Modré pleso

Modré pleso (the Blue Tarn) is the highest permanent lake in the whole Tatras. It lies at 2,192 m (Czech and German sources give 2,189 m) in Dolinka pod Sedielkom, a side branch of Malá Studená dolina below the south face of Malý Ľadový štít, in Tatra National Park (TANAP). Higher up in the Tatras there is only the seasonal Baranie pliesko, which often dries out and is therefore not counted.

The tarn is small: 0.40 ha, 73 by 73 m, 4.5 m deep, with a volume of about 4,300 m³. It has no surface inflow, and its water feeds one of the source streams of the Malý Studený potok. It got its "blue" name because the surrounding rock walls shade the water, so it looks dark blue. The Poles call it Lodowy Stawek, the Ice Tarn: as early as 1886 Walery Eljasz-Radzikowski wrote that it was almost always covered with ice and snow. Indeed, ice and snow often lie on the water until late summer.

Above the lake rises the Ľadový hrebeň ridge with Malý Ľadový štít; to the west runs the main ridge of the High Tatras with the Sedielko saddle (2,376 m), the highest saddle in the High Tatras accessible to hikers, and to the south lies Priečne sedlo. The basin is framed by moraines and boulder fields.

What to see and do

• A lake right by the path — the green trail runs a few metres from the south-western shore, so you see the tarn close up without any detour.
• The view from above — from the climb to Sedielko the lake looks like a dark eye among the rocks, with Malá Studená dolina opening behind it.
• Seasonal contrast — in June and July the water is often still under ice and snow patches; in September the lake is usually ice-free.

How to get there

Modré pleso lies on the green Stary Smokowiec – Tatrzańska Jaworina route. From Hrebienok (1,272 m, funicular from Starý Smokovec) the red magistrála leads to Zamkovského chata (about 1 h), then the green trail climbs to Téryho chata (1 h 45 min) by the Päť Spišských plies (Five Spiš Tarns). From Téryho chata to the junction in Dolinka pod Sedielkom takes 30 min, and on to the lake and the Sedielko saddle another 45 min (about 45 min from the hut to the tarn itself). In total that is almost 4 hours from Hrebienok and more than 900 m of ascent — a serious high-mountain hike for fit walkers. The section to Sedielko was rebuilt in summer 2026 and reopened on 13 July; it now runs over solid rock with more than 300 iron steps and 250 m of chains. From the saddle you can descend into Javorová dolina to Tatranská Javorina, but that is a very long traverse.

Season and safety

The trail from Téryho chata to Sedielko is subject to the TANAP seasonal closure: it is closed from 1 November to 31 May (§ 4 of the TANAP Visitor Regulations, decree 26/2023), so you can visit the tarn only from 1 June to 31 October. Entry to TANAP is free. You may walk only on marked trails and only in daylight; dogs are not allowed on the green trail from Hrebienok to Sedielko, and drones are banned without a permit. At this altitude the weather changes fast, and snow patches on the climb last into summer. Mountain Rescue Service HZS: 18 300, general emergency number 112.

Nearby

• Päť Spišských plies (Five Spiš Tarns) and Téryho chata — 45 min below.
• Zbojnícke plesá — over Priečne sedlo on the Téryho chata – Zbojnícka chata route.
• Lomnický štít and Slavkovský štít — summits above the Studené doliny valleys.

Official website: tanap.sk

Photos: Rafał Kozubek, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ilya Schurov, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.