| Slovakia lies in the center of Central | | | | Valley Nefcerka is one of them and let |
| Europe and many tourists, among whom | | | | me just describe why. |
| Americans are not any exceptions, find | | | | This valley lies above the lower |
| it really attractive. One of the world's | | | | situated and neighboring Koprova dolina |
| youngest (in the geographical | | | | (valley); it is under the Krivan Peak; |
| terminology) mountain range called the | | | | the route to the Valley Nefcerka is not |
| Tatras or the High Tatras (Vysoke Tatry) | | | | visible. It is the most protected |
| lies in the heart of this small country. | | | | reservation in Slovakia and it has wild |
| The arrangement of these mountains is | | | | nature unique in all Europe. It |
| very dense, which means that in the Alps | | | | officially does not have a touristic |
| (Austria, Switzerland…), for example, | | | | access. As it has been preserved this |
| there is a bigger distance between | | | | way for a quite long time, there may be |
| particular peaks. The High Tatras peaks | | | | yet some unknown species of flora and |
| are condensed and thus exceptionally | | | | fauna not observable anywhere in the |
| attractive. In these mountains, you can | | | | world. The valley starts with woods, |
| make most of any touristic trips just in | | | | then follow dwarf pines, a howling |
| one day and you can see all the | | | | waterfall, the Krivan's wall on the |
| loveliness of nature hidden within the | | | | right hand and the rocks everywhere; |
| woods and the rocks. | | | | then you can see the dark blue mountain |
| The history of these mountains started | | | | lakes with the clearest water in the |
| some 500 million years ago and they are | | | | world. The valley ends with the ridge of |
| part of the Carpathian mountain ranges. | | | | the Furkotsky Peaks accessible from a |
| Later, after these mountains emerged | | | | different valley (Furkotska Valley, with |
| from the Mesozoic ocean some 80 million | | | | mountain lakes carrying the name of the |
| years ago, they started to be formed on | | | | above-mentioned Swedish naturalist - |
| the surface. | | | | Wahlenberg's lakes). The Nefcerka Valley |
| Scientists have proofs that prehistoric | | | | has three mountain lakes called |
| people dwelt in the caves of the | | | | Terianske lakes (deep up to 47 meters) |
| Belianske Tatry and there are also some | | | | and the Nefcersky stream runs out of |
| sources that say that when the village | | | | them. In the Valley Nefcerka, there is |
| Novy Smokovec was founded, workers dig | | | | the Nefcerka Waterfall high almost as a |
| out a silver coin with the portrait of | | | | 30-floor building. The valley's name is |
| Marcus Aurelius. | | | | probably derived from the Neftzer family |
| The Tatras can be divided to the Western | | | | lineage, which took care of the royal |
| Tatras, the High Tatras, and the | | | | property from the year 1695 up to 1762. |
| Belianske Tatras. This mountain range is | | | | On the web of TANAP, the Valey Nefcerka |
| in the north of Slovakia and Poland owns | | | | is specifically mentioned as one of the |
| part of it too. The deceased John Paul | | | | areas that rock climbers are not allowed |
| II loved these mountains and he often | | | | to enter: |
| visited them as a priest before he | | | | Nefcerka can be seen from the Krivan |
| became the Pope. The highest Tatras are | | | | Peak, which is freely reachable by |
| the High Tatras, where the Gerlach Peak | | | | tourists (some 4 hours from Strbske |
| (2,655 meters above the sea level) is | | | | pleso - a ski center): |
| the highest peak in Slovakia. The | | | | From animals living in such hidden |
| Belianske Tatras have a lot of caves and | | | | places like this nature's jewel I |
| it is possible that ancient dwellers | | | | describe here, we can mention eagle, |
| lived here, as there are prehistoric | | | | Eurasian lynx, marmot, but also many |
| proofs found in some caves (an ancient | | | | others such as viper, chamois, bear, |
| stone axe, for example). | | | | wild cat… Among the ones that is very |
| Matej Bel (1684 - 1723), a Slovak | | | | special is Branchinecta paludosa (a |
| Lutheran pastor, one of the greatest | | | | creature from the class of primitive and |
| scholars of the 18th century (Slovakia | | | | primarily fresh water crustaceans). This |
| was under the rule of the | | | | is a water creature that has one special |
| Austro-Hungarian Monarchy) wrote a big | | | | attribute - it does not live anywhere in |
| work entitled Notitia Hungariae novae | | | | the world except Greenland, Siberia, |
| historico - geografica, which got even | | | | Scandinavia… Then we have thousands of |
| beyond the borders of the then | | | | miles and we suddenly find it in the |
| Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The work | | | | High Tatras. This ice relict lives only |
| popularized the geographical splendor of | | | | in two High Tatras lakes and one of them |
