Tucked away in the Red Valley of the High Tatras at 1811 m above sea level, Červené pleso — the Kežmarok Red Lake — is a tiny yet utterly captivating mountain tarn with a peculiar secret: its water glows with a faint reddish-pink hue that has puzzled scientists for generations.
The lake itself is small — just 66 metres long and 35 metres wide, with a maximum depth of only 1.7 metres — but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in character. The surrounding rocks are dusted with a soft pink patina, which, combined with the ever-shifting Tatra light, gives the water its mysterious tint. Some researchers have pointed to the red lichen Lecidea confluens growing on the shores, others to iron content in the water — the truth is likely a blend of both, seasoned with a little mountain magic. Rising above the lake are fine rocky summits: Jastrabia veža (2139 m), Belasá veža (2284 m), Jahňací štít (2229 m) — the easternmost peak of the High Tatras — and Kozí štít (2111 m). Note that in hot summers the lake can nearly dry out completely, so plan your visit accordingly.
How to get thereThe Red Stream (Červený potok) flows out from this little lake — a fitting name for a place where even the water seems painted in the colours of the mountains around it.