Kukla

Kukla is a distinctive, solitary 564 m summit in the Little Carpathians (Malé Karpaty) in western Slovakia, in the section known as the Pezinok Carpathians. It rises above the village of Dubová in the Pezinok District of the Bratislava Region, about 6 km north of the wine town of Modra. Píla, Častá and Červený Kameň Castle lie nearby. The hill belongs to the Malé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area. Thanks to its easy ascent and its lookout tower, Kukla is a favourite Sunday-walk destination for locals, including families with children.

How to get there / routes

The climb to Kukla is easy and suitable even for walks with children.

• Blue: from Dubová past the Fúgelka camp to the summit and on to the Tri kopce junction and Zochova chata.
• Yellow: from Červený Kameň Castle via the village of Píla to the junction with the blue trail, then blue to the summit.
• Green: from Modra-Harmónia to the Tri kopce junction, then blue. The blue trail can also be joined from Zochova chata via Tri kopce.

At the southern foot of the hill lie a cottage settlement and the Fúgelka recreation camp — a convenient starting point for a shorter climb.

What you can see from the summit

The forest blocks the view, but on the small summit platform stands a 12 m wooden lookout tower, built in 2007 on the site of an older one. It offers a fine panorama over the whole Pezinok Carpathians and Červený Kameň Castle, and in good visibility over more distant ranges. Next to the tower there is a fire pit with benches.

Nature and history

Kukla is fully forested with the oak–beech woodland typical of the Little Carpathians. The summit ridge is narrow and elongated, and on the western side rises the 25 m crag Čertove zuby (“Devil’s Teeth”), suitable for practice climbing. A local legend about the origin of Červený Kameň Castle, which stands nearby above the village of Častá, is linked to the hill.

The Little Carpathians are one of the westernmost ranges of the Carpathian arc, stretching north-east from Bratislava. The Pezinok Carpathians with Kukla form their middle part, where the wooded crest drops steeply east to the vineyards around Modra and Pezinok. These forests, like the whole Malé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area, serve as a natural recreation park for people from the capital region.

Safety, season and rules

The routes are easy and open all year, but stony paths are slippery in wet weather and can ice up in winter. Climb Čertove zuby only with protection and experience. Light fires only at the prepared fire pit and follow the rules of the protected landscape area. Emergency number 112; in the Slovak mountains the Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) also operates: 18 300 (+421 18 300).

Interesting facts

• The present wooden tower on Kukla was built in 2007 on the site of an older one.
• The roughly 25 m Čertove zuby crag is a popular practice spot for climbers from around Modra.

Photos: Teslaton, CC BY 3.0; Teslaton, CC BY 3.0; Teslaton, CC BY 3.0; Teslaton, CC BY 3.0; Akul59, CC BY-SA 4.0; Teslaton, CC BY 3.0; Boris H, CC BY 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.