HIGH TATRAS

waterfalls and reward yourself with anight at the alpine chalet Zamkovskhochata (p401)

Ski by day, by night stay in an atmosphericold log house in diar (p405), part of theBel Tatras.

TELEPHONE CODE: 0522

HIGHLIGHTS

Have a shot of vodka at the bufet

POLAND

(cafeteria) atop the 2634m summit ofLomnick tt (p403), just dont tellanyone you took the cable car upB

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When you first see the alpine, snow-strewn High Tatras jutting out of the valley floor northof Poprad, you may do a double take. This isnt Switzerland after all. But Gerlachovsk tt(2654m) is the highest peak in the entire Carpathian range, and the Tatras tower over mostof Eastern Europe. Photo opportunities at higher elevations can get you fantasising abouta career at National Geographic pristine snowfields, ultramarine mountain lakes, crashingwaterfalls. Sadly, a massive windstorm roared through in late 2004, uprooting much of thedense pine forest at mid-elevation, especially near the resort towns of Star Smokovec andTatransk Lomnica. Huge swaths will look barren war ravaged even for years to come. Treetrunks have been cleared and shipped off for building, leaving fields full of massive upturnedstumps and clumps of dirt, but this hasnt stopped the crowds from showing up.

Some five million people a year come to walk, climb, cycle or ski here. A 600km networkof hiking trails, chairlifts and cable cars reach all the alpine valleys and some peaks, withchaty (mountain huts) to stop at along the way. In high summer and winter seasons, trailsare densely crowded. Youll need to climb further than in Slovakias other mountains tohave some of it to yourself, but the rewards are breathtaking.

Hike from Hrebienok past the Obrov

Lomnick ttdiar

Zbojncka Koliba

Aqua CityZamkovskhochata

Enjoy a hot wine and spit-fired chicken; food for the hikers soul at Zbojncka Koliba (p404)

Soak away your aches at the thermal pools of the environmentally aware Aqua City (p399) inVaec

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SLEEPINGBilkova chata........................ 1Chata pod Rysmi....................2Chata pod Soliskom...............3Chata Popradsk pleso.......... 4Chata pri Zelenom plese........ 5Eurocamp FICC......................6Hotel & Intercamp Tatranec...7Hotel Euforia..........................8Hotel FIS................................9Lieebn Dom Solisko..........10Pension Vesna..................... 11

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Penzin Ingrid......................12Penzin Pleso.......................13Sliezsky dom........................14Tryho chata........................15Vilky Greenfield................... 16Zamkovskho chata.............17Zbojncka chata................... 18portcamp............................19

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This map is for reference only.For hiking, purchase a hiking map.

Chairlift

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okys

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Rysy(2499m)

Popradskpleso

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Morskie(Oko)LakeCzarnyVel'kStawHincovopleso

Furkotsk ttMal(2405m)HincovoVynplesoWahlenbergovoKrivpleso(2494m)NinWahlenbergovoplesoPredn Solisko(2093m)3

Yellow-Marked Trail

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To Tatransk Kotlina (1.5km);diar (6km);Tatransk Javorina (14.5km);Polish Border (16km);Zakopane (42km)To Kemarok(15km)

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Lonely Planet Publications394H I G H TAT R A S 395

396 H I G H TAT R A S H i k i n g i n t h e Ta t r a s

BOOKS & MAPS

Our High Tatras map has trails, chaty and someof the outlying lodging mentioned throughoutthe chapter. It is intended for orientation only,not as a hiking guide. For anything more thana day hike, youll need a decent map. The besthiking map is the VK Vysok Tatry 1:25,000map (No 2; 120Sk) although, due to its size,it can be a bit awkward to manoeuvre. Youmight be more comfortable with the 1:50,000map (No 113; 120Sk). With 45 detailed hikes

explained in English, The High Tatras (240Sk)by Dajama (www.dajama.sk), part of the Knapsackedseries, is a good book to have.

OrientationFor all their majesty, the High Tatras are surprisingly compact at only 55km long. Theyform part of the 795-sq-km Tatra NationalPark (Tatransk nrodn park), Czechoslovakias first national park, founded in 1949.The High Tatras are geologically young, withsharp, frost-shattered summits and broadvalleys carved by glaciers. Three dozen valleys contain over 100 plesy, or tarns (smallglacial lakes). The pine forest, skirting therange below 1600m, has been damaged bywindstorms. Some 25 peaks measure morethan 2500m, with the 2634m Lomnick tt insecond place after Gerlachovsk tt.The main eastwest regional highway (E50)passes through Poprad, the parks administrative centre and the main gateway to theTatras. An upper road following the base ofthe mountains links all the village resorts.Star Smokovec (990m) is the biggest resorttown, with the most facilities and connections, and a clear view of the mountain peakswithout a pine forest to look through. Elevenkilometres to the west is the overdevelopedtrbsk Pleso (1350m), which still has trees,and 5km to the east is the more peaceful, butbarren Tatransk Lomnica (850m). Poprad islinked to all the resorts by road, bus networkand electric train.

Climate & When to GoTheres snow by November that lingers at leastuntil May. June and July are especially rainy.July and August are the warmest (and mostcrowded) months. Hotel prices, and crowds,are at their lowest from October throughApril. September may just be the ideal monthto visit, but in any month theres an off chanceof snow at higher elevations.

InformationEach of the main resorts has an informationoffice; they can provide lodging contacts, butdo not book accommodation. A selection ofguidebooks (some in English) and information booklets of varying usefulness are available from tourist offices, gift shops, travelagencies and top-end hotels. Good onlinesources of info include www.tanap.sk, www.tatry.sk and www.tatry.net.

