Mała Kopa Królowa (1,578 m a.s.l.) is a quietly charming summit tucked into the eastern part of the Western Tatras, sitting along the long ridge that stretches northeast from Kasprowy Wierch. It may not shout for attention, but hikers passing through on the way to the 'Murowaniec' mountain hut will find it a rewarding and peaceful spot away from the busiest Tatra trails.
The summit has a grassy and dwarf-pine character — gentle, open and welcoming in good weather. The western ridge, blanketed in dwarf pine, separates the upper branches of the Jaworzynka valley in a quietly scenic way. Most striking are the reddish, almost bare slopes above Żleb pod Czerwienicą — their warm rust colour comes both from the natural steepness of the terrain and from centuries of iron ore mining that took place here. In autumn the contrast between the green dwarf pines and the russet scree is especially beautiful.
How to reach the summitBetween 1766 and 1871, the slopes of Mała Kopa Królowa were home to the most productive iron ore mines in the entire Tatra Mountains, established during the reign of King Stanisław August Poniatowski — the red-tinged slopes are their lasting trace.