2007 Summer Slovakian Adventure

S.W. and J.S. Aber

www.geospectra.net/slovakia/views.htm


Kite Aerial Photography
of Tatra Mountains
Introduction to
Our Slovakian Adventure
Living in
Štrba
Slovakian Views
One
Slovakian Views
Two
Slovakian Views
Three
Slovakian Views
Four
Views of
Southern Germany
Views of
Southern Austria
Views of
Southern Poland


Slovakian Views One

Some of the attractions we visited in Slovakia include a cable car ride to the top of Lomnický Štít at Tatranská Lomnica, Spiš Castle located between Poprad and Košice, and Ždiar, as well as various places in the Vysoké Tatry, High Tatra Mountains. Pictures and map locations of these great adventures are shown below.

Lomnický Štít
There are several options to reach Lomnický Štít in the Vysoké Tatry or High Tatra Mountains for a spectacular view. Some like to hike up and down the mountain. Others take the cable car one way and hike the other. While still others take the cable car up and down again. Because we hiked part way the day before, we rode the cable cars to the top this day.

Susie and Jim on the cable car from
Tatranská Lomnica to Skalnaté pleso.
Pleso is a mountain lake or tarn.

We came up from 903 meters (2960 feet)
to 1,751 meters (5740 feet) in elevation.

At this first stop, an observatory and weather
station are located along with a restaurant. From
here we hiked up the steep lateral moraine.

Our next cable car destination is in the
distance, Lomnický štít, which is the
peak left of where Jim is pictured.

Although we are hiking over large boulders,
the trail is well marked. You can see the
cable car station, observatory, and restaurant
from our vantage point in the image above.
The mountain flowers were beautiful among the granite boulders and crystalline bedrock. At this point, we could have taken an open cable car to Lomnický sedlo, but we purchased the tickets for the red cable car from Skalnaté pleso to the top of Lomnický Štít.

The cable car went from 1,751 m to 2,634 meters
(8640 feet). On top is a walkway, restaurant,
observatory, and weather station.
The view is stunning in all directions. Poland is to the north and Slovakia to the south and beyond. We had 50 minutes to take in the panorama before the next group came up and we went down. It is best to obtain these tickets from Skalnaté pleso to Lomnický Štít a day or more in advance because there is only one cable car to the top!

The image above shows the White Tatras, named
for the limestone and dolomite bedrock, which
differs from the crystalline rocks on this peak.

There was snow left in shadowed areas and we
could see many beautiful glacial carved lakes.
Of course we must go back down and the lake at Skalnaté pleso is visible in the distance. It is difficult to believe we were on the peak a short time before and what an engineering feat to create this terrific way to reach the top for scientific and touristic purposes!

Spiš Castle
This castle has a history that spans over 700 years. It was first mentioned in 13th century and abandoned in 1780. Since it is the highest point around, lightning strikes the castle often and ignited the roof which burned the wooden portions at the end of the 18th century. It was never rebuilt and habitated but has served as the movie set for countless films such as Lion in the Winter.
The castle is built on travertine, which is formed on the surface as saturated ground water emerges from springs. Dissolved lime in the water is precipitated and gradually builds up to form mounds and hills.
This picture gives a grave warning about mineralized water that bubbles onto the surface. This image is small but it shows two dead birds who likely came down for a drink of water and were overcome by the poisonous gases eminating from the spring.
The left above image shows Susie and Juraj ready to ascend the castle path. Directly behind where they are standing, a portion of the wall has been rebuilt. The area is tectonically active and this portion of the wall is moving 1 cm (half inch) per year in opposite directions.

The right above image shows the natural outcrops of travertine that make up parts of the castle walls.


The banded travertine is visible in the image to the left.
Many people enjoyed seeing the castle today with us!

Miscellaneous Journeys in the Tatra Mountains
As we drive east from Strba, we see the wheat fields and lower hills of limestone. The image on the right shows Svit, which is situated between Strba and Poprad. Whether we turn north from just beyond Svit or at Poprad, the ascent to higher elevations is gradual to steep as the path follows several of the long alluvial fans created from weathering of the mountains.

Travel can be by foot, bike, bus, car, or train. This is the narrow gauge rail
that goes from Poprad to many destinations along the foothills of the Tatra Mountains.

Grand hotels to beautiful houses are a
treat to see along with the mountains
and valley panoramas.
Ždiar is one of the last cities in Slovakia along a highway to the northern border of Slovakia and southern Poland. On the left is a ground photo of sheep in the meadow above Ždiar. The image to the right is the same view from the perspective of the kite. We had an opportunity to visit Poland and conduct kite aerial photography sessions on the northern slope of the Tatra Mountains. Those pictures are coming soon!


For more information, visit


Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. For more information contact S. W. Aber, e-mail: saber@emporia.edu Thanks for visiting! Webpage created: August, 2007; last update: August 28, 2007.