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

H I G H TAT R A S S l e e p i n g 397

BETTER TO BE SAFEAround 15 to 20 people die every year in the High Tatras, due mainly to extremely capriciousweather conditions it can change from warm, brilliant sunshine to snow, rain, hail or windwithin a few minutes. Beware of sudden thunderstorms on ridges and peaks where theres noprotection. Stay off the ridge tops if theyre in cloud. Check the weather forecast at the MountainRescue Service before setting out for overnight trips. Take their advice seriously. The emergencyassistance of the Mountain Rescue Service is not free; you will pay to be rescued.Its a good idea to carry your own water and some food, even if you have a chata bookingwith meals; youll burn up a lot of energy and will need snacks along the way. Wear hiking bootsand layered clothing; the highest elevations are cool year-round. Carry a whistle for emergencies;six blasts is an internationally recognised distress call.The rules: stay on the trails, dont pick the flowers, take your rubbish with you and dont cutwood or build open fires.

SleepingFrequent, cheap transport means you can stayalmost anywhere. Lodging rates are high inthe three main resorts, if youre looking forbargains you have to go down hill. In villages like Nov Lesn, Star Lesn, Tatransktrba and Vek Slavkov youll find plenty ofsigns advertising private rooms. Most are neartrain stops. To make sure you have a place,its best to book private rooms (from 300Skper person) via the internet (www.tatry.skand www.tanap.sk/homes.html have listings).Though no free camping is allowed, there area couple of organised camping grounds nearTatransk Lomnica.Rates given below are for the high winter(December to March) and summer (June toAugust) season. In spring and autumn pricesdip by at least 20%.

Getting There & AwayFew buses go directly to the Tatra resort townsfrom far afield, for most you will need toswitch in Poprad. Trainwise, you can changein Poprad from the main BratislavaKosiceline to take the electric train to mountain resorts, or you could switch at Tatransk trba,and take the ozubnicov eleznica (cog railway) up to trbsk Pleso.Poprad airport has a few London-boundflights each week. See the individual townsections for more information about gettingthere and away.BORDER CROSSINGS

The closest border crossing between Slovakiaand Poland is at Lys Poana near TatranskJavorina, 30km from Tatransk Lomnica viadiar by bus. Buses depart from Poprad and

Tatransk Lomnica. From the Polish side of theborder crossing there are regular public busesand private minibuses to Zakopane (26km).

Getting AroundBICYCLE

Places renting mountain bikes are mentionedthroughout the chapter.BUS

Local buses run between the resorts every 20minutes and tend to be quicker than the train they have fewer stops. From Star Smokovecit takes 10 minutes to Tatranska Lomnica(10Sk) and 30 minutes to trbsk Pleso (28Sk).Schedules are posted on major bus stops.Buses from Poprad travel to Star Smokovec (18Sk, 20 minutes, every half hour), Tatransk Lomnica (25Sk, 35 minutes, hourly)and trbsk Pleso (45Sk, 50 minutes, every45 minutes).TRAIN

The Tatra Electric Train Service (Tatransk elekrickeleznica, TEZ) links most of the towns and villages in the Tatras at least hourly (schedulesat www.zsr.sk). There are so many stops thatits likely one is near your lodging. A 20Skticket covers a 6km to 14km ride. Its easier to buy a one-/three-/seven-day pass for100/200/360Sk. If theres no ticket windowat your stop, buy one from the conductor.Validate it on board.One line runs from Poprad via Star Smokovec (30 minutes) to trbsk Pleso (one hour).Another line connects Star Smokovec toTatransk Lomnica (15 minutes), so you haveto change to travel from trbsk Pleso to Tatransk Lomnica. A third route from Tatransk

HIGH TATRAS

HIGH TATRAS

Hiking in the TatrasGoing for a walk in the High Tatras can beanything from a few hours to a five-day trek.Cable cars, chairlifts and a funicular give youa head start, so even couch potatoes can getsome superb views. Its easy: take a chairliftup, go for a short hike, take the funicular downand ride public transport back to your start.Then again, the High Tatra mountains are themost well situated in Slovakia for multidayhiking. Theres no free camping allowed inthe national park, but there are a series ofwell-spaced chaty that line the upper trails. Abed goes for 300Sk to 500Sk a night, and meals(about 150Sk for dinner) or a full restaurant isavailable at all. In July and August especially,contact the chata directly to book ahead andguarantee you have a bed.Weve listed hikes and chaty according tothe lower-elevation, trailhead resort townstheyre accessed from trbsk Pleso, StarSmokovec or Tatransk Lomnica. Dont overlook less traversed hiking possibilities in theBel Tatras, to the east. The main artery ofthe trail network is the 65km, red-markedTatransk magistrla trail, which runs alongthe southern flank of the High Tatras, and isaccessible via dozens of branch trails. Some ofthe higher trails involve steep scrambling andclimbing in exposed situations with the aid ofchains and metal rungs not recommendedunless you have a head for heights.Trail advice from the parks Mountain RescueService (Horsk Zchrann Sluba; %4422 820, emergency18 300; ths@tanap.sk; Star Smokovec 23) goes a longway. When planning your trip, keep in mindthat the higher trails are closed from November to mid-June (a list of closings is availableon www.tanap.org), and avalanches may closelower portions as well. Note that it is technically illegal for visitors to walk across theSlovakPolish border in the mountains ifcaught doing so you could be fined.

