Kôprová Valley is one of the wildest and most peaceful corners of the High Tatras — an 11-kilometre-long valley tucked into the westernmost part of the Slovak Tatras, far from the tourist crowds. Wide, open and surrounded by dramatic ridges, it offers a sense of true mountain solitude that is increasingly hard to find.

The valley forms a broad, sweeping basin with its mouth opening just east of the village of Podbanské. To the north, the main High Tatras ridge stretches from Hladký Peak to Čubrina; to the east, the mighty spur of Kriváň dominates the skyline; and to the west, the gentler Liptov Hills round off the scenery. The Kôprovský stream runs through the valley, fed by tributaries from several side valleys that hide some wonderful surprises. The upper part of the valley, known as Temné Smrečiny ('Dark Fir Forests'), has an almost fairy-tale atmosphere. The side valleys shelter several mountain lakes — the largest being Nižné Temnosmrečinské Pleso, covering 11.7 hectares and reaching 40 metres in depth, making it the third largest lake in the entire High Tatras. The Nefcerský stream cascades down in three separate waterfalls, while the Temnosmrečinský stream forms the scenic Vajanský Waterfall. In autumn the valley glows with warm colours, in winter it lies under a deep blanket of snow, and in summer the cool forest shade makes it a perfect escape.

How to get there

• Podbanské or Tri Studničky — blue-marked trail, moderate difficulty

Practical information

• The valley lies within the Tatra National Park — stay on marked trails at all times
• The area is designated a National Nature Reserve — wildlife disturbance is prohibited

The valley's name most likely comes from a mountain plant called Ligusticum mutellina, though an intriguing alternative theory links it to the old Germanic word 'koper' for cuprite — a copper ore that medieval miners extracted here, leaving behind traces of old surface mines still visible today on the slopes of Kôprový Peak.