Zelené pleso (Green Lake) is one of the most beautiful places in the Slovak High Tatras — a shimmering emerald tarn at 1,545 metres nestling beneath the dramatic northeast face of Malý Kežmarský štít and surrounded by some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Central Europe. The lake is the focal point of the Dolina Zeleného plesa (Green Lake Valley) and home to the Chata pri Zelenom plese — the highest-altitude mountain hut in the High Tatras and one of the most atmospheric places to spend a night in the Slovak mountains.

Quick Facts: Zelené pleso, Slovakia

• Best time to visit: June–September for hiking; the lake and surrounding peaks look their best in late summer and early autumn
• Altitude: 1,545 metres — the lake itself; surrounding peaks rise to over 2,500m
• How to get there: ~4 hours from Bratislava by car to Tatranská Lomnica; from there, a 2.5-hour hike on a well-marked trail (blue markers) through the valley
• The hut: Chata pri Zelenom plese (Brnčalova chata) at 1,551m offers accommodation, hot meals, and one of the most spectacular mountain hut settings in Europe

Zelené pleso is a lake in the High Tatras mountains located in the glacier basin at Kačacia dolina valley in Slovakia. It is situated at an altitude of 1575 m. Zelené pleso lake covers an area of 2,58 ha. It is 200 m long and 170 m wide. Its maximum depth is 4.1 m. Zelené pleso lake has three affluents and is accessible by foot or by bike (during the winter you can get there also by cross-country skis).

There are several places from you can get to Zelené pleso:

• Tatranské Matliare (yellow-blue, 2h55″/3h30″)
• Skalnaté pleso lake (red, 2h15″/2h00″)
• Kopské saddle (blue-red, 1h00″/1h00″)
• Plesnivec cottage (red-green, 1h45″/2h00″)
• Tatranská Kotlina (red-green, 3h05″/3h30″)
• Jahňací peak (yellow, 1h40″/2h00″)
• Tatranská Javorina village (red-blue, 3h30″/4h00″)
• Veľká Svišťovka (red, 1h00″/0h45″)

There is also one of the most romantic accommodation is Slovakia – Chata pri Zelenom plese (cottage at Zelene pleso), where you can stay in a newly reconstructed room at the price of €11-€13/night.

View Zelené pleso in High Tatras – one of the most beautiful places in Slovakia in a larger map

Have you hiked to Zelené pleso or stayed at the mountain hut beneath the Tatras? Share your Slovak mountain memories in the comments! 🏔️

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