Skalnaté pleso, Observatory and Lomnický štít Cable Car

Skalnaté pleso is a small moraine lake in the lowest cirque of the Skalnatá valley below Lomnický štít, at about 1,751–1,754 m. It covers only 1.23 ha and is up to 2 m deep, and since 1937 its water level has fluctuated: at times the lake almost dries up, then fills again in spring and after rain. Despite its modest size it is one of the most visited places in the High Tatras, because a cable car climbs here from Tatranská Lomnica and from here the legendary cable car runs to the summit of Lomnický štít.

Large flocks once grazed in the valley, which stripped the slopes of vegetation, and the valley's name changed from Lomnická to "Skalnatá", meaning rocky. Early travellers wrote that nowhere else in the Tatras had they seen so many marmots and chamois.

What to see and do

• Lomnický štít (2,634 m) — the second-highest peak of the Tatras and of Slovakia. There is no marked hiking trail to the top (only with a mountain guide), but an aerial cable car built in the early 1940s runs there from Skalnaté pleso. The summit offers a 360° panorama of the High and Belianske Tatras. It also houses Slovakia's highest observatory with a weather station.
• Skalnaté pleso Observatory — an astronomical and meteorological observatory of the Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences at 1,786 m, founded in 1943 by Antonín Bečvář. The famous "Skalnaté Pleso" star atlas was created here, comets and minor planets were discovered, including 1807 Slovakia and 1989 Tatry, and the asteroid 2619 Skalnaté Pleso is named after it. On 2 January 1949 the strongest wind in Slovak history — 248 km/h — was measured here. It is a working scientific institution, so visitors mostly see it from outside.
• The chairlift to Lomnické sedlo — another scenic ride.
• Skalnatá chata — a small mountain hut near the lake; the first stone building on its site appeared in 1914.

Practical information

Cable cars (as of October 2026). Since 5 October the Tatranská Lomnica – Štart – Skalnaté pleso gondola runs 8:30–15:10 up and until 16:10 down; the Skalnaté pleso – Lomnický štít cable car 9:00–14:40 (up); the chairlift to Lomnické sedlo 9:00–14:45. In autumn the Tatranská Lomnica lifts stop for maintenance: closed 9–13 November, 16–27 November, 30 November – 4 December and 7–11 December 2026 (running on the weekends in between), with the winter season from 12 December. The operator uses dynamic pricing and buying online in advance is cheaper; the Lomnický štít ticket is not sold at the self-service kiosk. Check the daily schedule on the operator's website.

On foot. The green trail from Tatranská Lomnica takes about 2 h 30 min up; from the Štart cable-car station the blue trail via Rakúska poľana about 3 hours; along the Tatranská magistrála from Zamkovského chata about an hour (which you can reach from Hrebienok). These trails are open all year, but the red magistrála from the observatory over Veľká Svišťovka to Zelené pleso is closed from 1 November to 31 May. Hiking on TANAP trails is allowed only in daylight.

Who it suits. By cable car, families with children and older visitors can reach Skalnaté pleso. Above 1,700 m it is much colder than below and the weather changes quickly — bring warm clothes even in summer.

Nearby

• TANAP Museum in Tatranská Lomnica, near the lower station.
• Studený potok waterfalls — along the magistrála towards Hrebienok.
• Zelené pleso — over the saddle below Svišťovka (in season).
• Kežmarok Castle — in the town below Lomnický štít.

Official website: vt.sk

Photos: Totalrandomphotos, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Antimuonium, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Zunicka, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Tomáš Kryl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Bjalek Michal (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Petr Vilgus, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.