Along the jewels of the High Tatras, hike to the catacombs of the northern sea

Itiner

• From the Kežmarské Žľaby (Kežmarské Žľaby) we start along the K sign andto the fork of the Seven Springs Valley (Dolina Siedmich prameňov).
• In the valley of the Seven Springs (Dolina Siedmich prameňov) we hike along the S sign to the Chata Plesnivec (Chata Plesnivec).
• From the Chata Plesnivec (Chata Plesnivec) we follow the Z sign to the Veľké Biele pleso (Veľké Biele pleso).
• From the Veľké Biele pleso (Veľké Biele Lake), follow the P sign to the Chata pri Zelenom plese (Green Lake Shelter).
• From the Chata pri Zelenom plese (Green Lake shelter), follow the S sign to thedown to the bus stop Kežmarská Biela voda (White Water Valley).

Detailed description of the tour

Forest walk towards the snowy hills, climbing up to the Gyopár shelter

From the Kežmarské Žľaby (Kežmarské Žľaby) we start north on the K sign, passing typical Tatra resorts. The resort, with only a few buildings, is a part of the II. It was built after the Second World War, before which only a few log houses stood here. After the first forester's lodge, built in the late 19th century, a hotel and service buildings were erected in the forest.

The surrounding mixed forest, which reaches a height of barely 10 metres, is made up of deciduous and emergent pine trees that have been growing since the 2004 windstorm. Only a few trees, mainly the already sparse and less deciduous Scots pines, have survived the winter.Here, in the southeastern foothills of the High Tatras, the destruction was most severe. The hurricane, which raged for four hours, devastated vast areas of the uniform pine forest, especially theTatranská Lomnica and Starý Smokovec. The cause of the natural disaster was partly attributed to the fact that the foothills of the mountain range were only covered by spruce forests on the foothills, so that both felling and replanting were discontinued after the destruction for nature conservation reasons. The next forest destruction after the windstorm was caused by the proliferation of woodlice in the many fallen tree trunks, which was a climaticThis, together with climate change, also destroyed the still standing but weakened forests across the skirts of the High Tatras. The sad sight of stagnant, gnawed pine trunks is still a painful legacy of the storm.

We cross the young forest, renewed on the foothills, almost level, until after about 2 km we reach a stream crossing.turn left onto the S sign, following the stream-side dirt road in the Seven Springs Valley (Dolina Siedmich prameňov). The path climbs gently in the shade of the streamside pine forest, the surrounding hillsides all scoured in patches by either the Sú or deforestation. As you approach the upper reaches of the valley, the terrain gradually steepens until the last climb turns serpentine. Here you can see the limestone cliffs of the Béla Tatras, and below them the first destination of the hike, the Chata Plesnivec (Chata Plesnivec).

The square beam building houses a dining area and accommodation, but is only open on weekends outside the summer season. This is also welcome, as it was only a research house for four decades after the World War. It was originally a wooden hut, the Drechsler hut, but in 1932 the Edelweisshütte was built.In 1932, the shelter, named Edelweiss Hut, was built by Tibor Gresch of Spišská Belá. It is well worth taking advantage of the opportunity to relax: You can enjoy a meal from the kitchen or your rucksack on the roofed terrace outside or on the benches in front of the house, with a wonderful panoramic view.

A walk in the flower garden of the Bélai-Tátra

Above the house, we continue along the Z sign, climbing a good 150 metres in one go to the top of the valley above the Seven Springs (Sedem prameňov). A characteristic natural clearing, following a ditch, leads along the steep valley floor, above which a crown of limestone cliffs whitens. In the Béla Tatras, such longitudinal clearings characterise the ditches of the mountain slopes, from which the wintersnow accumulated during the winter and numerous avalanches have cleared away the saplings trying to cling on. Avoid the steeply sloping southern ridge of the Face (or Bull Hill, Bujačí vrch) in a wide arc, then walk along the slope on the opposite side at almost the same level. Here the landscape changes radically, the hitherto steep slopes soften, the forest becomes decidedly sparser and more grove-like, and the first dwarf pine forests appear. We enter the world of the snows, where mountain meadows take over. For centuries, Spiš shepherds have grazed on these lower slopes, and today zergs are found in large numbers on the grassy slopes of the Bela Tatras. Through the clearings, the peak region of the Predné, Zadné Jatky) and the first glimpse of the jagged ridge of the High Tatras.

