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Expert review by Leonor Orban - RouteXpert
Expert review by Leonor Orban - RouteXpert
High Tatra mountains during the winter
This tour is part of a journey that lasts approximately 3 weeks. In June 2018 I traveled through Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic with my partner. This second trip of this vacation is a trip around the Tatra mountains. This tour literally drives around the Tatra mountains. The mountains guide you all day long, they travel with you on the left.
Along the way you have the opportunity to visit a number of sights to learn more about the mountains, the environment and the impact that nature has had on the residents.
Because of the above, this route will receive 4 stars from me. The roads are of excellent quality, along the way you have beautiful views of the mountains and the vast nature and there is a wide range of sights for everyone.
If you have spent the night at Villa Nosal, you first have to drive through the city before you can go into the mountains. During your drive through the city you might be surprised: on the left side of the road you see a house upside down (RP 3). This was not a hard storm, but a conscious choice of the architect and the city. The Upside Down House was built, among other things as a symbol of a difficult past during communism, in which life in Poland was literally turned upside down. I have marked the house as a photo stop. From the outside you can take a nice photo and continue your route. Today there is plenty to experience along the way ...
Finally you leave the city and slowly drive up the Gubałówka mountain. This mountain north of Zakopane is popular with tourists, partly due to the magnificent view of the city and the Tatra mountains. We don't climb the top today, but stop en route at a quieter spot (RP 5) with the same view. You can quietly enjoy the view and take some pictures. Eventually you can continue the route at your leisure without having to worry about all the tourists.
Slowly the distance to the Tatra mountains increases. You continue north to cross the border at Slovakia to Chochołów (RP 6). From here you continue the route towards the West, but soon you turn again towards the South and the Tatra mountains come into view again. Via the Horské sedlo Holica (Bergpas Holica) you climb up. This pass is named after the highest mountain in this area of the Tatra mountains: the Holica with a height of 1340 meters.
After you have reached the highest point, you leave the main road to continue down a small country road to the South. A lake looms in the distance on this road: Liptovská Mara (RP 8). This lake was created by building a dam in the 1970s - 1975s. The purpose of this dam was to reduce flooding in the region by the Váh River and to generate energy. It is the largest reservoir in Slovakia that you cannot ignore; we will also soon be driving along the foot of this lake.
Along the lake you will come across Aquapark Tatralandia. If it is a hot day, almost too hot to ride a motorcycle, you can turn off and visit this water park. With 26 slides and 14 swimming pools you can entertain here all day.
A little further on the route you can take a break as a chopper driver. On the left side of the road you will find the Chopper Pub and Restaurant where you can take a break.
After this break, the route continues to the West and you will pass through Liptovský Hrádok. In this village you will find a castle along the route (RP 12). The first mention of this castle dates from 1341 and was then built as a military fortress to guard an important trade route. Legends tell that this castle was connected to other castles in the area by underground tunnels. Unfortunately, the building was badly damaged in the 17th and 18th centuries, making it impossible to confirm this. Today, the castle is used as a conference center, partly due to the construction of a Renaissance home in the 17th century.
Further on the route you have the option to stop in Pribylina. Here is the Liptov Village Museum (RP 13). Earlier in the day you drove past the Liptovská Mara reservoir. 11 villages had to give way during the construction of this reservoir. A number of traditional wooden houses and buildings have been rescued and moved to Pribylina to be viewed in the museum. In the museum information is shared about the culture and history of the area and you can view several antique beehives.
As mentioned earlier, the mountains remain in sight. Each time you drive past it, over winding roads through the thick forests at the foot of the Tatra mountains. Sometimes the forests break open and you have a nice view of a number of ski areas. At one of these ski areas - Štrbské Pleso - we stop to take a picture of the ski jump. This ramp was built in 1970 to facilitate the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. If you are in need of a break, then you can also stop here.
Naturally, a summer roller coaster can also be found in these mountains. With a length of 482 meters and 12 bends, the Tatrabob (RP 17) offers a wonderful moment to get a breath of fresh air without a helmet!
We slowly reach the last part of the route. Before we leave Slovakia, there are 2 points worth mentioning. First of all you will pass the Belianska caves (RP 18). This impressive show cave has a number of beautiful rock formations waterfalls. The Muziekhal takes its name from the concert of dripping water in the underground lake. In the past (classical) concerts were also organized here because of the perfect acoustics. The cave is definitely worth a visit, but keep in mind the walk (and the time it takes): from the parking lot it is about a 25 minute walk to the cave entrance. The tour through the cave is another 70 minutes. The choice is yours whether or not to go here. If you do not want to visit the cave, you do have the option to pause along the way. Both left and right of the road you will find great restaurants.
Ždiar (RP 19) is the second special place. This village houses several beautiful traditional wooden houses. On your way through the village you will come across a number of beautiful houses. At Ždiar you also turn back to the West, towards Zakopane. You drive into Poland on a number of beautiful mountain roads with playful curves and your route ends, after hopefully a beautiful day, at Villa Nosal.
Along the way you have the opportunity to visit a number of sights to learn more about the mountains, the environment and the impact that nature has had on the residents.
