Visiting Strbske Pleso in Slovakia was high on my list due to many reasons – affordable prices, well-marked trails and much less crowds than elsewhere in Europe. I had a burning desire to visit mountains ever since we went to Grossglockner high Alpine Road in Austria and took a short walk there. If this is your first time hiking in High Tatras, Strbske Pleso or Zakopane (Poland) is the perfect base for one day hikes. Depending on your level of fitness and shape, you have a wide range of different options – short and long hikes.
Having said all that, Strbske Pleso is a nice place to visit even if you are not planning on hiking in High Tatras, but would like to get a taste of the real mountain resort. The views of the mountains, the lake itself and great infrastructure makes it a perfect day trip destination.
In winter, it’s a top class ski resort. Summer time is for hikers and trekkers – the town is filled with backpackers going to and coming from the mountains. Even if hiking is not your thing, you can always take a ski lift to the top of the mountain and enjoy the view!
How to get to Strbske Pleso?
One of the cheapest options is to arrive by train. The Slovak train system is quite efficient and we saw many local trains going back and forth. If you don’t come here by car or rent one, you could possibly use Poprad as your base and take a train from there.
As for ourselves – we came by car, and we chose Strba village (only 11km away) as our base to explore High Tatras. I recommend this village – very quiet, peaceful and near the main motorway. The guesthouse, where we stayed, was called Private Luptak and it’s a nice, family owned guest house with everything you might need and affordable price per room. Parking in Strbske Pleso cost us only 5,50€/day, which is reasonable.
Level of fitness and hiking gear
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting the trails to be so difficult. Even though after a while you get used to constant climbing, it’s not the easiest hike. Be prepared for the rather steep path at times with lots of scattered stones and tree roots. All trails are well marked and you will find average trail lengths in hours/minutes (e.g. Popradske Pleso 1h 10min). If you are not a frequent hiker, you may easily multiply this amount by 2.
Due to the rocky terrain, you will definitely need good hiking boots. Also, I highly recommend hiking poles. You can buy them at the beginning of the trail in one of the many sport shops. Average price is around 15-20€, but the quality is not great. If you have a car, consider driving to Poprad, to a sports store called Sportisimo (address: Svitská cost 5072/9, 058 01 Poprad-Priemyselný obvod – západ, Slovakia). We got really nice poles for 15€, much better than the ones sold at the resort.
Last but not least, don’t forget to bring enough drinking water and snacks, wind/rain jacket, sunglasses and a hat. The weather in the mountains changes quickly, so you have to be prepared. Also, don’t forget to charge your phone and have a separate power bank. If it starts to rain, the rocks and roots may get very slippery, so watch your steps at all times.
Popradske Pleso hike
The first hike we went on was from Strbske Pleso all the way up to Popradske Pleso. I was expecting it to be an easy route, but it was much more difficult. The air is thinner in the mountains and the rocks made the climbing very slowly. We ended up needing twice as much time as it was indicated.
Once you reach the lake, you will be rewarded with nice views, hot meals and drinks. Don’t miss your chance to try traditional Slovak dishes. If you still can, take a walk around the lake or consider climbing Sedlo pod Ostrvou (1966 m) – point with beautiful view of the Mengusovká valley.
Luckily for us, the rain started when we just reached Popradske Pleso and kept on pouring while we enjoyed our meal. We have made it safely back before another wave of wind and rain struck.
Skok waterfall hike
The second and last hike we did in High Tatras was from Strbske Pleso to Skok Waterfall. Unlike the Popradske Pleso trail, this one was not so steep and much easier to walk. We crossed a mountain river multiple times on our way. Numerous other hikers cheered us with common “Dobry Den” and kept our spirit high.
The waterfall is not too spectacular, but still worth a visit. Weather permitting, it would make an ideal place for a picnic. Sadly, in our case, we barely had time to enjoy it as it started raining again. I highly recommend hiking a bit further, to the Pleso nad Skokom – another mountain lake. Beware, though, that the path doesn’t open until 15th June!
Other hikes
Depending on your skills and fitness level, you can take much longer hikes in High Tatras. There are two high peaks in High Tatras if you start from Strbske Pleso – Rysy (2,503 m) and Koprovsky Stit (2180m). Both trails are for meant for more advanced hikers and are difficult day trips. I would recommend staying overnight at Chata Pod Rysmi if you are heading to Rysy and in Popradske Pleso in case you are going to Koprovsky Stit.
Other nearby villages have numerous hiking trails as well, such as Stary Smokovec and Tatranska Lomnica. Many villages are ski resorts in winter, so you may be able to use a ski lift to get all the way up without wasting energy.
Where to eat in Strbske Pleso?
When it comes to good food, Slovakia doesn’t disappoint. Myself, I’m crazy in love with Polish pierogi (large dumplings with meat or potato filling). Many Slovak restaurants offer those, too. However, make sure to try other traditional Slovak dishes, such as Dumplings with sheep cheese, Pierogis stuffed with bryndza, Goulash soup and potato pancakes.
We ate at one local restaurant at Popradske Pleso (Majláthová COTTAGE) – Dumplings with sheep cheese and chicken sauce – and it was the best thing ever, especially after a long, strenuous hike. Another restaurant we tried was called Koliba Pleso, located in Strbske Pleso. You can’t miss it, it’s right on the Skok Waterfall route and has three wooden figures in front of it. Their pierogi were out of this world!
Staying overnight
If you feel like spending a few days in Strbske Pleso, you may consider to stay overnight. The resort has many different hotel options, even semi-luxury hotels. You can easily find them on Booking-dot-com. However, the price level is higher than elsewhere in Tatras region. Therefore, I recommend looking into other options nearby, such as Strba, Tatranska Strba, or even Poprad.
Have you been to Strbske Pleso? How did you like hiking there?
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Tom
High tatras is indeed an amazing place. A must see in the world of mountains.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Cheers
Tom