Holiday apartment in Starý Smokovec – culture, trails and winter in the High Tatras

Starý Smokovec offers a diverse gateway to the High Tatras. The Museum of Tatra Cinematography and Photography features a year-round exhibition about the life, atmosphere and changes of the High Tatras captured through photography and film. It also presents the work of film and photography personalities in the region since 1870, as well as the development of photographic technology since the end of the 19th century. Regional visual history and technological development thus come together in a shared exhibition theme. The chronological structure links the regional activity documented since 1870 with the beginnings of photographic technological history at the end of the 19th century.

History

The history of Starý Smokovec dates back to the local mineral springs with acidic water, which provided an impetus for the settlement's establishment. In 1793, Count Štefan Csáky of Iliačovce had the first log cabin built. The first masonry chapel in Starý Smokovec was built in 1836. These three milestones link the settlement's origins with its early architectural development and make the chronological sequence of the area's history comprehensible.

Culture and trails

The Smokovce History Educational Trail leads through Starý and Nový Smokovec and provides information about the history of the Smokovec settlements at seven stations. The educational trail is accessible year-round. The route therefore connects both parts of the settlement through a series of historical stations. The seven stations distribute the historical information along the route through both parts of the settlement; year-round access makes this chronological context independent of any particular season. The Stations of the Cross in Starý Smokovec also begins near the center of the settlement and leads along the path to Pekná vyhliadka.

Rainerova chata can be reached from Starý Smokovec via Hrebienok. Rainerova chata houses an exhibition on the history and present day of mountain porters, as well as a collection of old climbing equipment, old skis and numerous documentary photographs. The Mini-Sherpa Museum presents artifacts and stories about the importance of porters in the High Tatras.

Cycling route

Cycling route 2864 leads from Starý Smokovec to Hrebienok. It is approximately 2.8 km long and has around 270 meters of elevation gain. The route runs on asphalt and is suitable for road bikes, trekking bikes and mountain bikes. The approximate length and the roughly stated elevation difference define the outer parameters of the connection, while the asphalt surface and the three types of bicycles mentioned describe its use.

Winter

In winter, the Jakubkova lúka ski area operates in the center of Starý Smokovec. The ski slopes at Jakubkova lúka are marked blue and are considered particularly easy and suitable for everyone. The funicular from Starý Smokovec reaches Hrebienok in seven minutes, overcoming an elevation difference of 255 m. The winter offering therefore includes both the ski area in the center and the precisely described connection to Hrebienok.

Other places

Other entries in this selection of places: Tatranská Polianka, Tatranska Kotlina, Tatranska Lomnica, Štrbské Pleso, Horný Smokovec.

To the main travel overview: Vysoké Tatry.