The gently sloping, gentle terrain gradually widens out as it joins the Predné Meďodoly (Predné Meďodoly) valley. We are surrounded by spacious, idyllic surroundings in one of the most beautiful valleys in Slovakia. Here we cross the 1500 m altitude level, above which we can speak of high mountains (in textbook terms). The meadows are rich in rare plants, in the spring with saffron and primroses, and later a carpet of variegated flowers. The rocky areas are also home to the conifer.

The former limestone moraine road in the valley floor has become a granite moraine, with someThere are also some large granite boulders around the road, as we are on the geological boundary: the contact zone between granite and overlying sediments. The crystalline rocks explain the name of the valley, because in the 18th century, miners from Spiš were mining copper ore in the area. A striking feature is the later development of the RéMedená kotlina (Medená kotlina), which is situated in an almost incomprehensibly steep setting on a ridge system between rock faces: the rocky landscape, accessible via the German Ladder, has been a natural landscape since the end of the Middle Agescopper ore was also mined in this rocky landscape during the Middle Ages and transported down to the valley by back barrel.

A final short scramble up the limestone block above the valley to the Bélai hill (Belianska kopa), on the other side of which you come to a wide cauldron. Leave the limestone peaks behind and enter the granite world of the High Tatras.

Along the valley floors, plunging into the High Tatras

A striking feature is the shimmering sea at the bottom of the vast area, the Veľké Biele pleso (Veľké Biele Lake), which is the most beautiful lake in the area.The triangular White Lake peak (Jahňací štít) above it is also the name of the lake. A fundamental difference (compared to the previous part of our route) is that the granite outcropThe main difference between the two areas is that, due to the insolubility of the granite surface, the water collects here in surface depressions and forms lakes. On the eastern shore of the Veľké Biele pleso (Veľké Biele pleso), starting towards the Kopské sedlo (Kopské Pass) the Kežmarská chata (Kežmarská Chata) stood until the mid-1970s. This tourist chalet was built in the II. It was built during World War II on the site of the older Votruba hut on the Kopa hut, which leads to the northern side of the High Tatras.It was built in a magnificent location, just a stone's throw from the Kopa Gota and the peaks of the Bela Tatras. Its loss was caused by the machine that provided the electricity and the diesel that powered it, which caught fire in October 1974, andand the failure of the sprinkler system meant that the fire could not be extinguished - to the loss of the two-storey house. The Bélai-Tátra was completely closed to tourists by the end of the decade, and the fire that destroyed the building was destroyed by the fire.The national park authorities refused to allow the rebuilding of the lodge.

At the outlet of the lake, we join the P sign to the Green Lake (Zelené pleso), the Upper Tatras tourist trail.(Tatranská Magistrála), which was originally built for military purposes in the 20th century to help soldiers move around. It was originally intended to serve as a military base for soldiers in the early 20th century.

Around the edge of the katlan, we skirt the shores of the small Triangle Lake (Trojrohé pleso), which is densely overgrown with salt and grass. Here you can clearly see how vegetation is conquering the depressions of the smaller lakes, where the water is shallow enough to allow silting up. The water is slowly changing, so that decaying plant debris accumulates at the bottom of the bed, above which a shrinking ring of vegetation rooted in mud forms. If you try to get close to the dark brown, open water, you can feel the organic matter.You can feel the marshy, shaky ground as the grassy surface sinks below the waterline under your weight. The small lake is a beautiful reflection of the Béla Tatrasand it is here that we reach the highest point of our hike, at 1625 metres.

