Kráľova hoľa

Kráľova hoľa stands at 1,946 metres at the eastern end of the Low Tatras, a bare rounded summit with a television mast on it and, unusually, a service road most of the way up. Four rivers rise on its slopes, the Hron, Hnilec, Čierny Váh and Hornád, running to three different seas between them. It appears constantly in Slovak folk song and is tied to the Jánošík legend, which is why Slovaks climb it.

Background

The name means "King's Mountain", Königsberg in German and Király-hegy in Hungarian, and it is the highest point of the eastern Low Tatras. Hiking trails climb from Telgárt, and a paved road from Šumiac stays closed to motor vehicles apart from mountain rescue and transmitter staff. The top looks over Liptov, Spiš, the Tatras and the Upper Hron Valley. Timber cutting stripped most of the slopes in the early 19th century, and Ludwig Greiner later brought the treeline back to about 1,650 m. The mast, built in 1960, rises 137.5 metres, beside a weather station and a mountain rescue station. It appears in folk ballads and in Ján Botto's poem The Death of Jánošík (1862).

Source: Wikipedia, "Kráľova hoľa"

What's there

• The summit - a bare 1,946-metre top with a long view over the eastern ranges.
• The four watersheds - rivers rising here that reach three different seas.
• The folk song association - a mountain that appears throughout Slovak song.
• The ridge east - the Low Tatras crest running away west from the summit.

When to go

June to October is the walking season. The summit is exposed and the weather changes fast. Snow lies on the top from November into May.

Practical notes

The television mast and service road on the summit spoil the setting for some. The climb is long and unshaded on the upper slopes. There is no water on the mountain.

Nearby

Telgart is south, and the Low Tatras ridge runs west.

Key facts