Suitable for: intermediate hikers
Hike length: 4 km
Elevation: 557 m
Total hiking time (round trip): 4 hrs.
Accessibility SUMMER / WINTER: only when accompanied by a mountain guide
There is no marked trail leading to Medvedie Saddle
The route to the untouched Medvedie Saddle
You can get such a fantastic view of Gerlach from a few places. The Medvedie Saddle is in the middle of wild nature, untouched by human activity. An experienced mountain guide will show you its beauty, and you can see our highest mountain as if it were in the palm of your hand.
Gerlach Peak as if it were in the palm of your hand.
Are you planning to climb Gerlach? Enjoy its majestic massif from the Medvedie Saddle in preparation for your hike. From the Velická dolina valley, it rises incredibly high - the elevation is almost equal to two Empire State Building skyscrapers standing one above the other. It was not known for a long time that Gerlach is the highest peak of the Tatra Mountains. Our ancestors attributed the primacy to Kriváň, Lomnický Peak and Ľadový Peak. Its primacy was confirmed conclusively only in 1838.
If you aren’t going to Gerlach Peak yet, enjoy at least the view from this fantastic lookout point. The hike there and back with a mountain guide only takes 4 hours.
A sunrise that will take your breath away
Take an early morning hike with a mountain guide and see the unforgettable spectacle of Tatra countryside - the sun rising from behind the Low Tatras, illuminating the awakening Poprad Basin. You will not experience a more beautiful morning. Come on a summer evening during the full moon’s magic and watch it set behind the Končiste Ridge.
Slavkovský Peak: the hill that lost first place
According to some assumptions, Slavkovský Peak (2,452 m) may once have been the highest peak in the Tatras. However, it lost its status in 1813 after a massive rock avalanche. Today, it is one of the highest Slovak peaks that can be climbed without climbing equipment. People have been climbing it for more than 350 years. The first recorded ascent dates back to 1664.
The beautiful valley below Slavkovský Peak has always resisted human intervention. In 1878, a shelter was opened here, but it was destroyed by a snow avalanche four years later. After World War II, athletes from Smokovec wanted to build a mountain hut in a safer place. Still, another avalanche destroyed their storehouse of building materials. Today, the Slavkovská Valley is inaccessible to the public; the hiking trail leads only below it.
The disappearing tarn
Look down from the Medvedie Saddle onto the belt of dwarf pines in Slavkovská Valley and see the Slavkovské Tarn.
It used to be called “Tri plesá” (Three Tarns) on Slovak and Polish maps.
Nowadays, you can only find the designation in the singular - Slavkovské Tarn. There were originally three tarns, but two have dried up over time. Today, they are only sporadically filled with a tiny amount of water. The remaining is 2.5 m deep and covers only 0.1 ha of water surface.
Bradavica
Looking north from Medvedie Saddle into the distance, you can see the mighty Bradavica (2,476 m) at the end of the Slavkovská Valley. This significant peak divides three valleys - Velicka, Slavkovská and Veľká studená. It got its amusing name thanks to the stone protrusion at the top, which resembles a large wart. You can even see the top of Bradavica from your room at Sliezsky Dom.
Visit Sliezsky Dom, walk to Medvedie Saddle and Bradavica will reward you with an extraordinary view of its vast walls cascading down into the Slavkovská Valley.
