Babiná (1,278 m a.s.l.) is the highest peak of the Knola sub-range within the Volovské vrchy mountains in Slovakia — and it rewards every hiker with a full 360-degree panorama that is rare in this part of the Slovak Ore Mountains. If you love wide-open summit views without the crowds, this is your kind of mountain.
The peak rises in a lateral ridge running northward from the main crest, above the village of Hnilec, roughly 6 km east of Dobšiná. The terrain is forested on the approach, with the summit itself covered only by low vegetation that opens up the sky in every direction. On clear days you can see the High Tatras, the Low Tatras with Kráľova hoľa, Čierna hora, Branisko, Čergov, the Levoča Hills, the Stolické vrchy and the Revúcka vrchovina — a roll-call of Slovak highland landmarks. Autumn is particularly spectacular when the surrounding forests turn gold and amber.
How to reach the summitAs the highest point of the Knola sub-range, Babiná is a natural tick for peak-baggers exploring the Volovské vrchy. The surrounding slopes drain into the nearby Hnilec stream, whose short tributaries make the lower approaches especially lively in spring.