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398 H I G H TAT R A S P o p r a d

lonelyplanet.com

Lomnica through Studen potok (15 minutes)loops round to Poprad (25 minutes).A cog railway connects Tatransk trba (onthe main ilinaPoprad railway line) withtrbsk Pleso (30Sk, 15 minutes, hourly).

1km southeast to the main square, Nm svEgdia, which is lined with shops and eateries.Poprad-Tatry airport, the highest in Europe,is about 5km west of town.

POPRAD

City Information Centre (%772 1700; www

Information.poprad.sk; Nm sv Egdia 15; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri,9am-noon Sat Jul-Aug; 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noonSat Sep-Jun) Tatra and town info, including private roomaccommodation.udov banka (Prior, Nm sv Egdia 124) ATM andexchange.Post office (Mnoheova 11)Sinet (Nm sv Egdia 28; per hr 50Sk; h9am-9pm MonSat, from 1pm Sun) Internet caf.T-Ski Travel (%788 2911; www.slovakiatravel.sk;Hviezdoslavova; h9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) High Tatrasaccommodation booking and sports store, near the busand train stations.

pop 55,404

Views of the High Tatras jagged peaks accost you at every turn in Poprad. This valleytown, just 13km south of Star Smokovec, isthe major transport hub for mountain-boundnature lovers. You could also use this big littlecity as a base for seeing not only the mountainsbut also the surrounding Spi Region (p412).Poprad was originally a 13th-century Spitown. Little of the Germanic influence remainson the main square, but youll see broad gablesand carved timber in Spisk Sobota, a neighbouring suburb. Much of the city is highly industrialised and theres no real reason to make aspecial trip, but if youre passing through

SightsThe Gothic Church of St Egidius (Nm sv Egdia;

Orientation

adult/student 20/10Sk; h9.30am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri,or by appointment), in the middle of the square,

From the bus and train stations (and the electric train terminal above the main station) its

sports Spi-style gablets on the roofline. The00

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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIESAqua City...........................................6Bell Tower.......................................... 7Church of St Egidius........................... 8St George Church...............................9

C1B3B3B1

SLEEPINGHotel Cafe Razy............................... 10Hotel Sobota.....................................11Penzin Barborka..............................12Sabato .............................................13

C3B1B1B1

SleepingThe City Information Centre has a big listof private rooms (about 300Sk per person)around town and T-Ski Travel can bookrooms in the Tatras.Hotel Cafe Razy (%776 4101; www.hotelcaferazy.sk;Nm sv Egdia 58; s/d 900/1600Sk; i) The unadornedbedrooms in this renovated old town hotel,with wood beds and floors, are really prettysane. Perhaps its the hotels Irish pub patronsthat have inspired the name CRazy?Penzin Barborka (%776 2545; www.penzionbarborka.sk; Pod brnou 4, Spisk Sobota; r 800Sk) Dark woodtrim sets off the white plaster of this rustic old house. Inside, oak panelling and ahomey mishmash of furnishings, along witha publike restaurant, make this a comfortable choice.Also in Spisk Sobota:Sabato (%776 9580; www.sabato.sk; Sobotsk nm

DRINKINGHostinec Spiky Dvor .......................14 C1

1730/6; r 1400-3800Sk) Medieval luxury: me thinketh I bein the wrong century, me lord.Hotel Sobota (%466 3121; www.hotelsobota.sk;Kemarsk 15, Spisk Sobota; s/d 1750/2200Sk; pnai) New hotel with an old slate-and-timberaesthetic.

TRANSPORTBus Station....................................... 15 A1

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INFORMATIONCity Information Centre..................... 1udov Banka.....................................2Post Office......................................... 3Sinet...................................................4T-Ski Travel........................................ 5

Bell Tower (adult/student 10/5Sk; h8am-noon, 1-4.30pmTue-Sun) has views over the town towards themagnificent High Tatras.The colourful Renaissance merchantsand artisans houses lining the central squareof Spisk Sobota, 3km northeast of the mainsquare, are quite charming (and contain thetowns best places to stay). Look for the altarmade by Master Pavol of Levoa in 1516,inside the Gothic St George Church (Kostol sv Juraj;adult/student 30/15Sk; h9am-5pm Sun-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat).To get here walk northeast on tefnikova andturn north on Kemarsk, or take bus 2 or 3from the station.Aqua City (%785 1222; www.aquacitypoprad.sk;portov 1397; h9am-9pm), Poprads urban waterpark, tries hard to be environmentally friendly.The water, heat and most of the electricitycome from geothermal sources on site, and15% of the parks profits goes back to thetown (as will electricity some day). Prices forthe different sauna, swim and slide zones differ; access to the thermal pools and slides is450/250Sk per day for adults/students.

To E50/18 (100m);Levoa (22km);Preov (84km)

To PizzeriaUtopia (500m)

Numerous restaurants, bars and cafs lineNm sv Egdia.

H I G H TAT R A S t r b s k P l e s o 399

Pizzeria Utopia (%773 2222; Dostojevskho 23; pizzas 100-200Sk) Head south across the E18 foreverybodys favourite pizza and pasta. Eclecticbric-a-brac decorate the rambling houselikerestaurant.Hostinec Spiky Dvor (%0903706929; Sobotsk nm58; h9am-10pm Sun-Thu, until midnight Fri & Sat) Yourfriendly Spisk Sobota neighbourhood pubhas a billiard table and wine bottles meltedinto art.Theres a large Billa (cnr Wolkerova & Slovenskho)grocery store 200m west of the bus station,and just outside town on the E50 motorway toilina is a 24-hour Tesco Hypermart (Teplickcesta) with a supermarket and all kinds ofcamping essentials.

