Muráň

Muráň (Polish Murań or Wielki Murań, German Wandberg) is a limestone summit 1890 m high on the main ridge of the Belianske Tatras in Slovakia. It is the first prominent peak of the range from the west: to the east the ridge rises to Nový (1999 m) and Havran (2152 m), to the west it drops over Kôň (1356 m) into the Javorová valley, which already belongs to the High Tatras. Muráň stands above the village of Tatranská Javorina (about 3 km away), roughly 21 km north-west of Kežmarok, in the Prešov Region. Thanks to its distinctive outline — some see a tiger’s head in it, others a frog — it is one of the most recognisable mountains in this part of the Tatras.

Getting there / routes

There is no trail to the summit: the massif lies in the Belianske Tatry national nature reserve inside the Tatra National Park (TANAP) and is closed to both hikers and climbers. You can see Muráň at close range from the blue trail from Tatranská Javorina up the Javorová valley and the Zadné Meďodoly valley to Kopské sedlo, which skirts the massif on its western and southern sides. The best view of the south-western wall is from the meadow below Muráň (Poľana pod Muráňom) in the lower Javorová valley. The mountain is also well seen from the Polish side, from around Bukowina Tatrzańska and from Jaworzyna Spiska.

What you can see from the summit

Slovak sources say the summit overlooks part of the main ridge of the Belianske Tatras and many High Tatra peaks, and in good conditions also the Orava Beskids with Babia hora and Pilsko and the border hills of southern Poland. The summit itself is off limits, however, so walkers enjoy Muráň from below.

Nature and history

Muráň is built of limestone forming vertical walls up to 200 m high; the mountain probably takes its name from these “walls” (múry). The massif is almost a regular triangle in plan, with cliffs falling away on all three sides. The south-western wall, well seen from the meadow below Muráň, is about 1200 m long, and Polish authors call it one of the finest limestone walls in the whole of the Tatras. The grassy north-eastern slope with dwarf pine is called Jahňacia záhrada (Lamb’s Fold): shepherds from Jurgów once carried their sheep up here on their backs for the whole grazing season.

The massif contains several caves, the best known being Muránska jaskyňa, whose large entrance is visible from the meadow below. Remnants of primeval forest survive under the summit block, and the rare wallcreeper nests on the cliffs. The first documented ascent is credited to the Hungarian aristocrat István Berzeviczy in 1717. Muráň has inspired Polish poets, and in 1867 Józef Marszewski painted “Muráň in the Tatras at Sunrise”.

Safety, season and rules

Entry into the Belianske Tatry reserve is forbidden all year round — do not leave the marked trail here. TANAP’s high-mountain trails are closed seasonally from 1 November to 31 May, so check the current rules on the park website before walking up the Javorová valley to Kopské sedlo. Weather in the limestone massif changes fast, and afternoon thunderstorms are frequent in summer. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300), general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• According to Polish sources, the northern and eastern walls of Muráň have still not been climbed.
• Muráň appears in poems by Felicjan Faleński (1871) and Władysław Broniewski (1935).

Photos: Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY-SA 4.0; Eligiusz Jakimowicz, CC BY 4.0; Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY 3.0; Jarorox, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.