Skok Waterfall and Štrbské Pleso - A Day in the High Tatras, Slovakia

Hello friends. We left Bratislava and headed towards Tatra national park and Skok waterfall. We had to cover 330 kilometers. Along the way, we passed through some of Slovakia’s notable places, but we didn’t dare to stop because we had very little time. Some of the beautiful places we saw from a distance were the Považský Castle and Starý Hrad, medieval castles.

It was evident that the scenery changed along the way. Skok Waterfall is located in the national park of the same name, in the High Tatras. The waterfall is situated at an altitude of 1355 meters above sea level. To reach the trail to the waterfall, we first needed to get to Štrbské Pleso the highest mountain resort in Slovakia. I will provide some recommendations about this route later. We were facing the high mountain lake of Štrbské Pleso. We still had to go further, so we proceeded to Skok Waterfall without wasting any time.

Štrbské Pleso is the second largest lake in the Slovak part of the High Tatras. It is a high mountain lake at an altitude of 1350 meters above sea level, with a maximum depth of 20 meters. It is the best-organized resort in the High Tatras and is particularly attractive as a resting center. In the Slovak Tatras, Štrbské Pleso is as significant for tourists as Morskie Oko in the Polish Tatras. The resort has hotels, shops and restaurants. The hotels are located on the southern side of the lake. And there is a hotel quite close to the lakeside (I realized that this was the most expensive hotel here). It is not difficult to find activities to do here. You can rent a boat, go on hiking trails in the mountains or ski in the winter.

We reached the path to the waterfall and immediately took a break for some music. Here an observation platform and a playground for children could be found. And trampolines for long jumps were available. A cable car was also present, but it was a bit distant from the waterfall and we needed to follow the yellow paths. The route to Skok Waterfall was marked with yellow and white colors. So we had no risk of getting lost.

We reached the 25-meter Skok waterfall, but our goal was to climb it. We immediately headed to the trail. At the top there was a high mountain lake. Those who do not climb here miss out on a lot, but the climb was not easy. In the summer, the flow rate of the water falling from the waterfall reaches 900 liters per second. Imagine those figures. Be prepared for many people around the waterfall. Most tourists rest at the foot of the waterfall, sit on the rocks and if the weather is not too hot, take out snacks and tea.

We descended and the stones reached up to our waists. There was almost no one around. Everyone had left, so we were walking as the last ones. The general route is quite easy, so we walked in ordinary shoes, but in some places, especially near the chains it was challenging. I recommend wearing trekking shoes and comfortable clothes. The path to Skok waterfall is not considered difficult by Slovakian standards and the estimated time for the ascent is 1.5 hours one way. However it will actually take at least 2 hours because the trail is winding.

As we were leaving we noticed a lovely bench, so we decided to rest for a bit. We took in the beauty of nature and rested thoroughly and we were now ready to head back. At first glance it might seem that the return path would not be impressive after passing it once, but we still stopped and enjoyed nature on the way back.

Our hike lasted about three and a half hours and we walked approximately 11 kilometers. So, take the time into account when you come here. Based on the route and potential mistakes, I can only suggest one thing: it is best to spend two days here. Arrive on the first day, settle in, drop off your things and head straight to the trail. The full route will take about 6.5 hours. Accommodation prices for two people at the hotels here start from 50 euros. On the following day sleep in comfortably, rest a bit more and continue your journey. If we come again, we will definitely plan for two days.

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