Malé Karpaty (Small Carpathian Mountains) - Slovakia

Extent: 820 square kilometres.

This mountain range is located in west part of Slovakia and divide - similarly as fortification - Záhorská plainland from  Danube plainland. The complex belongs to Fatra-Tatra area, which forms a part of West Carpathian Mountains. It is divided into four next parts, such as: Devínské, Pezinské, Brezovské and Čachtické.

Highest peak: Záruby (768 m).

Surface: afforested, including beech-wood and oak forests.

Climatic area: rather warm, in higher localities moderately warm area.

The territory was declared as Preserved Countryside Area in 1976.

Small Carpathian Mountains is criss-crossed by many tourist and forest trails. They run there from every surrounding city. Some are going across high hills where you can have wonderful vistas to the surrounding. Others stretch through deep green valleys. Interesting localities are the peaks of Celo (716 m) and Veterlín (724 m). Fantastic panoramas of the Small Carpathians and Podunajska Lowland is what you will have when you get on the top. Not less interesting and popular is Cerna Rock (662 m), a marked tourist trail goes to the top. It is another attractive locality in these mountains. We can only recommend you to visit it there. From this steep rock, a beautiful view to an abyss, local mountains, and lowlands are available. You can follow inconspicuous forest path off Cerna Rock until through Polamane (612 m) to the peak of Stary Plast (643 m). This less known peak, however, offer a beautiful view of the Small Carpathians, mostly its major mountains of Jelenec and Geldek. Their distinctive silhouettes are easy to recognize.

Text and photo: Radoslav Biskupič