JOURNEY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THE VYSOKÉ TATRY REGION – TATRANSKÁ KOTLINA

Discover the history, monuments, and interesting facts of the most famous Tatra settlements during a cultural and tourist tour in JUNE with a professional tour guide, lasting approximately 2 hours. ENTRY TO THE JOURNEY IS FREE.

What you can learn:

Each Tatra settlement is unique in its own way, and each one has something that the others do not. For example, from Tatranská Kotlina you can reach the only accessible cave in the Tatras, the Belianska Cave. Additionally, you will find a former quarry that now serves as a climbing wall, the peak of Pálenica, where lime was once produced. Thanks to the rediscovery of the Belianska Cave, another settlement, Tatranské Matliare, emerged. Today, this inconspicuous part of the town of Vysoké Tatry once hosted notable figures such as Franz Kafka, Fraňo Kráľ, Emil Zátopek, and Ludvík Svoboda. There was also a military garrison that took care of border security and helped build, for example, the Votrubova hut. Jiří Wolker was treated in Tatranská Polianka, and you can still sit in the pleasant surroundings of Wolker's ponds. This settlement is crucial if you want to climb Slovakia's highest peak – Gerlach. Dr. Michal Guhr, the founder of the sanatorium you can visit today, was not only a great doctor but also a promoter of winter sports in former Hungary. Few know that thanks to him, Polianka was the first settlement to have ski jumps.

Which settlement is the oldest, where did Maša Haľamová live, when was Ľudovít Štúr first in Kriváň, where were the Ice Hockey World Championships held, why do Smokovce have the sun in their emblem, how did the name Smokovec originate, where was the first swimming pool in the Tatras built, where do mineral springs emerge throughout the Tatras, which mountain hut is the oldest, where is Mrs. Čenková's cottage located, and many more fascinating facts about Tatra settlements that you may not even be aware of.

WHEN AND WHERE DO WE MEET?

FOR THE HISTORY OF TATRANSKÁ KOTLINA

Time and meeting place: 10:30 AM at the Čarda bus stop

Date: 06.06.2026

FOR THE HISTORY OF TATRANSKÁ LOMNICA

Time and meeting place: 10:30 AM at the main entrance of the train station

Date: 07.06.2026

FOR THE HISTORY OF TATRANSKÉ MATLIARY

Time and meeting place: 10:30 AM at the bus stop near Ceste Slobody

Date: 13.06.2026

FOR THE HISTORY OF OLD SMOKOVEC

Time and meeting place: 10:10 AM at the Tatra Information Office

Ending at the Museum of Tatra Cinematography and Photography with a screening of a short retro film about the Tatras.

Date: 14.06.2026

FOR THE HISTORY OF TATRANSKÁ POLIANKA

Time and meeting place: 10:00 AM at the train station

Date: 27.06.2026

FOR THE HISTORY OF ŠTRBSKÉ PLESO

Time and meeting place: 10:00 AM at the train station at Štrbské Pleso – stairs near the platforms

Date: 28.06.2026

In case of interest from larger groups – over 20 people, please notify the guide of the number of participants at +421 949 202 493 or at ivafigova@gmail.com.

"Implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Slovak Republic"