Smrek (2,074 m a.s.l.) is a rewarding summit in the Barance ridge of the Western Tatras, rising above the scenic Žiarska Valley. It may not be the tallest peak in the area, but its open, grassy-rocky summit delivers a full 360-degree panorama that will leave you reaching for your camera from every angle.

The summit has an open, alpine character — a mix of mountain meadows and exposed rock that keeps the views unobstructed in all directions. On a clear day you can see the surrounding Western Tatra peaks and nearby valleys, and further out the Chočské Hills, Malá and Veľká Fatra, the Low Tatras, and the Sub-Tatra Basin. One of the most curious features of the ridge are the longitudinal and lateral trenches running up to 600 m along the crest — a striking geological legacy connected to faulting at nearby Ostrý Roháč. In summer the hike is sunny and open; in autumn the ridge turns golden and the crowds thin out considerably.

• From the north, from Plačlivé (2,125 m) via Žiarske sedlo — yellow trail, moderate difficulty
• From the southwest, from Žiarska dolina junction via Baranec (2,185 m) — yellow trail, demanding
• From Jakubovany via Pod Holým vrchom junction and Baranec — blue trail, demanding
• From Žiarska dolina junction via Žiarska Valley and Žiarske sedlo — blue trail, moderate
• From Úzka dolina junction via Jamnícka Valley and Žiarske sedlo — blue trail, moderate
• From the west, from Baníkov (2,178 m) via Smutné sedlo — red ridge trail, demanding
• From the east, from Volovec via Jamnícke sedlo — red ridge trail, demanding

• Smrek lies within Tatra National Park (TANAP) — hikers must stay on marked trails.
• Žiarska chata, a mountain hut in the Žiarska Valley to the west, is a convenient base and rest stop.
• A marked hiking trail crosses the summit, making it a natural waypoint on longer ridge traverses.

Look closely in the snowy hollows along the ridge trenches — that tiny creeping plant is dwarf willow (Salix herbacea), one of the world's smallest woody plants, hugging the ground to survive the fierce Tatra winds.