Getting There & AwaySky Europe (NE; %02-4850 4850 reservations; www.skyeurope.com) flies between London Stansted andthe Poprad-Tatry International Airport (TAT; %7763875; www.airport-poprad.sk; Na Letisko 100) on Wednesday and Saturday. Bus 12 takes you the 5kmfrom the airport to Poprad city centre. SA(OK; %678 2490; www.czechairlines.com) runs a twohour bus service from Poprad-Tatry airport toKoice, in conjunction with flights to Prague(billed as one ticket, from 5042Sk).For longer land distances in the region,trains are your best bet. Up to 11 fast trains aday run to Bratislava (420Sk, five hours) andKoice (154Sk, 1 hours). Night trains connect Poprad with Brno (679Sk, 7 hours) andPrague (1180Sk, nine hours), plus 174Sk for asleeper supplement.On Thursday and Saturday mornings (currently at 6am) a bus goes directly to Zakopane(300Sk, 2 hours). Otherwise, you can take abus from Poprad to Tatransk Javorina, LysPoana stop (58Sk, 1 hours, four daily), nearthe Polish border. Walk across to the buseswaiting to take you to Zakopane.For more on getting to mountain resorts,see p397.

TRBSK PLESOA 20-hectare, alpine pleso (lake), the secondbiggest in the park, defines the High Tatraswesternmost resort. Hotel after hotel lines thebanks, and though the place is overdeveloped(and in the high seasons, over-run), trbskPleso retains a natural beauty because it wasspared by the 2004 storm. Pine trees still snuggle up to the shoreline and the reflective waters, crowding out some of the ugliness.

HIGH TATRAS

A

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1 km0.5 milesKemarsk

POPRAD

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

400 H I G H TAT R A S S m o k o v c e R e s o r t s

North of the lake are a number of runs thatmake up the parks most popular ski area, anda year-round chairlift takes you up to trails.

Orientation & InformationThe red-marked Tatransk magistrla trailthat travels the length of the Tatras windsaround the southern end of the lake here at1346m. To pick it up in the easterly direction,walk north from the station and after 500mbear right towards the Helios sanatorium; thetrail is on the left, just past a small stream.Most of the town is arranged around the largelake, trbsk Pleso, northeast of which is theski area in the Arel FIS. Southwest is thesmaller Nov trbsk Pleso. None of the buildings have proper street addresses; they can belocated by finding one of these three areas.The staff at the Tatra National Park Info Centrum (%449 2391; www.tanap.sk; trbsk Pleso; h9am4pm) are quite knowledgeable about trails,including closures. Theres an ATM acrossthe parking lot, by the Hotel Panorama. Twocomputers in the lobby of Hotel FIS (%4492221; Arel FIS; per hr 100Sk; h24hr) are available forinternet rental.A relatively easy (and crowded) walk fromtrbsk Pleso is up the magistrla to and evenmore idyllic pond, Popradsk pleso (1494m),which takes one to 1 hours one way. Fromthere a more demanding two-hour blue trailtakes you to Vek Hincovo pleso (1946m), thebiggest and deepest of the parks tarns. FromPopradsk pleso you could also continue easton a challenging zigzaggy section of the Tatransk magistrla about 3 hours to Sliezskydom hikers hut and about five hours to Hrebienok (1285m), where a funicular goes downto Star Smokovec.There is also a year-round chairlift (%4492343; www.parksnow.sk; adult/student return 200/140Sk;h8am-3.30pm) from the ski area north of

trbsk Pleso to the Solisko mountainside terminus (1830m) near a chata, from here its asteep one-hour walk north along the red trailto the 2093m summit of Predn Solisko.You can hire skis, snowboards, even mountain bikes (all about 300Sk a day) from CrystalSki (%449 2834; www.crystalski.sk; Arel FIS; h8.30am4.30pm). When theres snow, theres usuallya guy (in the field on the side of the road)hawking rides on a snowmobile (snik scooter; 10min 600Sk) to the chairlift and Arel FIS.

Sleeping

lonelyplanet.com

Penzin Ingrid (%0905108088; www.ingrid.sk; Tatransk trba 1121; apt per person 400-800Sk; pn) Thistidy new accommodation opened 500m fromthe cog railway stop, 3km south of trbskPleso in late 2005. Apartments each have atwo-burner cooktop, a small fridge and anelectric kettle.Penzin Pleso (%449 2160; Nov trbsk Pleso 11;

ovce Resorts the collective name we use forOld (Star), New (Nov), Upper (Horn)and Lower (Doln) Smokovec. The villagesrun together but have separate electric trainstops. It will take years for the trees aroundthe resorts to grow back after storm damage,but in the meantime, some hotel rooms havemuch clearer views of the peaks above. Is thata silver lining?

www.penzionpleso.sk; r per person 650Sk, ste per person800Sk; p) The contemporary inside of this

Information

refurbishment-in-progress is well ahead ofthe outside. Choose suite 11 because of themountain views from full-length corner windows. Breakfast is 90Sk.Old-fashioned Lieebn Dom Solisko (%4780722; www.solisko.sk; trbsk Pleso 27; s/d 2350/3900Sk;ps) and modern, off-kilter A-shaped HotelPatria (%449 2591; www.hotelpatria.sk; trbsk Pleso 48;s/d 2400/3260Sk; ps) are both lakeside.MOUNTAIN HUTS

Chata pod Soliskom (1800m; %0905652036; www.chatasolisko.sk) Nine beds, nice terrace, no hiking required(its next to the chairlift).Chata Popradsk pleso (1500m; %449 2177; www.popradskepleso.sk) Sizeable chalet with restaurant and132 beds in two- and eight-bed rooms. The attic floorsleeps 25 in sleeping bags.Chata pod Rysmi (2250m; %0903181051, 4422 314;h15 Jun-Oct) Highest and smallest of them all. Sleepmattress to mattress under the eaves. Board available.Sliezsky dom (1670m; %442 5261; www.sliezskydom.sk) Doubles and four-bed dorms (131 rooms) in a 1971concrete block with restaurant and cafeteria.

