Tomanowa Siklawa is a small but charming waterfall tucked away in the Slovak Western Tatras. Standing around 6 metres tall, it rewards those who seek quieter, less-visited corners of the mountains with a genuine sense of wild solitude.

The waterfall cascades along the Tomanowy Potok Liptowski stream, right at the southern edge of the Polana pod Jaworem meadow, close to where the stream joins the Cicha Woda Liptowska river. The surrounding landscape is classic Tatra scenery — spruce forests, open glades and rushing mountain streams. In spring the snowmelt brings the falls to life with impressive energy, while summer turns the spot into a peaceful, shaded retreat.

How to get there:

• From the Liptovský Mikuláš area or along the Cicha Woda Liptowska valley — follow the valley path along the stream; difficulty: easy to moderate.

Practical information:

• The former hiking trail leading from this spot up to Tomanowa Pass was closed in 2008 — do not attempt to follow it.

There is something quietly poignant about this waterfall — the old trail to Tomanowa Pass once passed right beside it, but has since been closed, leaving the falls as a peaceful, almost forgotten gem of the Western Tatras.