Panorama route in the northern foothills of the Low Tatras

Itinerary

• From the bus stop we walk on the Z trail to the Krčahovo dolina junction.
• From the Krčahovo dolina we climb on the P trail all the way to the pass, the Sedlo Javorie junction.
• From the Sedlo Javorie junction we continue our hike northwards (to the left) on the S trail to the Kosienky poľana meadow.
• From the Kosienky poľana we continue to climb on the K trail (left) on the side of Krakova hoľa.
• We make a short detour to the Krakova hoľa summit on the K▲ trail.
• We descend into the Deményfalvi valley (Demänovská dolina) on the K trail, also passing the Freedom Cave (Demänovská jaskyňa slobody).

Detailed description of the tour

Climbing the Krakova hoľa massif accompanied by panoramas.

We start from the foot of the Chopok Záhradky ski slopes, the Demänovská dolina, Lúčky bus stop, heading east along a forest path parallel to weekend cottages, on the Z trail. Slovakia's perhaps most popular ski resort attracts hikers even in summer because it offers the easiest access to the highest peaks of the Low Tatras, Chopok and Gyömbér (Ďumbier), which can be reached with a lift climbing up to 2,000 meters.

The path for warming up is characterized by a gentle ascent passing through pine groves and mountain meadows, as well as along the edges of large clearings. After about one kilometer we join the Demänovka stream and turn towards the steepening valley leading to the main ridge peaks. At first only the ski lifts are visible, but as we cross the stream to connect to the P trail, the summit region also unfolds above the ski slopes. Among the notable peaks, the stone pyramid of Chopok greets first. The valley and surrounding slopes were badly stripped in the 2010s, the only advantage being the wide panoramic views.

A left-turning junction leads to the Krčahovo dolina partisan bunker, a bit over a kilometer away, with nearly 100 meters elevation gain, which can be done as a half-hour detour (if you want to see the structure). The P trail follows the main valley a bit longer, through blueberry bushes and young pine groups, then after half a kilometer turns left towards the saddle named Sedlo Javorie. From here the elevation noticeably increases, almost reaching the summit. The path mostly consists of flat granite slabs set as steps for comfortable progress on the steep slope. We soon leave the narrowing ditch behind, where around 1450 meters elevation, three springs converge to form the stream. Bypassing the highest spring, we cut transversely across to the opposite side of the valley into increasingly gentle grassy valley head until we reach the pass. Sedlo Javorie gives the opportunity to look over to the other side, where the surrounding wooded mountains unfold. From here on, the view plays the main role, magnetically attracting us to see the widest slice of Slovakia's largest highland region.

Natural viewpoints, dwarf pine forests, rock peaks, and meadows in the summit area

At the pass, we join the S trail (left), climbing northwards along the narrowing southern ridge of Krakova hoľa. To the west, clearcuts still allow views, and behind us the main ridge of the Low Tatras gradually unfolds among the thinning pine groups. With increase in elevation, dwarf pine slowly takes over dominantly, and we can sometimes peek above the dense bushes. Here we already walk at the same height as the neighboring peak, behind which to the south stands the highest peak of the Low Tatras, the grim, rocky cresting Gyömbér (Ďumbier).

From the rocky ridge we traverse the gentler eastern slope, where from the Kosienky poľana clearing we can also enjoy the eastern view. First, the Carpathians' highest mountain range appears with the rock-crowned granite mass of the High Tatras. At its foot, the Váh and Poprad rivers—the watersheds of the Black Sea and Baltic Sea—look like a barren plain, while opposite them a chaotic mass of forested peaks unfolds into the distance, especially with their "leader," the Király-hegy (Králova hoľa) with a transmitter tower at its peak. Before tackling the last climb, it's worth spending a moment resting on the meadow, where still sheltered from the prevailing northwest wind, we can enjoy the view among wildflowers. Early summer meadows bloom with alpine flowers, bright blue gentians, and yellow edelweiss flowers.