| the Tatras, as part of it was also a | | | | is said to be the higher Furkotske lake |
| precious map and a lot of information | | | | (pleso) in the Furkotska Valley - a |
| about the Slovak geography. Thus, some | | | | neighbor of Nefcerka. |
| famous European scholars visited the | | | | A source in Wikipedia has a little |
| Tatras, probably being also inspired by | | | | information too: |
| Jean Jacque Rousseau's ideas about the | | | | Of the flora, we can also mention some |
| benefits if people come back to nature | | | | interesting plants. One of such species |
| and identify with it. Some of these were | | | | is Erysimum wahlenbergii, which was |
| Göran Wahlenberg (a Swedish | | | | discovered by the above-mentioned |
| naturalist), Robert Townson, and many | | | | Swedish scholar and which carries his |
| others. | | | | name. This plant grows up to the length |
| The High Tatras had some mining history | | | | of one meter and it has yellow flowers |
| too. The first mining activities started | | | | like wild radish. This kind of the plant |
| in the 15th century. Under the | | | | class has not been found anywhere in the |
| government of Matej Korvin (1458 - | | | | world. |
| 1490), mining tunnels were built in the | | | | More information about the High Tatras |
| height of about 2000 meters and less | | | | (as well as about the above-mentioned |
| around the Krivan Peak. But even in | | | | Göran Wahlenberg) can be found in the |
| spite of the great enthusiasm, the | | | | English Wikipedia: |
| results were not so good as expected. | | | | Conclusion |
| Some people say that gold can be found | | | | I remember visiting the Valley Nefcerka |
| in these tunnels even today, but with | | | | with my father in 1968. It has been one |
| bears around and going deep into the | | | | of the most vivid experiences I have |
| darkness on one's knees only is quite | | | | ever had, as the Soviet army entered |
| dangerous. | | | | aggressively our country (Czechoslovakia |
| The contemporary Tatras | | | | at that time) exactly on that day in |
| Presently, the High Tatras are under the | | | | August. As we were coming back, we |
| protection of TANAP, which is the Tatras | | | | listened to the radio. Even at that |
| National Park (established in 1949). The | | | | time, no cars were allowed to push their |
| High Tatras have always had a good spa | | | | wheels to the Koprova and Ticha Valley. |
| history, as the weather and overall | | | | Now too, the access to the Valley |
| nature with breathtaking vegetation is | | | | Nefcerka is not given to anybody except |
| incredibly healthy for people with | | | | for special purposes (scientific ones, |
| breathing diseases. | | | | etc.). |
| In 1970, the World Ski Championship took | | | | Is the heavy machinery allowed to go |
| place in the High Tatras and from till | | | | just as near as the Valley Nefcerka to |
| then quite a modest and to the world | | | | cut off and take away the fallen trees |
| unknown place an attractive tourist | | | | only because it yields profit? The noise |
| place with cableways and good | | | | these machines produce is to the |
| transportation developed all over the | | | | nature's ears the same what the heavy |
| region. The Western and Belianske Tatras | | | | artillery to human ears. Yet, we have a |
| are exception. | | | | law that if someone destroys a nest of a |
| As these are real mountains, the weather | | | | protected bird he or she is sentenced to |
| can change any time with harsh effects. | | | | prison. Can the heavy machines come |
| If you go up into the hills and the sun | | | | here, scare the animals, or even destroy |
| is shining, always expect that | | | | birds' nests built in the area of the |
| hailstones can fall on your head in a | | | | fallen trees? The Valley Ticha, which is |
| few minutes. Tourists should never | | | | neighboring with Valley Koprova, has its |
| forget to put a wind-jacket in their | | | | website and you can see pictures of |
| packsacks and good shoes on their feet. | | | | these machines here: |
| Some years ago, a calamity occurred in | | | | If anybody would like to visit Slovakia, |
| the High Tatras, as the wind was so | | | | it is a good idea to start with Slovak |
| strong that it literally cut off many | | | | websites. There is much more than the |
| trees from surface. Some wood industry | | | | Valley Nefcerka in the High Tatras. |
| companies want to take these fallen | | | | Quite a famous Slovak artist, Julius |
| trees out of the woods even from the | | | | Koller, installed a UFO Gallery on one |
| most protected areas. | | | | of the High Tatras' mountains. The Ganek |
| The Valley Nefcerka - Why Are You | | | | Peak is inaccessible to all but expert |
| Crying? | | | | climbers. The idea with the UFO Gallery |
| As the High Tatras is the national park, | | | | and the stars being attached to |
| some activities are not permitted. Some | | | | climbers' eyes helps to find a new |
| places, too, are prohibited to see. The | | | | dimension. |