We take a wide bend around the ridge of the Zerge peak (Kozi štít) and turn onto the southern slope, passing through a dwarf pine forest.The view of the dramatic Dolina Zeleného plesa (Green Lake Valley) becomes more and more spectacular. The Kežmarský Peak (Kežmarský štít), which is almost 1,000 metres high and a real challenge for climbers. At the bottom, a white vertical line marks the German-Létra ledge systemand the Bocek waterfall, which only comes to life during heavy rainfall. A major rockfall occurred here in 2022: freshly scattered debris at the foot of the wall shows the extent of the landslideThis gives a sense of the dangers of an ever-changing environment. The highest of the peaks is the Lomnický štít (Lomnický Peak), which the observatory has been able to see for some time.from the dome of the Astronomical Observatory, just behind the Késmarki peak.

The granite slab path, after a few hairpin bends, reaches the most spectacular spot on the route, the Green Lake (Zelené pleso). The emerald-green jewel of the High Tatras, this catacomb surrounded by rugged rock walls is perhaps the most beautiful sea in the High Tatras, and on its shores you will be welcomed by a cosy and comfortable tourist chalet. The glass-walled restaurant is an unforgettable experience, where you can relax after your journey, while the barely comprehensible dimensions of the surrounding rocky landscape try to put your mind at ease. If your eyes are keen enough, or you've brought binoculars, you might be lucky enough to spot rock climbers on the granite walls.

The Chata pri Zelenom plese (Green Lake Refuge) is built with excellent sense of scale in one of the most beautiful spots in the mountains. It has been in operation since 1897, although a decade earlier there was a shelter on the shore of the lake, which burnt down several times. The stone-built tourist hut is protected by the Hungarian Carpathian Association (MKE).Archduke Frederick, the patron of the lake's patron, was originally named Frederick's Retreat House, but later it was renamed after the lake and the 2nd Duke of Hungary. The lake was named after the Slovak mountaineering instructor Albert Brnčal, from whom it takes its nickname (Brnčalka). However, after the change of regime, the name reverted to the name of the Green Lake refuge (Chata pri Zelenom plese) between the two world wars. It now offers year-round accommodation with 56 beds in rooms and 30 mattresses in the attic.

Descent to the foot of the High Tatras

On leaving the house, it is worth walking down to the lake shore, where the summer terrace with itsIt is also the main route along the S sign to the valley. It is an exhilarating experience to see the house and the surrounding peaks glistening in the clear water. Above the opposite shore, the deepest notch in the ridge is the Baranie sedlo (Knee Hollow), where the green sign used to be.s led across to the other side, to the Little Tarpataki Valley (Malá Studená dolina), to the Téryho chata (Téryho chata). But most spectacular of all is the thumb-like towering rock castle with its red walls above the lake, the Jastrabia veža (Carbuncle Tower), which offers the most difficult rock-climbing challenges around the catacomb. There is a legend associated with the peak, which is mentioned in the 5th edition (1912) of Dr. Miklós Szontágh's Tatra Guidebook, revised by Count Sándor Teleki:

"On this peak there once shone a ruby stone, which reflected the light of the moon and the stars.and at night it turned the lake into a bright day. A poor hunting lord wanted to give this precious stone to his beloved as a wedding present, so that he could take her as his wife. Armed with his mountaineering irons, he rushed to the summit, and was about to break the precious stone out, when the fork was struck.struck him, and threw him into the Green Lake, where he lies buried beneath the great white granite rock of the north shore. Since then, the stone has no longer shone, and the lake is shrouded in night gloom."

Fed up with the sight of the peaks, we set off along the winding canyon road( signpostedS ). At first still in dwarf pine, the increasingly frequent clumps of trees become groves and later forests. The next few kilometres are hard on the feet, knees and ankles. The mountain stream (Zelený potok), which at first runs alongside the path, gradually cuts deep and becomes less and less audible from the road. Unfortunately, the surrounding forest has also fallen victim to the ravages of the bark beetle, and in some places the sight of dried-out trunks is truly depressing. There are a few places, however, where we can see the neighbouring hillside where we climbed up at the beginning of our hike. We turn out of the Green Lake valley (Dolina Zeleného plesa) in a wide curve and round the Veľka Svišťovka) and arrive in the wide Késmárky White Water Valley (Dolina Kežmarskej Bielej vody). Up to the stream crossing, both the road and the forest are in a depressing condition, but the last few kilometres are more and more gently slopingThe road becomes tamer and you arrive comfortably at the end of your hike, the car park and bus stop.