EatingAll the hotels and pensions have restaurants.Samoobslun Retaurcia (%478 1011; Hotel Toliar, trbsk Pleso 21; mains 40-70Sk; h7am-10pm) Thisself-service cafeteria serves one-pot meals(goulash, chicken stir-fry) and some vegetarian options.Janova Koliba (%449 2422; Arel FIS; mains 60-250Sk)Sure, the rustic restaurant by the ski slopes isa little kitsch, but sharing an evening of beerand folk music with German-speaking tourists can be lively.

SMOKOVCE RESORTSAt the turn of the 20th century, fancy-hatladies and topcoat gentlemen strolled pastgrand alpine hotels and churches with halftimber decoration. Some of that grandeurremains in restored old buildings in the Smok-

Junior Sport (Star Smokovec 29; per day 38Sk;h10am-6pm Mon-Thu, 9am-6pm Fri-Sun) Left luggagestorage in sport store above train station.Slovensk Sporitea (Cesta Slobody 24, Star Smokovec) Bank on the main road, has an ATM and exchange.T-Ski Travel (%442 3200; www.slovakiatravel.sk; StarSmokovec 46; h9am-4pm Mon-Thu, to 5pm Fri-Sun)Books lodging, including some huts, and arranges ski andsport programmes. Its in the funicular station.Tatra Information Office (TIK; %442 3440; www.tatry.sk; Dom sluieb 24, Star Smokovec; h8am-8pmMon-Fri, to 1pm Sat) Regular area info.U Michalka Caf (Star Smokovec 4; per hr 80Sk;h11am-10pm) One internet terminal.

ActivitiesHIKING

From Star Smokovec a funicular railway (pozemnlanovka; %446 7618; www.tldtatry.sk; adult/student return100/60Sk; h7.30am-7pm), or a 55-minute hike

on the green trail, takes you up to Hrebienok(1280m). From here you have a great view ofthe Vek Studen valley and a couple of hikingoptions. You could follow the magistrla trailwest to the Sliezsky dom (two hours), and downa small green segment to the yellow-markedtrail back to Star Smokovec (two hours).

H I G H TAT R A S S m o k o v c e R e s o r t s 401

Head northeast from Hrebienok on the redmagistrla trail (or past the Bilkova chata on thesteeper, streamside green trail) for about oneto 1 hours to the Obrov waterfalls (Obrovskyvodopad). If youre fit, a recommended optionis a blue-trail turn-off before the falls and thefour-to-five-hour climb up Vek Studen Valley to a hot meal and warm bed at the Zbojnckachata; make sure to prebook.From the Obrov waterfalls you could instead continue west on the red magistrla toZamkovskho chata (past more waterfalls) andon to Skalnat pleso (1 hours), where theresa cable car down to Tatransk Lomnica. Or atZamkovskho chata turn up a green trail intothe Mal Studen valley. Two hours will seeyou at the Tryho chata, which is beside a lakeat about 2010m. You could stay there andthe next day continue on the green trail overa 2373m pass and down the long Bielovodskvalley five hours down to Tatransk Javorinain the Bel Tatras (p404) near the Polish border,where there are buses back to Tatra resorttowns.MOUNTAIN CLIMBING & BIKING

You can reach the top of Slavkovsk tt (2452m)via the blue trail from Star Smokovec (sevenhours return), but to scale the peaks without marked hiking trails (Gerlachovsk ttincluded) you must hire a mountain guide(members of recognised climbing clubs whovechecked in with the mountain service are excluded). In addition to guide service, the Mountain Guides Society Office (%442 2066; www.tatraguide.sk; Star Smokovec 38; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, noon-6pm Sat& Sun Jun-Sep, 10am-6pm Mon-Fri Oct-May) has climbing

classes and climbing and biking tours.

FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE TATRASSo you want to hike across the High Tatras? The Tatransk magistrla is going your way. It hassome definite elevation changes, but it starts off easy. From Podbansk, you walk along a valleyedge past Jamsk pleso (3 hours) before skirting the parking lots of resort town trbsk Pleso(one hour), where you can stop, or press on to Chata Popradsk pleso (opposite) for the night(total 5 hours). One of the most difficult sections is right after Popradsk pleso, where you cresta ridge. A five-hour day hike lands you at Zamkovskho chata (p402) for the night. The thirdday you pass the cable cars at Skalnat pleso bound for a night at Chata pri Zelenom plese(p404); a five-hour day, with a steep section at the end. Youre only 30 minutes from the end ofthe trail at Vek Biele. Instead of backtracking, take the green trail 3 hours down to TatranskKotlina (p405) where you can catch a bus onward.Buses go to Podbansk from Star Smokovec (40Sk, 38 minutes) three times a day in summer.Make sure you check in with the Mountain Rescue Service (p396) for trail conditions before setting out on any multiday hike.

