autumn

It is the highest situated village in the High Tatras, spread in the entry to Mlynicka valley with the magnificent panorama on the north, where the slopes of Solisko, Strbsky peak, Krivan, Kratka, Ostra, Vysoka, Ganek, Osterva, Koncista even the highest Gerlach can be seen.

On the opposite south side opens the view to deep Poprad hollow with a range of mountains Low Tatras in the background. The lake Strbske pleso is the most famous of all Tatras lakes. Its 48 acres surface and 65 feet depth are not the biggest in High Tatras, but its beauty is very impressive.

The begining of this settlement is recorded in 1872, when Jozef Szentivanyi built there a gamekeeper's lodge, which was visited also by some tourists. These places had been well-known for a long time to gold searchers and herdsmen. In 1895 the Hungar Carpath Corporation built here the Joseph's Bungalow for tourists and then the number of villas and other buildings grew and even the Spa House appeared. In 1901 the village was bought by the Hungarian State and in 1906 the Grand hotel Strba was opened (hotel Hviezdoslav today). It was further built and extended by the Czechoslovak Republic so as in 1920 a luxury dining room and cafe, as well as other buildings were added (Janosík, Detvan, Jiskra z Brandysa and Marína). All these buildings are historical monuments.

pohľad od plesa

The development of Strbske Pleso was stimulated by transport communications: since 1876 by the roadway Strba-Strbske Pleso, since 1911 by an electric railway Stary Smokovec - Tatranska Polianka and since 1912 Tatranska Polianka - Strbske Pleso. In 1935 a World's Skating Championship took place on Srbske Pleso. In 1943 a skiers' lift was built from Strbske Pleso to Solisko.

The changes after 1948 were similar to those in all the region. Many new buildings were built before the World Champion- ship in Nordic skiing (1970): in the entrance to Mlynicka valley the championship centre with two jumping hills, several lifts and sport hotel were built ("Areal snov", "The Dreamsland"). One part of Strbske Pleso is the Nove Strbske Pleso, founded by architect Karol Móry, who built there one big hotel, the outlook tower and the artificial lake in 1905.