Poľana

Poľana is the eroded remains of a stratovolcano and, at some twenty kilometres across, the largest extinct volcanic structure in Slovakia, with the caldera rim rising to 1,458 metres and forest covering nearly all of it. It was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1990. Beech and fir cover the slopes, bear and wolf are resident, and the meadows on the ridge are grazed as they have been for centuries by the Podpoľanie farming communities below.

What you actually see

• The caldera - the eroded volcanic bowl some twenty kilometres across.
• The summit ridge - the rim at 1,458 metres with meadows and long views.
• The old forest - beech and fir covering nearly the whole massif.
• The Podpolanie villages - the farming communities and folk culture below the mountain.

When to go

May to October is the walking season, with meadow flowers in June. Snow lies on the ridge through the winter. Bears are active and food should be handled accordingly.

Honest expectations

Bears are genuinely common here and encounters happen; the standard precautions matter. Trails are long and huts are few. Roads to the trailheads are rough in places.

Nearby

Detva is south, and Banska Bystrica is west.