HIGH TATRAS

HIGH TATRAS

Activities

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402 H I G H TAT R A S S m o k o v c e R e s o r t s

SMOKOVCE RESORTSTo Sliezky domvia YellowTrail (4hrs)

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INFORMATIONJunior Sport........................... 1 D2Mountain Rescue Service.....(see 7)Slovensk Sporitea.............. 2 D1Tatra Information Office........3 C2T-Ski Travel............................4 C1U Michalka Caf....................5 D1SIGHTS & ACTIVITIESFunicular Railway...................6 C1Mountain Guides SocietyOffice................................7 D1Tatrasport..............................8 D1

B

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00

Tatry Pub (%442 2448; Star Smokovec; h1-11pmMon-Thu, 11am-midnight Fri-Sun) The official watering

300 m0.2 milesTo Hrebienok(2km)

CTo Slavkovsk ttvia Blue Trail (4 hrs)

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Star Smokovec

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SLEEPINGGrand Hotel...........................9 D1Villa Mon Ami..................... 10 C2

589

EATINGBistro-Fast Food Tatra..........11 D1Pizzria Albas.......................12 D1Retaurcia Svi...................13 C2Supermarket......................(see 12)

112HotelSmokovec3

7Star SmokovecTrainStation1

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To TatranskLomnica (5km);Poprad (14km)

Nov Smokovec2

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To Pension Vesna (200m);trbsk Pleso (11km)

Nov SmokovecTrain Station

Rent mountain bikes (and skis and snowboards, each about 300Sk a day) from Tatrasport (%442 5241; www.tatry.net/tatrasport; StarSmokovec; h8am-noon & 1-6pm) above the bus station parking lot.Pension Vesna (%442 2774; vesna@stonline.sk; NovSmokovec 69; r per person 600Sk; p) Both familyoriented and friendly. Most of the seven roomsat this guesthouse have three beds and a separate living area. Vesnas below Nov Smokovectrain stop, behind the sanatorium.Hotel Euforia (%478 3061; www.hoteleuforia.sk;Nov Lesn 399; s/d 1150/1550Sk; p) With blondewood and cobalt-blue rugs, Euforia is fresherand brighter newer, frankly than most ofwhats up the hill. A big terrace closes off inwinter. Its 3km south of Star Smokovec, nearthe Nov Lesn train stop.Grand Hotel (%487 0000; www.grandhotel.sk; StarSmokovec 38; s/d 2300/3900Sk; pns) More than100 years of history are tied up in this fullservice property thats front and centre in OldSmokovec. The basement pool, sauna, Jacuzzicomplex is quite refreshing.Other mid-elevation options:Vilky Greenfield (Map p395; %422 4600; www.greenfield.sk; Vek Slavkov; 4-/6-person bungalow1330/1930Sk; p) Red two-bedroom cottages sleep sixin bedrooms, 10 with couches. Its 7km south of StarSmokovec on the back road to Poprad.Villa Mon Ami (%478 0940; www.monami.sk; NovSmokovec 31; r 1800-2200Sk; pi) Scrolled ironworkbeds and chandeliers; very romantic.

TRANSPORTBus Station...........................15 D1

Atrium Hotel (Map p395; %542 2422; www.atriumhotel.sk; Nov Smokovec 42; s/d 1975/2575Sk; pis)Super modern cylindrical hotel. High-speed connections.MOUNTAIN HUTS

Bilkova chata (Map p395; 1220m; %442 2439, fax4422 267) Hotel-like chalet with restaurant and one-, twoand three-bed rooms with shared bathrooms.Zbojncka chata (Map p395; 1960m; %0903638000;www.zbojnickachata.sk) Sixteen beds, dorm style, restaurant (breakfast included).Zamkovskho chata (Map p395; 1475m; %442 2636;www.zamka.sk) Alpine chalet with 24 beds in four-bedrooms; board available.Tryho chata (Map p395; 2015m; %442 5245)Twenty-four beds in bunks, and a restaurant.

Eating & DrinkingAll the hotels, and some of the guesthouses,have restaurants; the sala (rustic restaurantspecialising in traditional shepherd dishes) atVilky Greenfield is quite popular locally.The big hotels usually have discos or bars,but Atrium Hotel goes one better with bothan upscale wine bar and a fun-loving bowlingbar (two lanes for rent).Pizzria Albas (%442 3460; Albas shopping centre,Star Smokovec; pizzas 100-170Sk) Everyone under30 you talk to seems to recommend thisbig, antiseptic pizzeria. Its the pizza, notthe place.Retaurcia Svi (%442 2545; Nov Smokovec 30;120-200Sk) Dine on the pleasant log terrace. Allthe typical pork options are available, but theyalso have tofu and a childrens menu.

Getting There & AwayTheres one direct bus from Bratislava (5.40am)to Star Smokovec (434Sk, six hours), and one(5.05am) from Trenn (326Sk, five hours).For more on getting between mountainvillages and to Poprad, see p397.

TATRANSK LOMNICAA lazy stream runs through the easternmostof the High Tatras three main resorts, andthats about the pace of life here. Its quieter,smaller and a bit removed from its resortcounterparts. Several of the c 1900 buildingsare disintegrating. (Anyone have money toinvest?) Unfortunately, the massive windstorm devastated the landscape here too. Theeast view doesnt green up again until you getto the Bel Tatras. The real attraction here,apart from relative peace, is the cable car upto Lomnick tt, the second-highest peak inthe range.