Because of the above, this route will receive 4 stars from me. The roads are of excellent quality, along the way you have beautiful views of the mountains and the vast nature and there is a wide range of sights for everyone.
If you have spent the night at Villa Nosal, you first have to drive through the city before you can go into the mountains. During your drive through the city you might be surprised: on the left side of the road you see a house upside down (RP 3). This was not a hard storm, but a conscious choice of the architect and the city. The Upside Down House was built, among other things as a symbol of a difficult past during communism, in which life in Poland was literally turned upside down. I have marked the house as a photo stop. From the outside you can take a nice photo and continue your route. Today there is plenty to experience along the way ...
Finally you leave the city and slowly drive up the Gubałówka mountain. This mountain north of Zakopane is popular with tourists, partly due to the magnificent view of the city and the Tatra mountains. We don't climb the top today, but stop en route at a quieter spot (RP 5) with the same view. You can quietly enjoy the view and take some pictures. Eventually you can continue the route at your leisure without having to worry about all the tourists.
Slowly the distance to the Tatra mountains increases. You continue north to cross the border at Slovakia to Chochołów (RP 6). From here you continue the route towards the West, but soon you turn again towards the South and the Tatra mountains come into view again. Via the Horské sedlo Holica (Bergpas Holica) you climb up. This pass is named after the highest mountain in this area of the Tatra mountains: the Holica with a height of 1340 meters.
After you have reached the highest point, you leave the main road to continue down a small country road to the South. A lake looms in the distance on this road: Liptovská Mara (RP 8). This lake was created by building a dam in the 1970s - 1975s. The purpose of this dam was to reduce flooding in the region by the Váh River and to generate energy. It is the largest reservoir in Slovakia that you cannot ignore; we will also soon be driving along the foot of this lake.
Along the lake you will come across Aquapark Tatralandia. If it is a hot day, almost too hot to ride a motorcycle, you can turn off and visit this water park. With 26 slides and 14 swimming pools you can entertain here all day.
A little further on the route you can take a break as a chopper driver. On the left side of the road you will find the Chopper Pub and Restaurant where you can take a break.
After this break, the route continues to the West and you will pass through Liptovský Hrádok. In this village you will find a castle along the route (RP 12). The first mention of this castle dates from 1341 and was then built as a military fortress to guard an important trade route. Legends tell that this castle was connected to other castles in the area by underground tunnels. Unfortunately, the building was badly damaged in the 17th and 18th centuries, making it impossible to confirm this. Today, the castle is used as a conference center, partly due to the construction of a Renaissance home in the 17th century.
Further on the route you have the option to stop in Pribylina. Here is the Liptov Village Museum (RP 13). Earlier in the day you drove past the Liptovská Mara reservoir. 11 villages had to give way during the construction of this reservoir. A number of traditional wooden houses and buildings have been rescued and moved to Pribylina to be viewed in the museum. In the museum information is shared about the culture and history of the area and you can view several antique beehives.
As mentioned earlier, the mountains remain in sight. Each time you drive past it, over winding roads through the thick forests at the foot of the Tatra mountains. Sometimes the forests break open and you have a nice view of a number of ski areas. At one of these ski areas - Štrbské Pleso - we stop to take a picture of the ski jump. This ramp was built in 1970 to facilitate the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. If you are in need of a break, then you can also stop here.
Naturally, a summer roller coaster can also be found in these mountains. With a length of 482 meters and 12 bends, the Tatrabob (RP 17) offers a wonderful moment to get a breath of fresh air without a helmet!
We slowly reach the last part of the route. Before we leave Slovakia, there are 2 points worth mentioning. First of all you will pass the Belianska caves (RP 18). This impressive show cave has a number of beautiful rock formations waterfalls. The Muziekhal takes its name from the concert of dripping water in the underground lake. In the past (classical) concerts were also organized here because of the perfect acoustics. The cave is definitely worth a visit, but keep in mind the walk (and the time it takes): from the parking lot it is about a 25 minute walk to the cave entrance. The tour through the cave is another 70 minutes. The choice is yours whether or not to go here. If you do not want to visit the cave, you do have the option to pause along the way. Both left and right of the road you will find great restaurants.
Ždiar (RP 19) is the second special place. This village houses several beautiful traditional wooden houses. On your way through the village you will come across a number of beautiful houses. At Ždiar you also turn back to the West, towards Zakopane. You drive into Poland on a number of beautiful mountain roads with playful curves and your route ends, after hopefully a beautiful day, at Villa Nosal.
Grand Castle Hrad in Liptovský Hrádok (RP 12)
Traditional houses in the Liptov Village Museum (RP 14)
Useful links:
Villa Nosal
Aquapark Tatralandia
Tatrabob
Liptov Village Museum
Belianska Cave
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Waypoint, used to construct the route
Sight, here you can see something
Viewpoint, a short stop for taking a picture
Stopping point, for hotel, lunch, etc
Attention, see the text in the waypoint for more information
Copyright 2019 MyRouteApp B.V. | All Rights Reserved |
Villa Nosal
Aquapark Tatralandia
Tatrabob
Liptov Village Museum
Belianska Cave
Download this route?
