Havranica

Havranica is a 717 m summit in the Little Carpathians (Malé Karpaty) in western Slovakia. It rises above the village of Smolenice, about 18 km north-west of Trnava. Havranica lies in the central part of the range, in the Pezinok Carpathians and their Biele hory section, on the main ridge – in the massif whose highest point is Záruby (767 m). The mountain belongs to the Trnava Region and Trnava District and extends into the cadastres of Smolenice and Buková. The nearest villages are Buková at the northern foot (about 2 km), Smolenice to the south (about 3 km) and Trstín to the east (about 4 km). The summit lies in the Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area.

To the west, beyond an indistinct saddle, lies Záruby; to the north Medzipanské (464 m) and Biela hora (374 m), to the east the Havrania skala rocks, to the south Driny (483 m) and to the south-west Čelo (716 m). The northern, eastern and southern parts of the massif drain to the Dudváh via the Trnávka, while water from the northern slopes flows via the Hrudky stream to the Rudava and on to the Morava. The summit therefore lies on the divide between the Váh and Morava basins.

How to get there / routes

The red Štefánik Trail (Štefánikova magistrála), which here coincides with the SNP Heroes' Trail and the European path E8, crosses the summit. Local trails join it.

• Red trail: from the west from Ostrý Kameň via Záruby; from the north from Buková (quarry) via Havrania skala.
• Blue trail: from the east from Smolenice via Havrania skala; from the south-west from Plavecký Mikuláš via Červená hora and Záruby.
• Yellow trail: from Smolenice railway station via Havrania skala; from the west from Plavecký Peter via Ostrý Kameň.

What you can see from the top

Dense forest covers the ridge and summit, so views open only from small spots with thinner vegetation. From there you see mainly the neighbouring Little Carpathian peaks and the Záhorie and Danubian lowlands, and in good conditions part of the White Carpathians, the Chvojnica Hills, the Považský Inovec and the Tribeč.

Nature and history

With its regular cone-shaped silhouette, Havranica is easy to spot from the plain around Trstín, Naháč and Smolenice. Limestone rocks crop out in the forest near the summit. The mountain belongs to the Záruby massif, the highest part of the Little Carpathians in this area, and the neighbouring Havrania skala is a well-known rocky spot above Smolenice.

Safety, season and rules

The routes are forest paths and not difficult, but limestone paths get slippery after rain. There are no services on the summit, so carry water. In the protected landscape area stay on marked trails. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300); general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• A section of the long SNP Heroes' Trail crosses the summit.
• Havranica is almost exactly as high as neighbouring Čelo (716 m).

Photos: Akul59, CC BY-SA 4.0; Akul59, CC BY-SA 4.0; Lure, CC BY-SA 4.0; Akul59, CC BY-SA 4.0; Doronenko, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.