InformationBookshop (h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) Nextto an ATM, this well-stocked bookshop has hiking maps,guidebooks and gifts.Tatra Information Office (TIK; %446 8118; CestaSlobody; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) On themain street diagonally opposite Penzin Encian.Townson Travel (%478 2731; Tatransk Lomnica 94;per hr 80Sk; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) Has one computerwith internet access, as does the Grandhotel Praha.

ActivitiesAn extremely popular cable car (kabnkovlanovka; www.tldtatry.sk; adult/student return 390/270Sk;h8.30am-7pm Jul-Aug, to 3.30pm Sep-Jun) links Tat-

ransk Lomnica with the bustling lake andwinter sports area of Skalnat pleso (1751m).From there, another cable car (adult/student return550/350Sk; h8.30am-7pm Jul-Aug, to 3.30pm Sep-Jun)

goes on to the precipitous 2634m summitof Lomnick tt. Queues are long during peakseason, and tickets may sell out, so get thereearly to reserve a time. The narrow summit

ridge (site of a meteorology research station)can be crowded. One way to beat the queues isto walk up to Skalnat pleso (2 hours).There is also an ordinary chairlift (sedakovalanov drah; adult/student one way 150/110Sk; h9am-5pmJul & Aug, 9am-3.30pm Sep-Jun) from Skalnat pleso

to Lomnick sedlo, a 2190m saddle below thesummit. Pack warm clothing its very cold,even in midsummer.Its a rollercoaster, its a summer bobsled.No, its Tatrabob (%446 7951; Tatransk Lomnica 29;per ride 50Sk; h9am-10pm Jul & Aug, 9am-7pm Sep-Jun).Located in town, individual riders get hauledup on a track and are then let go to controltheir own undulating descent.HIKING

An easy (and popular), all-day walk starts withan early cable-car ascent to Skalnat pleso.From here the red magistrla trail revealsgrand views on its way west to Hrebienok(three hours), where you can catch the funicular railway down to Star Smokovec and theelectric train back to Tatransk Lomnica. Analternative is to walk down from Hrebienok toTatransk Lomnica on a blue trail (five hours)through the Vek Studen valley.Go north three hours from Skalnat plesoand youre at Chata pri Zelenom plese, on yourway into the Bel Tatras and Chata Plesinec(p405), 2 hours further. You could stop overnight at one then continue over the mountainsdown to Tatransk Kotlina buses.SKIING

Expert-level ski runs are at higher altitudesup by Skalnat Pleso and Lomnick sedlo.They are accessed by cable car and chairlift.More moderate is the Jamy ski area (east ofthe village), with a rope pull and night skiing.Lift tickets for the whole area cost 690/480Skper day for adults/children six-12, six days is2900/2030Sk. Students aged 12-26 get a 20%discount, kids under six are free. You can rentskis (and mountain bikes) at WR Sport (%4463440; Hotel Slalom, Tatransk Lomnica 94; h8am-6pm) forabout 400Sk a day.

SleepingEurocamp FICC (Map p395; % 446 7741; www.eurocamp-ficc.sk; per person/tent 110/80Sk, 2-/3-/4-bed bungalows 1200/1400/1600Sk; ps) Row upon row of

caravans line up at this 1500-capacity ground.On site are two restaurants, a bar, billiards, asupermarket, a swimming pool and sauna,

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HIGH TATRAS

Sleeping

DRINKINGTatry Pub.............................14 D1

hole of the Mountain Guide Club provides aconvivial atmosphere.For cheap eats, theres a convenient supermarket (potraviny; Albas shopping centre), below thepizzeria, and Bistro-Fast Food Tatra (Star Smokovec;mains 30-100Sk; h8am-7pm) northwest of the busstation, near Hotel Smokovec.

H I G H TAT R A S Ta t r a n s k L o m n i c a 403

404 H I G H TAT R A S B e l Ta t r a s

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TATRANSK LOMNICA

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www.hoteltatranec.com; per person/tent 100/80Sk, r 800Sk;p) Six-person cabins with shared facilities

MOUNTAIN HUTS

Three hours northeast from Skalnat plesois Chata pri Zelenom plese (Map p395; 1540m; %4467420; www.zelenepleso.sk), a large, lakeside hikerslodge with four- to 12-bed rooms. You couldalso hike west from Skalnat and be within

EATINGRetaurcia Star Mama.......10 B2Supermarket........................ 11 B2Zbojncka Koliba...................12 B1

a couple hours reach of the huts above StarSmokovec (p402).

EatingRetaurcia Star Mama (%446 7216; shopping centreSintra; mains 65-172Sk) Substantial soups andhomemade dumplings are the reason hikersfrequent this rustic fave, but the menu is actually quite extensive.Zbojncka Koliba (Tatransk Lomnica; mains 150-350Sk)Musicians play gypsy songs on the cimbalomwhile your chicken roasts over the open fire.Sit back, order some brynda (sheeps cheese)to spread on bread, have some hot spicedwine and wait. The chicken takes an hourto cook. This koliba is on the road up to theGrandhotel Praha.Theres a supermarket (potraviny) just eastof the train station, where there are also several food stands.

Getting There & AwayFrom Tatransk Lomnica buses leave forKemarok (22Sk, 30 minutes) at least every1 hours, and for Tatransk Javorina (30Sk,45 minutes), at least five times daily. Fromthe latter the Polish border crossing at LysPoana is 2km north. Walk to the Polish side,where there are regular public buses and private minibuses to Zakopane (26km).