You can download this route for free without a MyRoute-app account. To do this, click on the button 'Use route' and then on 'Save as'.
Edit route?
Do you want to edit this route? No problem, click on the button 'Use route' and then on the button 'Tutorial editor' after which you can start the trial of MyRoute-app all-in-one. During this trial of 14 days you can also use our premium navigation app for free without any obligations!
Disclaimer:
Using this GPS route is for your own account and risk. The route has been compiled with care and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on both TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation. Due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures there may be changes, so we recommend checking every route before use. Preferably use the routetrack in your navigation system. For more information about the use of MyRoute-app, please visit the website at 'Community 'or' Webinars'.
Waypoint, used to construct the route Sight, here you can see something Viewpoint, a short stop for taking a picture Stopping point, for hotel, lunch, etc Attention, see the text in the waypoint for more information Copyright 2019 MyRouteApp B.V. | All Rights Reserved |
Leonor Orban - RouteXpert
Lesser Poland
The images and text displayed here originate from the Wikipedia article "Lesser Poland", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
About this region
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska (Latin: Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a separate culture featuring diverse architecture, folk costumes, dances, cuisine, traditions and a rare Lesser Polish dialect. The region is rich in historical landmarks, monuments, castles, natural scenery and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The region should not be confused with the modern Lesser Poland Voivodeship, which covers only the southwestern part of Lesser Poland. Historical Lesser Poland was much larger than the current voivodeship that bears its name. It reached from Bielsko-Biała in the southwest as far as to Siedlce in the northeast. It consisted of the three voivodeships of Kraków, Sandomierz and Lublin.
It comprised almost 60,000 km2 in area; today's population in this area is about 9,000,000 inhabitants. Its landscape is mainly hilly, with the Carpathian Mountains and Tatra Mountain Range in the south; it is located in the basin of the upper Vistula river. It has been noted for its mighty aristocracy (magnateria) and wealthy nobility (szlachta).Between the 14th and 18th century, the Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown also encompassed the historical region of Red Ruthenia. In the era of partitions, the southern part of Lesser Poland became known as Galicia, which was under Austrian control until Poland regained its independence in 1918. As a result of this long-lasting division, many inhabitants of the northern part of Lesser Poland (including those in such cities as Lublin, Radom, Kielce and Częstochowa) do not recognize their Lesser Polish identity.
However, while Lublin (Lubelskie) was declared an independent Voivodeship as early as 1474, it still has speakers of the Lesser Polish dialect.
Across history, many ethnic and religious minorities existed in Lesser Poland as they fled persecution from other areas or countries. Poland's once tolerant policy towards these minorities allowed them to flourish and create separate self-governing communities. Some minorities still remain, but are on the verge of extinction, most notably Wymysorys-speaking Vilamovians, Halcnovians, Gorals, Lemkos, Uplanders, and once Polish Jews and Walddeutsche Germans.
3287
Amount of visits (Lesser Poland)
3
Amount of routes verified by RouteXperts (Lesser Poland)
43
Amount of downloaded routes (Lesser Poland)
Route collections
The route collections by MyRoute-app are collections of multiple routes that belong to each other and checked by MRA RouteXperts. All routes are identical for TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
11
Routes
2504.19
Kilometers
58.96
Hours
View route collection
Tour Poland Slovakia and the Czech Republic
About this route collection
This collection of routes is based on a 3-week vacation that I rode with my partner in June 2018.
The journey goes through Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and a piece of Germany. In total there are 11 driving days, a combination of touristic tours and routes from A to B. All routes avoid the highway and go exclusively on the smaller roads, which makes it a beautiful and varied journey.
Along the way you regularly come across sights, where you can stop to look around. These vary from beautiful viewpoints, to museums and special buildings. You also visit various national nature parks along the way, such as the Tatra Mountains, the Giant Mountains, Eagle Mountains, Krkonoše and Bohemian Switzerland. Because the overnight places are often also located in these areas, you can alternate the driving days with days with wonderful hiking trips.
If you only want to ride a motorcycle, then this collection can also be done in 2 weeks (including a return trip from the Netherlands).
The routes themselves can be challenging from time to time, particularly because the quality of the road surface in Eastern Europe - especially on the small country roads - is not always good. In June 2018 all routes were on paved roads.
The journey goes through Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and a piece of Germany. In total there are 11 driving days, a combination of touristic tours and routes from A to B. All routes avoid the highway and go exclusively on the smaller roads, which makes it a beautiful and varied journey.
Along the way you regularly come across sights, where you can stop to look around. These vary from beautiful viewpoints, to museums and special buildings. You also visit various national nature parks along the way, such as the Tatra Mountains, the Giant Mountains, Eagle Mountains, Krkonoše and Bohemian Switzerland. Because the overnight places are often also located in these areas, you can alternate the driving days with days with wonderful hiking trips.
If you only want to ride a motorcycle, then this collection can also be done in 2 weeks (including a return trip from the Netherlands).
The routes themselves can be challenging from time to time, particularly because the quality of the road surface in Eastern Europe - especially on the small country roads - is not always good. In June 2018 all routes were on paved roads.