Studený potok Waterfalls and Hrebienok

The Studený potok waterfalls (Vodopády Studeného potoka), known in Polish literature as the Zimna Woda waterfalls, are one of the oldest tourist attractions of the High Tatras and probably the easiest way to see real mountain waterfalls. They formed on a triple glacial step of the valley just below the point where the streams of the Malá and Veľká Studená valleys meet. The cascade stretches for about 1.5 km at altitudes from 1,153 to 1,276 m. The falls are not tall — the largest is about 13 m — but they carry a lot of water: it crashes between huge granite boulders and has carved deep potholes in the rock.

From the bottom up there are the Long (Dlhý), Great (Veľký), Hidden (Skrytý) and Small (Malý) waterfalls. Already in the 19th century spa guests from Starý Smokovec walked here, and it was for them that in 1865 Ján Juraj Rainer, the leaseholder of Smokovec, built the first mountain shelter in the Tatras on the meadow above the falls — Rainerova chata. Today it houses an information centre and a museum of the Tatra porters, who still carry supplies up to the mountain huts on their backs.

What to see and do

• Hrebienok (1,285 m) — a mountain tourist centre above Starý Smokovec with a hotel, viewpoints and a view of Lomnický štít. A funicular has run here from Starý Smokovec since 1908, and in winter there is a sledging run and ski slopes.
• The cascade of waterfalls along the green trail: the most impressive is the Great Waterfall, which the blue trail from Tatranská Lomnica also reaches.
• Rainerova chata (1,301 m) — a historic stone hut with the porters' museum.
• For those who want more: trails into the Malá and Veľká Studená valleys to high mountain huts, and the Tatranská magistrála towards Skalnaté pleso.

Practical information

Getting there. The simplest way is to take the Tatra Electric Railway from Poprad to Starý Smokovec and then the funicular up to Hrebienok. From Hrebienok a green trail leads to the waterfalls and Rainerova chata: signposts give about 20 minutes to Rainerova chata, guidebooks up to 35 minutes. Walking from Starý Smokovec up to Hrebienok takes about an hour. Other options: the blue trail from Tatranská Lomnica to the Great Waterfall (about 1 h 45 min) and the yellow trail from Tatranská Lesná along the stream (about 1 h 40 min).

For people with reduced mobility. A 4.2 km barrier-free path of compacted gravel leads from the lower funicular station via Hrebienok to Rainerova chata. Because of the considerable climb, wheelchair users are advised to have company; it is easier to go up by funicular.

Important in autumn 2026. The Starý Smokovec – Hrebienok funicular is closed for maintenance from 24 September to 4 November 2026 and resumes on 5 November. The operator uses dynamic pricing — check the current fare on the operator's website. The section of the Tatranská magistrála between Hrebienok and Rainerova chata, closed since autumn 2023 because of landslides, reopened on 1 August 2026.

TANAP rules. The trails to the waterfalls are open all year (the seasonal closure from 1 November to 31 May only applies to high-mountain routes above the huts). Hiking is allowed only in daylight and you must not leave marked trails. The rocks by the falls are slippery — there have been fatal accidents here, especially while taking photos, so keep away from the edge. The best time is May to October; in winter the waterfalls partly freeze.

Nearby

• Skalnaté pleso — along the Tatranská magistrála from Hrebienok or by cable car from Tatranská Lomnica.
• TANAP Museum in Tatranská Lomnica.
• Velické pleso by Sliezsky dom.
• Zelené pleso below the Belianske Tatras.

Official website: vt.sk

Photos: Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Koco C., CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jarovyh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.