BEL TATRASGo east in the High Tatras and you start tohear a Polish accent. The traditional Goralfolk culture is still going strong in the small

northeastern arm of the High Tatras. TheBel Tatras (Beliansk Tatry) are only 64 sqkm. This part of the Tatras was off-limitsuntil 1993 (protecting nature or state secrets?)Limestone prevails here, and there is a largecave system at Tatransk Kotlina. The localculture is evident in the wooden cottages indiar.

Lonely Planet PublicationsH I G H TAT R A S B e l Ta t r a s 405

Over 1km of the Belianska Cave (%446 7375; www.ssj.sk in Slovak; adult/student 150/130Sk) is open to thepublic, with hourly tours from 9am to 4pmTuesday to Sunday, from mid-May to August,and every 1 hours from 9.30am to 2pm therest of the year.From the south end of Tatransk Kotlinaits a two-hour hike up the green trail to ChataPlesinec (1290m; %0905256722; dm 350Sk). Anothertwo hours takes you past the alpine meadow,Rakska poana, and limestone formations before you get to Vek biele pleso (Big White Lake)at 1613m. Forty minutes further and youre atChata pri Zelenom plese (opposite), where youcan stay overnight, or continue three hoursto the cable car, which will take you down toTatransk Lomnica from Skalnat pleso.

Cross over the main road from the museum and a green trail skirts the river throughMonkova Valley (880m) for a half hour beforeclimbing over irkov sedlo (1826m) to get toKopsk sedlo (1750m) in about three hours. Atthis point youve pretty much crossed out ofthe Bel Tatras and Chata pri Zelenom plese(opposite) is an hour away.The northern part of the village is a big skiarea with seven tow lines and 10 moderateto easy runs, as well as cross-country pathsat Strednica (www.strednica.sk; ski pass adult/child perday 350/250Sk). Ski rental is available at the base(about 250Sk a day). Penzin Strachan (%4498189; diar 530; hrental hours 8am-8pm) rents bikes(200Sk a day) in summer and sledges (100Ska day) in winter.The town museum has a small restaurant,as does Penzin Strachan (mains at both are80Sk to 160Sk). There are bufets by the ski hillsand a few small grocery stores in town. TheGoral krma (pub), near the museum, is partof Penzin diar (%449 8138; www.penzionzdiar.sk; diar460; s/d 500/700Sk; p). At the far north end oftown, Penzin Vasko (%449 8133; www.pensionvasko.sk; diar 631; s/d 400/800Sk; p) is a new wood-andstone lodge near the ski area.

diar

Getting There & Away

Decorated timber cottages line the long andnarrow diar (www.zdiar.sk), the only substantialsettlement predating the High Tatra resorts(inhabited since the 16th century). Goral traditions have both been bolstered and erodedby alpine tourism. Several sections of thevillage are historical reservations, includingthe diar house museum (diarsky dom; %449 8142;

There are four buses daily to diar from Poprad (53Sk, one hour) via Star Smokovec(40Sk, 45 minutes), Tatransk Lomnica (31Sk,35 minutes) and Tatransk Kotlina (10Sk, 10minutes). Four daily buses travel from diarto the Polish border at Lys Poana (22Sk,25 minutes), 2km north of Tatransk Javorina. More buses go on weekends and duringJuly and August. From there you can walkacross the border. On Thursday and Saturday,two morning buses go directly to Zakopane(196Sk, 1 hours).

Tatransk Kotlina

adult/student 20/10Sk; h10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pmSat & Sun May-Sep, 10am-3pm Mon-Fri Oct-Apr). Inside

you can see the colourful local costumes andfurnishings.

Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitallyrestricted. In return, we think its fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposesonly. In other words, please dont upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it toeveryone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of sayingthe above - Do the right thing with our content.

HIGH TATRAS

(450Sk) and a motel surround the large fieldfor tents. Theres a koliba (rustic restaurantwith open fire) on site.Penzin Encian (%446 7520; penzion.encian@sinet.sk;s/d 1000/1500Sk; p) You couldnt ask for betterhosts than Zdenka and tefan Unk. Theyvewarmed up the small restaurant with a firein the hearth and old skiing memorabilia ondisplay. Eave-top room 13 has a great view ofLomnick tt.Grandhotel Praha (%446 7941; www.grandhotelpraha.sk; s/d 2900/3900Sk; pnis) Remembera time when train travel to mountain-hoteldestinations was elegant? OK, so were alltoo young, but the 1899 Grandhotel isnt.Rooms are appropriately classic, and theresa new spa.

A2A2C1B2

TRANSPORTBus Station...........................13 C2

To Poprad

and ball courts. Its five minutes northeast ofthe Lomnica-Eurocamp train station on theline to Studen potok.portcamp (Map p395; %446 7288; http://sportcamp.host.sk in Slovak; per person/tent 100/100Sk; p) Twokilometres south past Eurocamp FICC is a lesshyper, 100-site camping ground with tennisand volleyball courts.Hotel & Intercamp Tatranec (Map p395; %446 7092;

HIGH TATRAS

To Hotel & IntercampTatranec (2.4km):Eurocamp FICC (3km);portcamp (5km)

tri

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TrainStation1110

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIESCable Car to Skalnat pleso... 4Jamy......................................5Tatrabob................................6WR Sport...............................7

SLEEPINGGrandhotel Praha...................8 B1Penzin Encian.......................9 B2

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INFORMATIONBookshop.............................(see 2)Post Office.............................1 C2Tatra Information Office........ 2 B2Townson Travel..................... 3 C2

CentralPark

4

500 m0.3 miles

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