Velické pleso and Sliezsky dom

Velické pleso is the largest lake of the Velická valley in the High Tatras, at 1,663 m, at the foot of Gerlachovský štít — the highest peak of the Tatras. It covers 2.24 ha, measures about 350 by 90 m and is about 4.5 m deep. The tarn formed after the glacier retreated: a small moraine closes it to the south, and erosion flattened its bed. Higher up the valley lie smaller lakes — Dlhé pleso, Kvetnicové pliesko and the Vyšné Velické plieska — and above the northern shore the Velický waterfall drops from a high rock step.

The name is linked to the former town of Veľká, today part of Poprad, which once extended its holdings onto Tatra land. On the south-west shore stands the mountain hotel Sliezsky dom — the highest mountain hotel in Slovakia. The first hut here appeared in 1871 but was swept away by an avalanche; in 1895 the Hungarian Carpathian Society built Sliezsky dom, which burned down in 1962, and the present building was completed in 1968. Higher up, on the Vyšná Velická poľana meadow, the Hunfalvy hut was built in 1876–1878, named after the geographer Ján Hunfalvy; after a fire in 1913 only its foundations remain, visible from the Tatranská magistrála. On 3 July 1995, during his visit to Slovakia, Pope John Paul II prayed on the shore of the tarn in a specially built gazebo.

What to see and do

• The lake and the Velický waterfall — the Velický stream drops from a high step above the northern shore.
• The Tatranská magistrála — east from the tarn to Hrebienok (about 2 h) or west to Batizovské pleso (about an hour, in season only).
• For experienced hikers: the green trail up the valley to the Poľský hrebeň saddle, about 2 hours. The usual route up Gerlachovský štít also starts in the Velická valley, but climbing it is only allowed with a mountain guide.

Practical information

Getting there. The starting point is Tatranská Polianka, a stop on the Tatra Electric Railway line Poprad – Starý Smokovec – Štrbské Pleso. From there the green trail follows the Velický stream to the tarn: about 1 h 45 min up and 1 h 15 min down. The path climbs steadily and is technically easy, so it suits families with school-age children used to walking. From Hrebienok you can come along the Tatranská magistrála (about 2 h 20 min), and combining both routes into a loop makes a fine day walk.

TANAP rules. The approach from Tatranská Polianka and the magistrála from Hrebienok are open all year. Closed from 1 November to 31 May are the green trail from Velické pleso to Poľský hrebeň and the red magistrála from Sliezsky dom via Batizovské pleso to Popradské pleso. Hiking is allowed only in daylight and only on marked trails; the Velická valley is a national nature reserve.

When to go. June to September, when all trails are open; autumn is also very beautiful. In winter the tarn is accessible, but winter equipment is needed. The park rules set no entry ticket.

Nearby

• Batizovské pleso — an hour west along the magistrála (in season).
• Studený potok waterfalls and Hrebienok — east along the magistrála.
• Popradské pleso and the Symbolic Cemetery.
• Spišská Sobota — the historic centre of Poprad.

Official website: tanap.sk

Photos: Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Krajňák, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jarovyh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.