Hiking educational trail Pramenisko Tatranska Lomnica
When I visited the High Tatras in October 2019, I chose the village Tatranska Lomnica to be my base for 5 days. From there I went on easy hikes in the area. I have to be honest and admit that until that trip I had not even heard of the educational trail Pramenisko Tatranska Lomnica. It was there for years but I was not aware of it. My bad! Going there for the first time was such a special experience for me that I decided to write an article about it.
What is educational trail Pramenisko Tatranska Lomnica
Pramenisko (sometimes also called Prameniste) is the oldest and the biggest wetlands in the High Tatras.
Other important facts about Pramenisko:
- It was declared a national nature reserve with the 5th degree of protection. In Slovakia, 5th degree of protection is the highest which means that the forest is not much affected by humans. That’s why many fallen trees can be seen around the trail.
- It’s located in the TANAP Tatras national park which is the oldest national park in Slovakia established already in 1949.
- Thanks to predominance of alder trees, Pramenisko is a unique wet alder forest.
- It’s on the list of 72 important marshlands in Slovakia.
- It’s part of Natura 2000 – European network of important biotopes (habitats).
- It’s a mountain riparian forest where water plays the main role.
- It’s called ”educational trail” for a reason. You will learn there how and when the whole area originated, why it’s unique, what kinds of plants and animals dwell in there etc.
How to get to educational trail Pramenisko Tatranska Lomnica
First, I have to say that all the signs along the road are only in Slovak which is why I will use the same Slovak names in this article in case you’d like to find the path, too. I think there’s not enough signs towards the trail so it’s better to use GPS as well. On the map you will find the area under the name Prameniste while the trail itself is called Pramenisko.
There’s a few ways to get to the trail.
It’s possible to walk from Tatranska Lomnica to the beginning of the trail, and then the entire trail and back. No need for a car. That’s the larger circuit Pramenisko is part of.
I walked the entire larger circuit. I started in the centre of Tatranska Lomnica, then along the road number 540 towards autocamp Tatranec. From there I turned left, then along the road to Zubry. Zubry are also located on the left of the road and it’s where the trail starts.
The trail Pramenisko itself is approx. 800 metres long. You will walk mostly along man-made wooden footpath but occasionally you need to step on muddy soil. The trail finishes at the Barcova luka (Barcova meadow). Then I crossed the main road and walked through the forest towards the cemetery. I really recommend you to stop by the cemetery and enjoy the views of the High Tatras. Unforgettable!
From the cemetery I made my way down following the red sign towards the Titris hotel and the Exposition of the Tatra nature (Expozicia tatranskej prirody in Slovak). From the Exposition it’s another 10 minute walk to the centre of Tatranska Lomnica.
The directions mentioned above are just one way to get to Pramenisko. However, you can do it the opposite way and start at the Exposition, then cemetery, Barcova luka, educational trail Pramenisko, Zubry, Tatranec autocamp and back to Tatranska Lomnica.
The whole bigger circuit can be done in approx. 2 hours but it all depends on your level of fitness, how many photos you take or how much time you spend listening to the birds and observing the plants around you.
What to see on educational trail Pramenisko Tatranska Lomnica
If you don’t understand Slovak, then I recommend you to check the wooden box at the beginning of the trail. You can find printed guides there – leaflets with information about Pramenisko in both English and German. The guides are helpful because all the panels along the trail are only in Slovak. But you can borrow the leaflets, read them when walking along the trail, and then put them back into the box at the other side of the trail. What a great idea!
The whole area is full of water – streams, creeks, small lakes and standing water. The underground water is usually located very close to the land surface, or standing directly on it. Besides water in different forms, you will see diverse vegetation. More than 80 species of plants can be found under the trees in Pramenisko, out of which 9 are protected.
Pramenisko is full of many different trees, flowers, herbs and other plants. However, I visited in autumn so it was mostly colorful leaves everywhere around. Out of animals, you will notice mostly birds and insects. But there’s also many other animal species living in the wetlands, such as amphibians, deer, boars and bears. (Un)fortunately, I did not encounter any of them while there.
Fauna and flora in Pramenisko are very different from the rest of the High Tatras. Hiking the trail on my own in the morning was incredible! I felt like in a magical jungle somewhere on an exotic island. It did not remind me of my home country Slovakia, and even less of other forests I’d seen in the High Tatras until then.
Educational trail Pramenisko Tatranska Lomnica is an easy trail good for everyone, even families with kids. No need to be very fit to walk it.
TIP 1: Here’s more photos I took while hiking Pramenisko trail.
TIP 2: I also wrote an article in Slovak about other things to do in Tatranska Lomnica. You can find it here – Tatranska Lomnica tipy na vylety.
