a list of the things I know you can do in Tatranská Lomnica. I haven’t tried them all, so it doubles as my own list of where to go next time. Further down you’ll find my tips on where to eat and on some good hikes.

1. A mountain cart ride down from Štart.
2. The cable car up to the Skalnaté pleso tarn and the summit of Lomnický štít.
3. The botanical garden, Expozícia tatranskej prírody.
4. The Spevavce tatranské nature trail for children.
5. The Tatrabob alpine coaster in Tatranská Lomnica.
6. The Ski Museum.

Mountain cart ride down from Štart

A mountain cart ride in Tatranská Lomnica is a huge thrill. I’m usually scared of this kind of thing, but this was brilliant. The carts are unpowered three-wheelers, and they’re a genuinely popular attraction in Tatranská Lomnica. The 2.8 km route starts up by the snack bar at Štart, the cable car’s mid-station. It took me about 7 minutes to get all the way down, because I was too scared to take my hand off the brake.

The road I rode down is split into a lane for walkers on the left and one for carts on the right, so there were no collisions. Just watch where you step if you walk down. It’s also well surfaced, so I didn’t have to dodge any potholes or bumps.

Cable car to Skalnaté pleso and Lomnický štít

Riding the cable car all the way up to Lomnický štít is superb. Admittedly, I only went as far as Skalnaté pleso, and then rode a mountain cart down from Štart station. But the cable car carries on up to Lomnický štít, where you can even stay the night. One day I’ll make it up there too. The views from the cable car take in the surrounding area and a large part of the Tatras. In 2026 a ticket to Lomnický štít costs €89 from Tatranská Lomnica and €59 from Skalnaté pleso. Capacity is limited, so it’s best to buy yours online in advance. To be honest, though, I enjoyed the hike up more. It must be great for skiing in winter, when the weather is on your side. By the way, Slovakia’s first eight-seat chairlift opened here on Buková hora in 2011.

Botanical garden, nature trail and Tatrabob

The botanical garden, Expozícia tatranskej prírody (Exposition of Tatra Nature), is for anyone who wants to learn more about how nature gets by up here in the Tatras. According to its website, its main aim is to help people get to know Tatra nature in order to protect endangered species. It has about 330 species of Tatra plants, trees and seedlings. The garden is next to Hotel Titris and only opens in season: in 2026 from 8 May to 15 September. So what is there to see in Tatranská Lomnica? The nature of the Tatras, for a start.

The Spevavce tatranské (Tatra songbirds) nature trail is the work of a team of volunteers from Hotel Slovan. The idea is that families with children in particular can take a walk in nature in Tatranská Lomnica and learn something about the birds that live here. It’s in the middle of Tatranská Lomnica, in Hotel Slovan’s park, and has 15 information boards, each introducing one bird species. The trail is 180 metres long and covers an area of almost 7,000 square metres.

I haven’t tried the Tatrabob alpine coaster in Tatranská Lomnica yet, so at least I have a reason to come back. Its website says it’s one of the most popular attractions for families and thrill-seekers alike. In 2026 a single ride costs €9 for an adult, and the start is 880 metres above sea level. With 12 bends and a 482-metre run, it sounds like quite a ride. I’ll try it next time.

Where to eat in Tatranská Lomnica

There are loads of restaurants in Tatranská Lomnica, and one day I’ll try every single one. So far I have two favourites: one thoroughly Slovak and one Italian (I know, why eat Italian food in the Tatras? But what am I supposed to do when the pizza is that good?). So what else is there to see in Tatranská Lomnica? A huge choice of restaurants.

• Stará Mama restaurant is my absolute favourite in Tatranská Lomnica. Every single time I go, I order the roast sausage, the best I’ve ever had anywhere in Slovakia. It’s a traditional Slovak restaurant, and they take cards too.
• Ristorante Pizzeria Lino is a really good Italian pizzeria, and it’s stylishly decorated as well. Prices are a bit higher, but a good pizza always goes down well when I’ve spent the whole weekend in the Tatras quite literally stuffing myself with halušky (small potato dumplings) and sausages. The only thing I don’t like is that they automatically add a couvert, a cover charge, to every bill, which isn’t the custom in Slovakia.

Hikes from Tatranská Lomnica

• The hike up to Skalnaté pleso is an easy one from Tatranská Lomnica. You can walk up or take the cable car. I’ve done it twice: the first time on foot, the second time by cable car, when I rode a mountain cart back down. It’s pleasant and not too strenuous. If you want something harder, read on.
• The Studený potok waterfalls (Vodopády Studeného potoka) are a bit further from Tatranská Lomnica, but they’re among the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen in the Tatras. The trail also runs through a part of the Tatras that the great windstorm didn’t destroy, so I walked through dense forest. It’s a shame I don’t remember the Tatras before the windstorm, and I won’t live to see them recover. Maybe in my next life.
• Zamkovského chata, a mountain hut, is only about an hour from the Studený potok waterfalls, so you can easily combine the two. I was already worn out, but the thought of a sausage kept me going. The views are out of this world. The only drawback of this hike from Tatranská Lomnica is that you have to come back down to the town the same way, unless you’re prepared to make a long detour. I didn’t enjoy the walk back all that much.