Tatranská Polianka: Ski History and Trails
Accommodation in Tatranská Polianka
The history of Tatranská Polianka is closely linked to the early history of skiing in the High Tatras. After Michal Guhr brought his passion for skiing from Davos, Switzerland, in 1901, his initiative led to the construction of the first ski jump in the High Tatras at the mouth of the Velická dolina.
File:Tatranská Polianka, Vysoké Tatry 25 Slovakia 1.jpg
Photo: Jozef Kotulič via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Geographical setting
Tatranská Polianka stretches on both sides of Cesta slobody between Starý Smokovec and Štrbské Pleso. The location of the village is closely connected with the Velická dolina, which features in several historical and present-day route connections.
History
The beginnings of Tatranská Polianka date back to 1884. At that time, the wealthy farmer and butcher Pavol Weszter from Veľký Slavkov built a hunting lodge next to the former municipal forester’s lodge. In 1902, the younger Michal Guhr established a climatic sanatorium in Tatranská Polianka for the treatment of tuberculosis and asthma.
The village’s winter sports history is also linked to Michal Guhr. His passion for skiing, brought from Davos, led to the construction of the first ski jump in the High Tatras at the mouth of the Velická dolina in 1901. Historically, the Mariana, Tusculum and Themis hotels in Tatranská Polianka also served as starting points for excursions into the Velická dolina.
Culture
The Chapel of the Seven Sorrows of Mary was established in 1994 in the building of the former post office in Tatranská Polianka and consecrated on 10 December 1995. In front of the chapel stands a carved wooden cross by Martin Gavalér. In the adjacent forest park, a monument with a bust of V. Kýna dating from 1949 marks a poet’s popular resting place.
A contemporary addition is Poliankovo in Tatranská Polianka. The digital gallery covers 600 m² and uses up to 140 m² of projection surfaces. It features, among other things, virtual reality, 3D projections, augmented reality, holograms and shadow plays. The exhibition includes interactive elements as well as paintings by the Slovak painter Lubomir Korenk enhanced with augmented reality.
Trails
The visitor regulations of Tatra National Park list the Tatranská Polianka–Sliezsky dom route as a designated cycle route. The paved road from Tatranská Polianka to Sliezsky dom is 6.8 km long and also serves as a cycle path. In addition, the Tatranská Polianka–Sliezsky dom–Tatranská Polianka loop is designated as a 14 km-long, difficult mountain biking route with an elevation gain of 698 m.
For hikers, the loop hike from Tatranská Polianka to Sliezsky dom and back is listed as 9 km and 3 hours 35 minutes; both the total ascent and the total descent are 666 m. Velické pleso can be reached from Tatranská Polianka via a paved road or a hiking trail in approximately two hours. The challenging, full-day hike to Východná Vysoká begins in Tatranská Polianka and includes exposed sections.
Getting there
Tatranská Polianka can be reached by train and by road.
Further destinations: Tatranska Kotlina, Tatranska Lomnica, Horný Smokovec.
To the higher-level travel overview: Vysoké Tatry.
