Part of the Carpathian mountains range, High Tatras straddle the Slovak-Polish border in Northern Slovakia. The Rocky Tarn (Skalnaté pleso in Slovak) can be reached from the town of Tatranská Lomnica by a cable line which then continues up to Lomnicky Peak (Lomnický Štít, 2634 m). The little bright spot in the upper-left area of the left photo is the cable-line cabin on its way up above the low-lying clouds which hide the Peak.

The tarn (mountain lake) is located 1751 m (5741 ft) above sea level which, at this latitude, is too high for tall trees. Nevertheless, it is surrounded by thick patches of dwarf mountain pines (Pinus mugo) and the crevices among its prohibitive-looking rocks harbor many examples of Alpine flora, such as the bluebells (Campanula alpina) pictured on the right. The whole area is protected and makes part of the High Tatra National Park.

August 19, 1998. See also my album Glimpses of Tatra Mountains.