From here to the end of the route we follow the K trail, choosing the left branch to continue climbing in dwarf pine forest. Soon we come to a junction, from where a few hundred meters detour and the K▲ trail lead up to the rocky summit. A "street" cut through dense dwarf pine guides us to the north-facing cliff ridge. At the Krakova hoľa summit the full circular panorama finally completes, although our attention is attracted by novelties: the previously hidden peaks of the Liptovské Tatry, the spacious Liptovská Basin and beyond it, the forested range of the Kócs Mountains. The neighboring Low Tatras ridges are also well visible from here, although the main ridge topping in Gyömbér and Chopok remains the most spectacular.

We walk back to the junction and continue westwards on the K trail. Now, looking more at our feet while circumventing the rocky top, it becomes clear that in contrast to the pass's defining rounded granite blocks, the Krakova hoľa summit surface already consists of sharp limestone rocks. Their deeply eroded grooves have been polished shiny by hikers, but be careful on the glossy surfaces, as the polished limestone can often be slippery for boot soles.

On a side ridge we bypass the rocky summit, and from the dwarf pine forest we increasingly catch sight of our next goal, the southern side of Pusté patched with pastures and limestone bands. After a steeper drop, we balance on a narrow ridge to cross onto the Pusté massif, where we first climb a subpeak in stony pine forest, then descend slowly diagonally below the narrowly defined main summit towards the Deményfalvi valley. The steep grassy slope dotted with limestone rocks is scenic, with the view opening and closing alternatingly depending on the density of pine groups. We walk opposite the ski slopes, as if on a map or panorama drawing seeing the bands cut through the pine forest intertwined with each other and separated again. The panoramic section winds around a rock composition, then with a heavy heart we say goodbye to the extremely atmospheric mountain meadow and surrounding mountains, as we enter the dense pine forest of the western ridge.

Descent into the Deményfalvi valley and the underground world

With varying steepness, we descend through pine forest into the valley below stretching nearly 600 meters beneath us. First, we cross to the northern side of the ridge, where we zigzag on pine root stairs, then we continue along another mountain ridge with gentler slope. The gentle slope resting place offers a chance to breathe, since at one point where the terrain becomes rocky again, the path turns to the mountainside and mercilessly begins the last steep descent. This is the steepest section of the entire tour, but fortunately we go downwards, and the dense pine forest provides good grips among trunks along the zigzagging path.

When the valley bottom car traffic becomes audible, a multi-storey, half-timbered building unfolds among the pines: the hotel in front of the Freedom Cave (Demänovská jaskyňa slobody). It is worth exploring the limestone massif's inner world richly decorated with stalactites. The cave tour takes about an hour and is offered with frequency suitable to the season.

A comfortable concrete walkway leads around the artificially mined tunnel, where we quickly arrive at a huge hall. The original natural entrance made access possible from the stream level. We first descend to this stream level, where the first people, Alois Král and Adam Mišna, entered in the direction of the dried-up bed a year after the foundation of the Czechoslovak state. The cave's discovery name was "Freedom Temple," which we really grasp when reaching the section after the watercourse, where the passage system begins to ascend gently again and the entire side wall is covered with stalactite flows and thousands of "calcite crystal stars" hang from the ceiling. This natural "sanctuary" filled with "stalactite formations" deeply enchants a person. The concrete walkway weaves vividly among stalagmite columns as we rise higher towards the end of the path.

From the cave a short walk remains down the valley floor on a comfortably winding path. Information boards beside the path deeply introduce the local values, of course focusing on the cave. At the highway, we reach the bus stop, from where we can return to the starting point, or if time permits, also visit the ice cave (Demänovská ľadová jaskyňa) located just a few kilometers above the next bus stop. Both the ice cave and the Freedom Cave are part of the Demény valley cave system, which with over 35 kilometers of underground network is Slovakia's longest known cave.