Kobyli Stawek is a small, wonderfully secluded tarn tucked away at around 1,737 metres above sea level in Dolinká Kobylá (Mare's Valley), a side branch of the Koprová Valley in the Slovak High Tatras. It is the only body of water in the entire valley, which gives it a quietly magical quality — a lone mirror of water surrounded by mountain pastures and rocky ridges. If you are after peace and genuine alpine solitude, this hidden gem is hard to beat.

The pond itself is modest in size — just a few dozen metres across and barely a metre deep — but its wild, unspoiled setting more than makes up for it. The small stream called Kobylia Voda ('Mare's Water') flows nearby, the only watercourse draining this corner of the mountains. In summer the surrounding meadows are lush and green; in autumn they turn golden. Come in the shoulder seasons and you may well have the whole valley entirely to yourself — a rare luxury in the Tatras.

• From the Koprová Valley — a green-marked hiking trail running along the Koprová Valley towards Zawory Pass passes approximately 200 m west of the tarn. Leave the main trail and head into the side valley to reach the pond.

• The tarn lies within the TANAP national park — nature protection rules apply, including staying on marked trails.

The name most likely recalls the ancient tradition of grazing mares in this area — and interestingly, the pond is older in name than the valley itself: the valley was named after the pond, not the other way around. Around 1930, grey Liptov oxen with large bells were still being pastured here — a scene almost impossible to imagine in this quiet mountain hollow today.