Bielovodská dolina

Bielovodská dolina is a unique place among the Tatra valleys — it is the only valley in the Tatras with an alpine character and, at the same time, the longest valley in the whole range. It stretches over 10 kilometers and is fed by the mountain stream Biela voda, which gave the valley its name and still shapes its form today.

The valley acquired its dramatic face during the ice age. Back then a massive glacier, roughly 14 kilometers long and over 300 meters thick, lay here and gradually carved its steep slopes and sweeping bends. It is this ancient glacial origin that gives Bielovodská dolina its alpine character, setting it apart from the rest of the Tatras.

The valley lies near the village of Tatranská Javorina, on the northern side of the Tatras, and carries several names in neighboring languages — Dolina Białej Wody in Polish, Alpengrund in German. For visitors it is above all a place of exceptional scenery: a long valley flanked by tall peaks, alternating between forests, mountain meadows and streams.

Thanks to its length and character, Bielovodská dolina is among the routes that demand time and good stamina, but reward visitors with a calm and panoramas found nowhere else in the Tatras. If you're planning to discover this quieter side of the high mountains, accommodation in the villages beneath the Tatras offers a comfortable base — set off into the wild valley in the morning and enjoy relaxing in the Tatra foothills in the evening.