Vihorlat

Vihorlat (Polish Wyhorlat) is the highest peak of the Vihorlat Mountains in eastern Slovakia, 1,076 m high (precisely 1,075.5 m). The whole range is named after it. The mountain stands in the Prešov Region, about 15 km east-south-east of Humenné, 20 km north-east of Michalovce and 11 km south-west of Snina, and is the highest point of Humenné district. Its prominence is 706 m, 12th in Slovakia. The summit is officially closed to hikers: it lies in the Valaškovce military district and in a strict nature reserve, and there is no marked trail to it.

Vihorlat is an extinct volcano. From afar it is easy to recognise by its seemingly «cut-off» top. It stands in the middle of the main ridge, which runs from Nežabec via Sninský kameň, Motrogon and Tŕstie to Vihorlat and on via Rozdielňa and Kyjov to Dlhá. The broad summit ridge has two tops 400 m apart; on the higher western one stands a massive reinforced-concrete pylon of 1931–1935, one of seventeen first-order trigonometric points of the first Czechoslovak Republic. The name is explained by the folk word «vy-hor-ľ-ať» — a place with many burnt clearings.

Can you climb it?

No. The summit lies in the Vihorlat National Nature Reserve (1986, about 51 ha) with the highest, fifth degree of protection: moving off marked trails is forbidden there, and there are none on the summit, so any movement is prohibited; fires, camping, picking plants and disturbing the peace are banned too. In addition, the area belongs to the Valaškovce military district: since 2012 military forests have been partly opened to the public, but entry is forbidden during exercises. Polish sources mention forest approaches via the Poľana pod Vihorlatom meadow — these are not marked routes and we do not recommend them.

Where to go instead

The best legal views of Vihorlat and over the Vihorlat Mountains are from Sninský kameň (about 1,006 m) — a trail to it from the Morské oko lake was marked as early as 1881 and still exists. These were among the first hiking trails in Slovakia outside the Tatras: in 1880 the Hungarian Carpathian Society built the first shelters here, at Morské oko and below Sninský kameň.

The view from the summit

Slovak sources describe a panorama into five countries from Vihorlat: Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania. Almost 1,000 m below lies the East Slovak Lowland with the Zemplínska šírava reservoir, and Michalovce, Humenné and even Uzhhorod are visible. From the eastern top you can see the Bukovské vrchy, the Polish Bieszczady, Liutianska Holytsia, Polonyna Runa, Borzhava with Stiy and even the Gorgany; in exceptionally clear weather the High Tatras with Gerlachovský štít 148 km away, the Low Tatras with Ďumbier 181 km away, and Romania's Gutâi Mountains.

Nature

The summit areas belong to the Vihorlat primeval forest, inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list in 2007 as part of the «Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians» — beeches older than 240 years grow here. The whole mountain lies in the Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area (1973), the smallest in Slovakia. Thanks to warm air from the lowland and the andesite substrate, thermophilous plants climb high on the southern slopes, while on the northern side beech forest reaches the summit, with mountain snowbell and alpine coltsfoot. The symbol of the range is the showy Telekia. Bears, wolves and lynx live in the forests, and short-toed eagles and lesser spotted eagles nest here.

Safety

Around you is a large, lonely forest and military land: do not leave marked trails. In an emergency call 112 or the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300).

Photos: Stanislav Dusík, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.