Slavkovská kopa (2,346 m a.s.l.) is a rugged High Tatras peak that rewards those willing to go the extra mile — literally. Towering above Nový Smokovec and off-limits without a licensed mountain guide, it retains a genuine sense of wilderness that many neighbouring summits have long lost.
The peak sits in a powerful ridge running south-east from Východná Vysoká (2,429 m) toward Slavkovský štít (2,452 m). It actually has two summits: the higher one sits on the main ridge, the lower on a secondary spur heading north. The north-eastern slopes plunge steeply into Veľká Studená dolina, while the south-western flanks descend into Slavkovská dolinká, a side valley feeding the larger Velická dolina. On a clear day the 360-degree summit panorama takes in the surrounding High Tatras peaks and valleys, the Sub-Tatric Basin, much of the Low Tatras, Kozie chrbty, the Spiš-Gemer Karst, Volovské vrchy, and Levočské vrchy. The rocky slopes are also a favourite destination for technical climbing.
How to reach the summitJust north of the summit lies Vareškové pleso, a quiet alpine lake whose waters drain via Studený potok into the Poprad river — a beautiful spot you might pass on your guided ascent.