Rakuska Czuba (2037 m a.s.l.) is the highest point of the Rakuska Ridge — a quiet, lesser-known spur of the High Tatras that rewards those who seek it out with sweeping views and a genuine sense of solitude. If you enjoy stepping off the beaten path, this summit is well worth the short detour.
The ridge has a distinctly alpine feel: grassy and rocky slopes, panoramic views over the Kežmarok Valley and the Huncovská kotlinka basin, and a peaceful atmosphere far from the busier trails. Summer brings clear skies and lush surroundings, while autumn colours the forests in the lower sections beautifully. In winter the terrain becomes serious — it was under winter conditions that climbers passed over Rakuska Czuba in 1906 on their way to Kežmarský štít.
How to reach the summitThe name of the peak traces back to the Spiš village of Rakúsy, while the old German name Ratzenberg comes from the Spiš-German dialect word Ratze — meaning not a rat, but a marmot. Listen carefully on the slopes and you may hear one whistling today.