Accommodation in Vysoké Tatry: Nature, Trails and Culture

Nature

In Tatranská Lomnica, the Expozícia tatranskej prírody offers a short walk among trees, ponds, streams and a waterfall. The exhibition presents typical vegetation ranging from wetlands, raised bogs and fens through forests to species found in alpine meadows and the highest Tatra elevations. Around 330 plant and woody species that occur naturally in Tatranský národný park can be seen here.

The approximately 3.5 km circular walking route, which includes the Pramenisko educational trail, also begins at the Expozícia tatranskej prírody, the botanical garden in Tatranská Lomnica. Pramenisko is designated as a national nature reserve and forms part of the Natura 2000 network of habitats of European importance, including mountain and foothill alluvial forests. Two viewing platforms and wooden walkways through wet terrain are part of the educational trail.

Trails and educational paths

The Hrebienok educational trail is an approximately 4 km circular route with little change in elevation that starts and ends in Hrebienok. It is open year-round; stations 1 to 5 and 7 are also accessible to people with disabilities. The individual stations explain how glaciers shaped the Tatra valleys, what Tatra granite is and how complex the upper tree line is.

From Starý Smokovec via Hrebienok to Rainerova chata, a route runs along asphalt and compacted gravel and is suitable for families with prams. A roughly half-day hike to Zbojnícka chata begins in Hrebienok, which can be reached from Starý Smokovec by funicular. For excursions to Východná Vysoká from the southern foothills, Starý Smokovec and Tatranská Polianka are among the most common starting points. The summit lies between Poľský hrebeň and Prielom.

Mountain Peaks and Cable Car

Rysy is a 2,499 m-high border peak between Slovakia and Poland in the main ridge of Vysoké Tatry. A marked trail leads from Chata pri Popradskom plese via Chata pod Rysmi and the Váha saddle to the summit. Slavkovský štít reaches 2,452 m and is considered a popular viewpoint among hikers.

Lomnický štít can be reached by cable car from Tatranská Lomnica or from the Skalnaté Pleso cable car station. The summit is home to a hydrometeorological observatory and, since 1962, a physical and astronomical observatory of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Below Tatranská Lomnica, the park-and-ride car park has space for 450 cars and is served year-round by shuttle buses.

Culture and History

The Múzeum TANAP-u combines natural history with regional history. Its ethnographic section presents the material and spiritual culture of the population from villages in the Tatra foothills and in the Tatras. Dioramas depict the habitats of typical Tatra animals, including the Tatra chamois, Tatra marmot, lynx, wolf, brown bear and capercaillie. The museum also offers tactile models of animals, plants and habitats, as well as information boards with Braille.

The History of the Smokovci educational trail leads through Starý Smokovec and Nový Smokovec. At seven stations, it provides information about the history of the Smokovci. In Dolný Smokovec stands a Roman Catholic wooden church, which is among the town's most significant architectural monuments. It was built at the end of the 19th century in the Neoclassical-Secessionist style, based on a design by the architect Gedeon Majunke.

In Starý Smokovec, the luge start trainer also enables the public to enjoy a safe ride on real racing sleds. This unique structure is the only one of its kind in Slovakia. A Stations of the Cross route begins near the centre of Starý Smokovec; its stations follow the path to the so-called Pekná vyhliadka.

More local pages: Tatranska Kotlina, Horný Smokovec, Štrbské Pleso, Tatranská Polianka, Starý Smokovec, Tatranska Lomnica. More destinations: Zdiar, Lucivna.

Back to the main travel overview: Okres Poprad.