Stary Smokovec, Slovakia ? Hikers squeeze around small wooden tables inside a dark one-room cottage, sipping peppermint tea and huddling by the fire in this haven tucked among Slovakia’s tallest mountains.

Backpackers resting inside the stone cottage called “Rainerova Chata” soak in the rustic atmosphere that mountaineer Peter Petras created by decorating with century-old hiking sticks and other vintage mountaineering equipment.

Tourists relax on the peak of Velka Svistovka in High Tatras, Slovakia. A favored getaway of Eastern Bloc residents during the communist era, the High Tatras now attract hiking and nature enthusiasts from around the world.

It’s a rest stop for hikers who pause here and in other cottages that dot the trails leading up into Slovakia’s High Tatras range. Vacationers discovered the High Tatras nicknamed the “miniature Alps” because of their similarities to their cousins in neighboring Austria about 140 years ago after the railways made them more accessible.

But tourism here really boomed after World War II, when communism’s travel restrictions made Slovakia’s slopes one of the few choices for hikers and skiers unable to leave the Eastern Bloc.

The cottages differ in looks, ranging from Swiss-style chalets to buildings resembling World War II-era bomb shelters. They offer drinks and simple meals. Some also let hikers spend the night in a sleeping bag or a bunk bed for a mere $5.

The fall of communism ended the mountains’ monopoly, and the Tatras temporarily saw fewer tourists as people explored Western destinations. But travelers, including Westerners, have now started to return to the range, where 25 of the 228 peaks exceed 8,250 feet.

	Getting there: Coming from the capital, Bratislava, there are 13 daily trains going to Poprad-Tatry, the transportation hub when heading to the mountains. The cheapest tickets are about $7.Lodging: Hotels cost from $25 for a double room a night to the luxury Hotel Hubert, where a double room would cost about $75.What to do: For nature lovers, there are many hiking and biking trails, ski slopes, sledding trail at Hrebienok, a nature museum and spas treating respiratory problems.Information: Call the Tourist Information Office at (00) 42-1-524-423-440, or check www.tatry.sk

“I started to come here about five years ago with my wife,” Robert Zamecnik, a hiker from the Slovak capital, Bratislava. “We return to the High Tatras because it is a place where the air is breathable and we can admire the beauties of the world.”

Hikers that venture even up the mountains can spot the elusive Tatras chamois if they’re lucky.

The goat-sized animals with slightly bent horns clambering over even the steepest territories are unique to the High Tatras, and locals describe them as shy.

“If you sit quietly, they will come closer to you,” says Peter Saling, a keen observer of the animals. “And then, you can watch the older ones teach the young ones to move around and jump lightly.”