This Slovakian mountain range was definitely not in my list until a travel enthusiast friend of mine saw some pictures and suggested us to visit the place. Once I saw the pictures and researched about the location it was not just difficult but impossible to miss the place.
While we were planning to travel across the Europe we kept a week for Slovakia.
We planned to visit the place from Budapest, it was an overnight bus journey till Presov, where we booked our hotel. As this country doesn’t allow international drivers to drive, we hired a taxi from bus station to hotel which was around 2 miles and we paid 3 Euros for 4 people. (Negotiate before entering the cab or prefer meter)
Stores here in Presov are very affordable and among the cheapest in whole Europe. Looking at the prices it became our shopping destination and more than 70% of our shopping list was executed here. Just to give an example 140-160 grams of regular chocolate was costing around a single euro, and fresh 12 inch pizza for 2 euros.
Many people bought jewellery, cosmetics and various branded products at a very reasonable price.
Next day morning we started for Tatranska lomnica, it was around 100 kilometres. We hired a SUV for six people which costed 70 euros. We had our breakfast at Poprad on our way. SUV dropped us at the base station. Though tickets were available online but we thought of buying them physically.
Tatranska Lomnica is a well-known skiing destination.
Tickets upto Skalnate Pleso cost around 40 Euros and are easily available, they allow you to travel in two different cable cars with this ticket. But the one from Skalnate pleso to lomicky stit travels a funicular suspension cable car which costs around 26 euros but has limited routes. Hence if you are physically planning to buy tickets please reach on time.
The first section of the funicular from Tatranska Lomnica to Skalnate pleso (closed now) was constructed in 1937. The other, more demanding section from the lake Skalnate pleso to the top of the peak Lomnicky stit was built and started to operate in 1940.
This was how the Tatras were given, for that time, a unique technological work. For its parameters, no other matched it in the world until 1958.
The funicular operates between the lake Skalnate pleso and the top of the peak Lomnicky stit suspended on a 1,867 metres long rope. Along its route the funicular overcomes the altitude difference of 868 metres. Originally it was only supported by one pillar set in the southern face of the peak. After the general reconstruction it manages even without the one. In 1973 a new cabin funicular was introduced. It transports visitors between the commune Tatranska Lomnica and the lake Skalnate pleso.
One can also plan to have a trek across the mountain if they have time and energy, some of our friends tried their luck and were successful; I preferred the cable car to go up. But later they convinced me to travel downhill behind them.
There is a bar at skalnate pleso which feeds your physical hunger and a lake which feeds your emotional hunger. The science enthusiasts can have a walk around the observatory.
We are not allowed to stay longer on peak, but in limited time the nature definitely delights us with breath taking views and amazing atmosphere.
Sometimes when climate isn’t very good, the cable car may stop. But it resumes as soon the weather clears up.
This was once in a life lifetime experience for all of us, and with the memories we created with nature, we were so satisfied that even if we had no life further we were happy to die with the one we just lived.
While we were staying at the presov, we also travelled to bardejov where there were two centuries old wooden churches, those unique structures gives us an great remembrance of precious history.
From Presov we left for Bratislava.
Again, I would say this was our best experience till date…
To prove that…
This is my first travel blog ever after travelling 3 continents and dozens of cities.
