Wielki Staw Hińczowy — known in Slovak as Veľké Hincovo pleso — is the largest and deepest glacial lake on the Slovak side of the High Tatras, sitting at a breathtaking 1,946 m above sea level. Surrounded by towering rock walls on three sides, with its deep blue-black water reflecting the peaks above, this is a place that feels truly remote and wild. If you love high-mountain scenery at its most dramatic, this lake belongs on your list.

The lake rests in the Hincova Basin, the highest tier of the Mengusovská Valley. To the west rise the walls of Kôprovský štít, to the north Čubriny and Veľký Mengusovský štít, and to the east the rocky ridgeline of Východný Mengusovský štít and Hincova veža. The water surface is frozen on average 270 days a year — in summer, when the ice finally retreats, the landscape feels almost otherworldly. In autumn, the pale granite and russet hues of the alpine grassland create an unforgettable palette.

• Popradské Pleso railway stop (Slovakia) — blue trail, via Rozcestie nad Popradským plesom and Rozcestie nad Žabím potokom — approx. 1.5 hours, moderate difficulty. Seasonal access only: 16 June – 31 October.
• From Vyšné Kôprovské sedlo — blue trail; return is possible via Hlinská dolina into Kôprová dolina.

• The trail is open seasonally: 16 June to 31 October only.
• The lake is located within the Tatra National Park — stay on marked trails and follow park regulations.

The name 'Hinco' echoes old local legends — some say it was a shepherd who grazed sheep here, others point to miners ('hincovia') who once searched these valleys for gold. In September 1965, Czechoslovak divers reached the lake bottom at nearly 54 metres depth, but the expedition ended in tragedy — a story that remains one of the most haunting chapters in Tatra mountaineering history.