Late September is one of our favorite times of year in Slovakia. The summer crowds have largely gone, the days are generally pleasant for walking, and autumn is beginning to arrive in the mountains.
Slovakia has four very distinct seasons, though, and mountain weather can always be unpredictable. Lower elevations can be pleasantly warm, while the High Tatras can be considerably cooler, so we’ll always pack a rain jacket and an extra warm layer.
We’ve actually experimented with the timing ourselves. A few times we came to the High Tatras in October after finishing our Dolomites season, and the weather wasn’t as good as we’d hoped. So we changed our schedule.
We now finish our Dolomites season a little earlier — giving up one potential Dolomites trip — so we can be in Slovakia in late September instead.
That’s also why we currently offer only one scheduled Slovakia trip each year. Our Dolomites season runs till late September, and the ideal autumn walking window here is relatively short.
Of course, mountain weather never comes with guarantees. If the weather isn’t right for a particular walk, we’ll change the plan. We might walk somewhere lower, explore a village or historic town, visit a castle or museum, or simply find something else fun to do.
Katarina and I don’t believe in walking in pouring rain simply because an itinerary says we’re supposed to.