On Monday, October 5th, we awoke to gorgeous sunny skies in Stary Smokovec. I didn’t sleep so well in the bed, which had kind of a cheap mattress that left tingly pressure points on various parts of my body. Nevertheless, I was delighted by how beautiful the weather was. It was practically warm outside.

Bill got up and went to a small COOP grocery store, near where we’d had dinner the night before. The paid parking lot near the store was expensive, but the old guy running it was kind enough to let Bill briefly park for free, so he could pick up a few groceries for breakfast.

I was eager to see Štrbské Pleso, a glacial lake near the Kempinski Hotel. People had written about how beautiful it was, and I figured it wouldn’t be too physically taxing to go there. I would say the Vysoke Tatry area is a wonderland for athletic types who love to hike.

There are mountains to climb and ski down, caves to explore, lakes to swim in and walk (or run) around, and waterfalls to hike to and gaze at. There is even a handy tram that will take explorers to some of the more remote areas, although I’ve read that they are pretty well attended by visitors. If you choose to hike to a waterfall, it’s likely you’ll be joined by others with the same plan.

Unfortunately, I’m not as fit or as ambitious as I once was. It doesn’t take much to wind me these days. I’m not sure why, although maybe menopause has something to do with it. But I did muster enough energy to go to the lake and walk around it. The locals made it easy. There were plenty of benches for resting, and even a free public toilet to use. And when we were finished walking around the lake, we had a good choice of restaurants to visit for a hearty lunch.

Below are some photos from our morning at the lake. I’m very glad the weather was so agreeable! The first three are shots from the property where we were staying.

There’s a path that goes around this lake. If you’re fit, you can probably make it around in under an hour. We saw a few young, athletic guys who ran around it a couple of times while we slowly made our way. We also saw a couple of girls racing each other. And we heard an elderly German woman praising the lake for not being too large. One Asian lady saw me coming out of the bathroom and asked if she needed to pay. I was happy to tell her it was free to pee!

I made Bill stop for a photo or two… and so I could catch my breath. I think you can rent a boat to row around in this lake, too. We saw a couple of people doing that.

I was reminded a little of Lake Bled in Slovenia, except it was less touristy, and didn’t have an island with a church on it. I also didn’t see any swans at this lake, although we did run into a few ducks. There was also a memorial at the lake that commemorated a World War II partnership between the United States and Russia.

Everything was so rustic. That part reminded me a bit of Croatia, and the Plitvice Lakes park, where it seemed like the whole area was set up for outdoorsy fun. It doesn’t compare to the incredible beauty of Plitvice Parks, nor does it offer the same stunning colors. But Štrbské Pleso is very beautiful in its own way, and is more manageable for people who aren’t very fit. As much as I loved our 2021 trip to Croatia and Slovenia, I don’t think I could do 7 or 8 miles in a day again in 2026… at least not without getting in better shape.

We decided to have lunch at a restaurant outside of the lake area. They had traditional Slovakian food, and played annoying music with a video on a loop. The food and beer were good, but the music was grating. Also, this was another place for people with smaller asses than mine. I don’t remember the name of this restaurant, but I do remember they charged 2 euros (!) to use the restroom. I’m sure it’s because they were tired of tourists coming in just to use the facilities. Still, it’s off putting when you have to pay to pee at a restaurant you’re patronizing. I’m sure all of the restaurants in the lake area do it, though.

We decided to drive back to the apartment as the skies started to dim a bit. I wanted to do some reading and writing, and Bill wanted to pick up some more supplies. As we were driving back, I marveled at how beautiful the scenery was, and how it seemed to me like Slovakia is a place with ambitions to be a great destination for outdoorsy types.

In my younger days, we might have tried to take an afternoon walk to one of several waterfalls in Vyoske Tatry. There’s even a tram that takes visitors part of the way there, so they don’t have to expend too much energy on a hike. Maybe if we make it back to this very enchanting area, I’ll pay a visit to the falls. I’d also love a chance to visit the caves in the area.

We decided to skip dinner, since we had a big lunch and some snacks we needed to consume. That was a wise choice, given how big and hearty lunch was. Meat dishes are a big deal in Slovakia.

In my next post, I’ll write about our visit to the “treewalk” in the area. Stay tuned!