highest Tatra peak. It forms part of the coat of arms of the Berzevicky family from the village of Veľká Lomnica. The oldest plan of the Tatras forms part of a map of Hungary, dated 1556 and drawn by the Viennese historian Wolfgang Lazius.
During the 15th and 16th centuries there was continuous strife, caused by religious enmity (especially between the Hussites, followers of the Bohemian Jan Hus, and the Roman Catholic church), by various claimants to the Hungarian crown, and by pressure from refugees from the wars with the Ottoman Turks, especially from Wallachia (Southern Rumania). This forced many Slovaks to take refuge in the mountain valleys, eking out their existence by resorting to poaching and robbery.
These disturbances were subsiding by the 17th century, and at the same time people all over Europe began to take an interest in nature study, and in exploring mountainous areas. In 1615 the first recorded climb of a Tatra peak was undertaken, by a student called David Frölich from Kežmarok. It is not certain which peak was climbed, but it was probably Kežmarsky Štít, which is visible from Kežmarok.
By the early 18th century the Ottoman Turks had been expelled from central Europe, which became more settled under the domination of the Habsburg dynasty. Permanent settlements appeared in the foothills of the Tatras, and local people thoroughly explored the valleys and peaks, and established societies devoted to various aspects of their natural resources and culture.
Wealthier and more educated people from all over Europe began to travel around and explore the mountainous areas. The first recorded ascents of Lomnický Štít, Jahňací Štít and Kriváň were made in 1793 by a Scottish physician and geographer, Robert Townson. He may have stayed at the chalet that was built in the same year on the southern slope of Slavkovský Štít, in a location that later developed into the resort of Starý Smokovec.
More exploration of the Tatras was carried out in 1813 by the Swedish botanist and natural historian, Göran Wahlenberg. His principal objective was the study of the flora, but his records also contain much about other branches of nature study, and served for many years as a valuable reference work for other explorers.
In 1843 the Irishman John Ball made the first recorded ascent of Ľadový Štít (he later became the first president of the London Alpine Club). In those days it took two days to climb the highest peaks, with much use of horses and mules. The intervening night was spent either in a hayloft, a cave or under an overhanging rock.
Until 1871 the Tatras remained a relative backwater for tourists, as it lay so far from the railways and main roads. In that year a railway line was completed from Ostrava to Košice, passing through Štrba and Poprad, making possible connections from Vienna, Prague and Berlin, and the Tatras tourist industry began to flourish.
Soon after this were founded the local associations that actively promoted walking and mountaineering in the Tatras. These included the Hungaro–Carpathian Association on the Slovak side, and the Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie (Tatras Society) on the Polish side. Their work included building and marking the paths, many of which are still used today, as well as organising the guiding and mountain rescue services, and starting the network of mountain chalets.
Although the First World War resulted in Slovakia being declared part of the new Republic of Czechoslovakia, the fighting did not affect the Tatras. However, the defeat of the Austro–Hungarian Empire in 1918 and the resurgence of the Slovak language resulted in German place names being rendered into Slovak, so Zips became Spiš, Kesmark became Kežmarok and Schmecks became Smokovec. Less obviously, Deutschendorf became Poprad.
It was a very different story during the Second World War. In 1939 a puppet Slovak state was established under the Nazis, but with strong opposition in the form of local resistance units (partisans). This peaked at the end of 1944 and beginning of 1945, in what is now known as the Slovak National Uprising. There was fierce fighting in and around the Tatras villages, and in the valleys and forests, especially in the area around Podbanské. You may come across memorials at places where important battles took place.
In 1947 the High Tatras became a separate administrative region, called Vysoké Tatry. In 1999 it was awarded city status – although anywhere less like a city you are unlikely to find. To come right up to date, following the fall in 1989 of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia (the ‘Velvet Revolution’), an amicable separation (the ‘Velvet Divorce’) into two independent states, the Czech and Slovak republics, took effect on 1 January 1993. On 1 May 2004, together with Poland and eight other countries, the Slovak Republic became a full member of the European Union. You should note that, although most English-speaking people refer informally to Slovakia, the official name of the country is the Slovak Republic.
In recent years there has been much development of the tourism industry – not always to everybody’s liking – with major investment by national and multinational concerns.
Walking
Nearly all the walking in Slovakia covered in this book takes place in the High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry). The Western Tatras (Zapadné Tatry), despite providing extensive and delightful walking, are too remote and difficult of access to be of interest to people staying in the High Tatras resorts. Tourists are banned altogether from almost all of the White Tatras (Belianske Tatry), as well as from certain smaller areas in parts of the High Tatras not provided with waymarked routes – this is to protect the very fragile ecology, which has suffered from overuse in the past.
Six high summits on the Slovak side lie on the waymarked route network, and are therefore accessible without a guide. They are Kriváň, Kôprovský Štít, Rysy, Východná Vysoká, Slavkovský Štít and Jahňací Štít, all between 2200 and 2500m. Three other summits, albeit not particularly high, are easily accessible and provide fine views – they are Predné Solisko (2093m), Veľká Svišťovka (2037m) and Ostrva (1984m).
High passes on waymarked routes make a rewarding goal for a day’s excursion – these include Sedielko (2372m), Priečne Sedlo (2352m), Prielom (2288m) and Poľský Hrebeň (2200m) in the High Tatras, and Široké Sedlo (1830m) in the White Tatras. Hladké Sedlo (1994m) on the border with Poland provides a magnificent view into the Valley of Five Polish Tarns but is difficult to reach from the Slovak resorts. High tarns and mountain chalets also make satisfying targets, and there are plenty of these between 1500 and 2000m.
The two highest summits, Gerlachovský Štít (2654m) and Lomnický Štít (2634m), and some exciting ridge walks, require a qualified mountain guide. It is easy to hire one for the day – see ‘Mountain guides’, page 53.
See also ‘Altitudes’, page 21.
Waymarks In the Slovak High Tatras waymarks usually consist of three horizontal bands, the upper and lower ones being white, with the middle one either red, green, blue or yellow, to correspond with the colour shown for each route on the maps. At route starting points and junctions, the various waymarks (including an indication of walking times to major destinations) are attached to charming, picturesque and colourful rustic posts, made from fallen boughs to which a small red roof has been fixed. (You can ignore the frequent orange and black poles on the lower slopes and around the villages – they mark the location of gas mains.)
A typical Slovak High Tatras signpost, near Biela Voda (Yellow 8861)
Educational trails In the Slovak High Tatras, parts of some waymarked routes have been designated as náučný chodník, which literally means ‘instructive trail’ (as translated on some maps), but better known in English as ‘educational trail’. Interpretation boards placed along the route describe matters of interest concerning flora, fauna, geology or history at that location. This applies to routes Red 0930X, Red 0930B and Red 0930E. There is also a short, unwaymarked
