The Tatras and Podhale were some of the regions where Kolberg conducted his research. However, he did not decide to continue here any in-depth research. At that time, the culture of the highlanders called Górals was in vogue. He knew that the interest in the culture of the Tatras was popular. Probably for that reason he focused on the lesser known regions.

Kolberg travelled to the Tatras in 1857 and 1863. Before that time, he used to visit the foothill region, especially the village of Mogilany. During his first stay in the Tatras, which lasted for six weeks, he admired the beauty of Polish mountains. He visited the valleys of Kościeliska, Roztoki, Five Lakes and Gąsienicowa, as well as Lake Morskie Oko. The following text by Kolberg about the Górals was published in 1857 in the Polish music magazine ‘Ruch Muzyczny’ [The Musical Movement]:

“Those beautiful mountains are home to many of God’s creatures. Some are gentle, good, polite, willing and honest people, and not, as others describe them, wild and brusque. Some are naïve, bothersome and greedy (because they are poor) who like to drink; fortunately, the associations promoting the temperance take control over this problem. The songs which are heard both in mountain chalets and in villages are variants in most cases. I did not hear anything novel even in the chalets located high up in the mountains. They do not sing any old historical songs. Sometimes they sing about some brigands, especially one called Janosik”.

Kolberg collected in this region a great amount of folklore material which was published in volumes 44 and 45 of     ‘The Complete Works’ entitled ‘The Mountains Region’.