Kráľova hoľa
1,946 m
Slovakia
Also known as Königsberg, Кралёва-ГоляAlso known as
Königsberg · Кралёва-Голя
- Elevation
- 1,946 m
- Prominence
- 756 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: moderate (stredne náročná) (turisticky.sk) · high (vysoká) (kralovahola.sk, via search excerpt)
The shortest and most used route: the blue trail climbs steeply from the village of Šumiac (about 880 m) through meadows and forest to Chata pod Kráľovou hoľou at Predné sedlo (1,451 m), then over Vyšné sedlo and open grassland to the summit transmitter. About 5–6 km, 1,066 m of ascent, 3–3.5 hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,058 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,946 m
- Time Up
- 4h 15m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 50m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start in Šumiac (parking by the post office and municipal office, bus stop Šumiac OcÚ). The blue trail climbs north past the Skalička junction (about 1,160 m), alternating between meadows, forest and the forestry road, to Chata pod Kráľovou hoľou at Predné sedlo, roughly the halfway point. The hut is open all year and serves food and drink. Above the hut the trail continues through forest to Vyšné sedlo, then leaves the trees for open grassland and dwarf pine with views to the High Tatras, Slovenský raj and Muránska planina. The summit is crowned by a TV transmitter (since 1960) and a concrete obelisk; it is almost always windy. A small emergency shelter in the transmitter building has been closed recently. Descend the same way. A paved service road also runs from Šumiac to the transmitter (about 12 km); it is popular with cyclists but much longer on foot. In winter the route is a straightforward but cold snow ascent, used by ski tourers; the open upper slopes are fully exposed to wind and fog.
Start
Šumiac889 m
- Bus to Šumiac (OcÚ stop); trains on the Banská Bystrica–Margecany line stop at Telgárt, a few kilometres east.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Šumiac → Kráľova hoľa | 5.8 | 1,058 | 0 | 4h 15m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Šumiac889 m
- Feature: Skalička1,163 m
- Hut: Chata pod Kráľovou hoľou1,452 m
- Col: Vyšné sedlo1,459 m
not on route line
- Summit: Kráľova hoľa1,946 m
Key Passages
- Steep climb from Šumiac to Predné sedlo
- Open grassland above Vyšné sedlo
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The 1,946 m eastern end of the Low Tatras, a broad grassy dome topped by a TV transmitter and known as the mother of four rivers. Marked trails from Šumiac and Telgárt reach it in about 3.5 hours with roughly 1,060 m of ascent, and it is almost always windy on top.
Kráľova hoľa (King's Bald) is the highest point of the eastern Low Tatras in central Slovakia, standing above the upper Hron valley on the boundary between central and eastern Slovakia. Four rivers rise on its slopes, the Čierny Váh, Hron, Hnilec and Hornád, which gives it the nickname 'matka štyroch riek'. Its upper slopes are alpine meadow and dwarf pine, and the summit carries a TV transmitter (since 1960) and a concrete obelisk visible for miles around. It lies in the Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT).
The usual ascent is the blue trail from Šumiac, short and steep, past the year-round Chata pod Kráľovou hoľou at Predné sedlo. The green trail from Telgárt, reachable by train over the Telgárt loop line, is a good alternative and can be combined with the red Cesta hrdinov SNP into a loop. The summit is also the eastern start of the 105 km Low Tatras ridge walk to Čertovica and Chopok, with shelters at Andrejcová, Bartková and Orlová.
All routes are technically easy but climb over 1,000 m. The paved service road to the transmitter (about 12 km from Šumiac) attracts road and mountain cyclists. On top, expect wind: the weather changes quickly and the open dome offers no shelter.
Climbing Notes
A moderate day hike: fitness for 1,000–1,100 m of ascent and 5–6 hours return, boots, and windproof and warm layers even in summer. Chata pod Kráľovou hoľou at mid-height serves food and drink, and Útulňa Andrejcová on the ridge to the west is open all year. In winter the routes are straightforward but cold snow ascents, popular with ski tourers; the open upper slopes are exposed to strong wind and fog, so bring navigation and crampons or microspikes. The emergency shelter in the transmitter building is currently closed.
History
The mountain is a symbol of Slovak folk culture, celebrated in the folk song about a green tree on Kráľova hoľa; the tree is not on the summit and probably never grew there. The summit TV transmitter has operated since 1960. The red trail over the summit is part of the Cesta hrdinov SNP, the long-distance trail commemorating the 1944 Slovak National Uprising.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter conditions; strong wind and fog on the open summit
- Feb
- Winter conditions; popular with ski tourers
- Mar
- Winter conditions on the upper slopes
- Apr
- Spring snow above the hut
- May
- Snow patches high up; wet trails
- Jul
- Afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often settled weather
- Oct
- First snow possible
- Nov
- Early winter; short days
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT): stay on marked trails
- Getting There
Šumiac and Telgárt; Brezno (about 50 km west)
Poprad-Tatry (TAT); Košice (KSC)
- Bus to Šumiac (OcÚ stop) or Telgárt (OcÚ)
- Train from Banská Bystrica or Margecany to Telgárt penzión (the Horehronec express crosses the Telgárt loop and Chmaroš viaduct)
- Car: road Brezno–Červená Skala–Vernár; parking in Šumiac by the post office and municipal office, in Telgárt by the Jednota shop
Hazards
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,451 m
Chata pod Kráľovou hoľouHutStaffed
Year-round