The walk up to Popradske Pleso is one of the most accessible walks in the High Tatras of Slovakia. It is a walk of beauty amongst mountains that takes you from one glacial lake to another. That is not to say the views on the way are not stunning. There is a reason this walk is popular for all standards as well as young families. It is stunning all the way. The views from Popradske Pleso and around it are worth every step getting there.
At 4.992 feet above sea level you can imagine the views are vast as well as being half way up this majestic range of mountains. Nestled within the trees this wonderfully coloured mountain lake greets you not just with natural beauty but also refreshments from hotels etc. What a place to stay too?
Of course, first there is the job of walking up. Where to start? Well the best place is of course the larger and lower lake of Strbske Pleso I have shown you in a previous article. Stunning in itself but a lot more touristic. There are plenty of car parks here and direct access to the track up to where you need to go. The walk up to Popradske Pleso from here is only around 10 km there and back and if you give yourselves a day then you can take all the time you wish 🙂
You can see here in the drone pic I took of Strbske Pleso. The route up takes you up and around the front middle of the mountain in the near background. From the car parks you will see many maps showing clear walking routes here. You need to take the red trail called tatranska magistrala. This will have you amongst nature in no time, going upwards within the forest.
After gradually climbing you turn into the forest itself and through the trees before the views wonderfully open up once again looking across and up to the mountain tops. The views are vast and large. Take time to appreciate them.
It is mainly level from now on in, traversing a well laid path around to the lake you are heading to. In the summer this walk can get very very popular and you meet plenty of people along the way. I noticed so many children and groups of teenagers taking a day out up here, was great to see the next generation loves the outdoors over here.
Before long, after about an hour and half wander from the beginning, you can hear those enjoying the shores of Popradske Pleso. You can enjoy refreshments from the hotel or cafe beside it plus I would definitely, as you have come this far, take the time to walk around it.
As a small detour from the lake you can walk to The Symbolic Cemetery. A solemn place that reminds us how much we should respect the mountains combined with our passion for them. A memorial for all that have died on the High Tatras.
Well over 160 memorial plaques and over 50 wooden crosses, all depicting someone who lost their life exploring here on the mountain range. Respectfully and beautifully laid out in the natural landscape in the middle of the mountains themselves.
The motto for the symbolic cemetery is:
As a remembrance to the dead and a warning to the alive
It was time to head back down and I treated this as a warm up to a higher climb up to the tops of the High Tatras the next day. I was looking forward to it but shall never forget the spectacles this body of water and the route to it gave me.
