One quick note up front: This article describes an appealing mountain hike, but the destination lies inside a national park where leaving marked trails is prohibited. Dogs are not allowed here at all. Following our route could result in a hefty fine. This text is published solely as a photo report to share the beauty of this area.
Late summer 2024 brought me back to Slovakia after a few weeks in Scandinavia. Crossing the High Tatras felt almost obligatory, and one look at the silhouettes of the Belianske Tatras made it clear I had to stop, if only for a moment. Nový vrch was one of the few summits in the Belianske range I hadn’t stood on yet, so the choice of destination was more or less obvious.
In the morning we set off from Tatranská Javorina. We pass the forester’s lodge in the valley and follow a marked trail toward Meďodoly. Leaving the waymarked route, we continue via Štefanov predeľ, then traverse beneath the gully dropping from Havranie sedlo. Up to this point the route is clear and straightforward, with no technical sections. Most of the ascent leads through dense forest. Ibo keeps neatly to our group and gradually warms to everyone. Conversation flows the whole time; it’s a crew who haven’t seen each other in a while and there’s plenty to catch up on. The chatter also helps keep us from surprising local wildlife.
Below Havranie sedlo we change direction and climb steeply up the bed of the gully to the saddle. The route crosses mixed grassy and rocky ground, squeezes through a distinct narrowing, then opens out and becomes purely grassy. The final meters before the saddle have no beaten path. We gain height quickly. The grassy slopes are easy on the eye, but moving on steep grass demands care. Ibo, by contrast, with his built-in 4×4, clearly relishes the terrain and makes it obvious this is his element.
Havranie sedlo is the day’s first major waypoint. We pause briefly, then continue toward Nový vrch. The route starts across grassy stretches, which gradually give way to rock. The ascent calls for more focus, and the final meters are exposed, so I put Ibo on a leash. The reward is classic Belianske Tatras views from the top. We also look out over a lesser-known part of the range—the ridge from Nový vrch to Nový Kopiniak—which feels more like the Italian Dolomites than the Belianske Tatras. Looking back, the king of the local range—Havran—dominates the skyline.
From the summit we drop down the grassy slopes toward Nové sedlo. The steep gradients are, without question, Ibo’s highlight of the day. He revels in the fast, grassy descent; when four paws aren’t enough, he slides on his belly, and when the ground allows, there’s the odd somersault or grass surfing on his back. The fun doesn’t last, though. Just before the saddle we hit slightly technical, airy passages that add just enough spice to keep things interesting without needless drama. Most of the tougher spots can be avoided by detouring through relatively sparse dwarf pine, but at times you have to go right on the edge. In a few places Ibo prefers to be carried. We deal with it all calmly and without fuss.
The descent from Nové sedlo runs below the walls of Muráň all the way to Zadné muránske sedlo. Although the path is fairly well trodden, it clings to a steep traverse for much of the way and calls for a sure step. All the more pleasant, then, is the final stretch from Zadné muránske sedlo back into Javorová dolina: a calmer affair. At first it’s an older, at times overgrown path, but after a few switchbacks it becomes indistinguishable from a marked trail. Only here can you quietly take stock of what a fine day it’s been.
Nový vrch offers exactly what you hope for in the Belianske Tatras—raw beauty, deep quiet, and the feeling of moving through a different world. If you ever come here, I hope you’ll understand how singular this place is, and treat it with respect and care.
Ascent route
Interested in this destination? Would you like to visit it with your dog? Check the entry requirements directly in BorderCooler®.