The High and Lows of the Slovakian Tatras

Arrival in Slovakia

As this is my first time in Slovakia I thought it would be interesting to provide an overview of my first impressions of the High and Low Tatras for anyone planning a walking holiday. I travelled in early September outside the main holiday period. I also stayed in two distinct hotels, one a very high standard and the other an access table but cheaper alternative.

Anne and I travelled from London via Vienna and we arrived in Slovakia on the train from Vienna to Bratislava. It’s a simple journey — we took the 11.16 train from platform 3 which took 1 hour 15 minutes. The contract between Austria and Slovakia was immediately apparent. Certainly not as tidy or affluent but very functional nevertheless. We used the local Hopin Taxi app to get a ride to the Avis pickup point about 15 minutes from the centre. The trip cost €6.5 and worked well.

Once we sorted out the car — we used a Golf — we set off using the car’s Sat Nav. Something which was much easier once we worked out the language facility. En route we stopped at a big Tesco Extra to buy some food. Anyone familiar with Tesco in the UK would feel at home — it is a a straight copy in every way.

Heading for the High Tatras

Initially the roads were poor but we had opted for a direct route which didn’t pick up the D1 motorway. But after about an hour or so we joined the dual carriageway which was very similar to the standard two lane German roads. The countryside was very flat for a few hours but we eventually entered the wooded area and the countryside was much more interesting. The road climbed steadily upwards as we approached the mountain areas. The countryside was similar to parts of Austria or Switzerland and the roads wound upwards towards the High Tatras. The eventual climb was quite steeps and we arrived at our destination — Strbske Pleso — at around 18.30 after a journey of around 5 hours.

Strbske Pleso

I had booked in to the Grand Kempinksi Hotel, a 5 start luxury hotel at the edge of a lake overlooking the mountains. A wonderful choice and worth the €200 a night cost (including breakfast). Our room was a deluxe one with a balcony overlooking the front of the hotel. I expect you would need to pay even more for the lakeside views. Nevertheless a good, if costly choice- we don’t usually spend this much money but this was a treat.

We had dinner at the hotel which, although very good, was rather expensive (€113 without wine but with pre-dinner drinks). The breakfast was even better with an amazing choice of food served in an efficient but, as we had started to notice, unsmiling way. Indeed the only real criticism of our time in Slovakia was the lack of smiles on people’s faces. Perhaps it’s a natural reserve but it is slightly unnerving initially.

After breakfast we set off on what was flagged as an Easy hike up to another lake at a height of just over 1,000 metres. We later went up on the ski chair to a height of 2,000 metres. In actual fact it wasn’t quite as easy as advertised. A lovely walk up into the woods alone a very uneven rocky path needed plenty of care. It wasn’t by any means difficult but it took us around 2 hours to walk up to the lake although the signs indicated around 1 hour 30minutes. Some of the views were breathtaking and I managed to take plenty of photographs on my iPhone 8 Plus and my Fujifilm X100T.

When we arrived at the lake there was a cafe and a hotel with a restaurant. We opted for soup and a drink at the cafe. There wasn’t much else but what we had was just right after a reasonably steep hike up through the hills.

Hiking

All the routes are well signposted and the free maps we were given at the hotel were sufficient for the walk. You don’t need anything more detailed and the colour coded walks were clearly signposted on the trees and posts. For a Thursday it seemed relatively busy and safe. our return down the mountain walk took us on. Slightly different route until we rejoined the main path. This time it was a little quieter.

The only disquieting thing was the lack of eye contact with fellow walkers. In the UK I am used to an occasional hello with people you meet on the walk. It was rare to receive any acknowledgement which I think is just the way it is in Slovakia.

On our return to Strbske Pleso we walked towards the Ski Centre. The area is well equipped for winter sports and the chair lifts were working in September to get to the top of the mountains. The chair lifts were not cheap (€20 each for a return trip) but the journey was spectacular even though I don’t enjoy heights. We had a drink at the top at a small cafe served by a taciturn man with the unsmiling temperament we had now come to expect. The clouds lifted and there were fantastic views down back to the hotel.

On our return we spend some time in the Spa at the hotel. The Spa includes a pool, a jacuzzi and a sauna plus a number of expensive massage services. A very professional set up which would be great for a longer holiday I suspect. We opted for a dip in the pool and a brief time in the sauna. Suitably relaxed we went to another hotel near the Grand Kempinski Hotel for a much more affordable pizza and salad. Pretty good quality in a clean and straightforward restaurant at the front of the hotel overlooking the lake.

Summary

So a brief few days in the High Tatras. It is a popular place to go but not one typically frequented by us brits. But definitely a destination for the future. A good choice of reasonably priced hotels — we opted for the luxury end but there are lower priced options. We also didn’t go for the difficult climbs and we only spent a few days there but it’s a recommended place to head for as part of a vacation.

We are heading for the Low Tatras now and I will post an update in the next few days.