Kopa Popradzka (2,354 m a.s.l.) is one of the wildest and most rugged peaks in the central High Tatras — a rocky summit towering above Popradské Pleso lake, sitting well off the beaten path and offering something genuinely untamed. If you want sweeping alpine views without the crowds, this hidden gem of the Poprad Ridge will not disappoint.
The peak forms the dominant point of the Poprad Ridge, which branches off from the massif of Ťažký štít (2,500 m). The scenery is quintessential High Tatras: bare granite, glacial cirques, deep-blue mountain lakes nestled in the valleys below, and an unobstructed 360-degree panorama. From the top you can take in a huge sweep of High Tatra summits as well as the eastern Low Tatras with Kráľova hoľa in the distance. In winter the terrain is icy and avalanche-prone; in autumn the wet granite glistens; in summer it stays refreshingly cool even on the hottest days.
How to reach the summitThe first winter ascent was made in 1913 by Gy. Hefty and Gy. Komarnicki — a reminder that the pioneering spirit of Tatra mountaineering is woven into every crag of this extraordinary summit.