Garajova Valley is one of those rare corners of the High Tatras that remains truly wild and off the beaten path. This small side valley branching northward from Turkova Valley offers a glimpse of the mountains in their most untouched form.
The valley sits on the orographically right side of Koprova Valley, and the Garajov Stream — a tributary of the Koprovsky Stream — winds through its floor. The terrain is rugged and raw, with steep slopes and dense vegetation that change dramatically with the seasons. In autumn the hillsides glow with warm colours, while spring brings the rush of snowmelt. There are no tourist facilities here, no signposts, no crowds — just the mountains as they have always been.
How to get thereThe valley's name carries a romantic legend: locals once believed it was named after Garaj, a companion of the legendary outlaw Janosik, who supposedly hid his treasure here. A more grounded explanation links the name to medieval German miners who worked the ore deposits in Koprova Valley, using the word 'geran' for open-cast mining — a word that may have gradually transformed into the name we know today.