Vysoké Tatry
Vysoké Tatry | |
|---|---|
Skalnaté pleso, part of Vysoké Tatry | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Vysoké Tatry Location of Vysoké Tatry in the Prešov Region Vysoké Tatry Location of Vysoké Tatry in Slovakia | |
| Coordinates: 49°09′N 20°14′E / 49.15°N 20.23°E | |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Region | Prešov Region |
| District | Poprad District |
| First mentioned | 1793 |
| Area | |
• Total | 359.78 km2 (138.91 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 966 m (3,169 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,770 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 620 1[3] |
| Area code | +421 52[3] |
| Vehicle registration plate (until 2022) | PP |
| Website | www |
Vysoké Tatry (lit. 'High Tatras'; Hungarian: Magastátra, pronounced [ˈmɒgɒʃtaːtrɒ]; Polish: Wysokie Tatry, pronounced [vɨˈsɔkʲɛ ˈtatrɨ]; Czech: Vysoké Tatry, pronounced ['vɪsokeː tatrɪ]), formally Mesto Vysoké Tatry (lit. 'The Town of High Tatras') is a town at the feet of the Slovak part of High Tatras in Slovakia including all the major resorts in that region. It was created in 1990, and its official name from 1990 to 1999 was Starý Smokovec, which is the name of one of its major settlements.
Features and statistics
The town of Vysoké Tatry is special in many aspects. It is not a true town, but a conglomerate of separate and different settlements (originally separate villages), whose only common feature is that they are the main tourist resorts in the Slovak High Tatras, while being connected through a common railway network (the Tatra Railway). After the country's capital, the town is Slovakia's major tourist destination. It has 3770 inhabitants (2024),[4] excluding tourists. It is located at an elevation of 966 m (3,170 ft) above sea level.[3] Covering 359.78 square kilometres (138.9 square miles),[5] it is Slovakia's second-largest urban area, after the country's capital, and was the largest until 2007, when the village of Štrbské Pleso became a part of Štrba after Štrba's municipal government's successful claim on the Supreme Court.[6]
The local authority, cultural centre, and main shops are located in the settlement of Starý Smokovec.
Administrative division
The town consists of three cadastral areas, which consist of 14 settlements.
| Cadastral area | Settlement | Founded | Altitude (m) |
Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Štrbské Pleso[note1] | Vyšné Hágy | 1890 | 1100 | A map of the three originally separate municipalities in this area making up the present-day town. |
| Podbanské[note2] | 1871 | 940 | ||
| Starý Smokovec | Horný Smokovec | 950 | ||
| Dolný Smokovec | 890 | |||
| Nový Smokovec | 1000 | |||
| Starý Smokovec | 1793 | 1010 | ||
| Tatranská Polianka | 1885 | 1005 | ||
| Tatranské Zruby | 1923 | 995 | ||
| Nová Polianka | 1946 | 1060 | ||
| Tatranská Lomnica | Tatranská Lomnica | 1893 | 850 | |
| Tatranská Kotlina | 1881 | 760 | ||
| Tatranská Lesná | 1927 | 915 | ||
| Kežmarské Žľaby | 920 | |||
| Tatranské Matliare | mid-19th c. | 885 | ||
| note1 The settlement itself was transferred to the village of Štrba, according to the ruling of the Supreme Court.[7] note2 Partly in the village of Pribylina. | ||||
History
The present-day town was created in 1990 and has a complicated administrative history.
The municipality (that is, not a town) of Vysoké Tatry was created as early as 1947 on the territory of the following formerly distinct municipalities: Batizovce, Huncovce, Folvarky, Gerlachov, Kežmarok, Liptovská Kokava, Mlynica, Nová Lesná, Malý Slavkov, Mengusovce, výbor Vysoké Tatry" - literally, "The United National Committee of High Tatras", 'national committee' being the term then used to designate local authorities in Czechoslovakia.
In 1954, parts of the municipalities Pribylina (the majority of which was returned in 2004), Východná, and Liptovská Kokava were added to Vysoké Tatry. Starý Smokovec was made the seat of the Vysoké Tatry municipality.
In 1960, the Vysoké Tatry municipality ceased to exist and was divided into the following separate municipalities: Starý Smokovec (enhanced with town status), Štrbské Pleso, Tatranská Lomnica, Ždiar, and Štôla. However, since 1964 these municipalities had again a common local authority, although they remained distinct municipalities.
In 1990, three of the above municipalities - Starý Smokovec, Štrbské pleso and Tatranská Lomnica - were merged to create the town of 'Starý Smokovec'(named after the settlement serving as the seat of the authorities). The remaining municipalities - Ždiar and Štôla - are still independent municipalities.
In 1999, the town of 'Starý Smokovec' was renamed 'Vysoké Tatry'.
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,158 | — |
| 1980 | 6,478 | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 5,618 | −13.3% |
| 2001 | 5,407 | −3.8% |
| 2011 | 4,250 | −21.4% |
| 2021 | 3,901 | −8.2% |
| Source: Censuses[8][9] | ||
| Year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | 5669 | 4953 | 4113 | 3770 |
| Difference | −12.63% | −16.95% | −8.33% |
| Year | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 3782 | 3770 |
| Difference | −0.31% |
It has a population of 3770 people (31 December 2024).[11]
Ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Number | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| Slovak | 3508 | 89.92% |
| Not found out | 310 | 7.94% |
| Czech | 89 | 2.28% |
| Total | 3901 |
In year 2021 was 3901 people by ethnicity 3508 as Slovak, 310 as Not found out, 89 as Czech, 21 as Rusyn, 21 as Polish, 20 as Hungarian, 18 as Other, 9 as Jewish, 7 as Austrian, 7 as German, 5 as Romani, 4 as Ukrainian, 4 as Italian, 4 as English, 3 as Irish, 2 as Russian, 1 as Chinese, 1 as Vietnamese, 1 as Turkish, 1 as Moravian and 1 as French.
Note on population The difference between the population numbers above and in the census (here and below) is that the population numbers above are mostly made up of permanent residents, etc.; and the census should indicate the place where people actually mainly live.
For example, a student is a citizen of a village because he has permanent residence there (he lived there as a child and has parents), but most of the time he studies at a university in the city.
Religion
| Religion | Number | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic Church | 1930 | 49.47% |
| None | 1203 | 30.84% |
| Not found out | 300 | 7.69% |
| Evangelical Church | 221 | 5.67% |
| Greek Catholic Church | 129 | 3.31% |
| Total | 3901 |
In year 2021 was 3901 people by religion 1930 from Roman Catholic Church, 1203 from None, 300 from Not found out, 221 from Evangelical Church, 129 from Greek Catholic Church, 27 from Ad hoc movements, 18 from Other, 15 from Eastern Orthodox Church, 14 from Calvinist Church, 12 from Buddhism, 7 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 5 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 5 from Baptists Church, 4 from Paganism and natural spirituality, 3 from Hinduism, 3 from Church of the Brethren, 2 from Jehovah's Witnesses, 2 from United Methodist Church and 1 from Apostolic Church.
Sport
In 1935 and 1970 the area hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. The area was scheduled to host the 17th Winter Deaflympics, but the event was cancelled because of the lack of readiness by the Slovakian Deaflympic Organizing Committee to host the games.
Notable people
- Ludwig Greiner, identified Gerlachovský Peak as the summit of the Tatras, Carpathians
Twin towns — sister cities
Vysoké Tatry is twinned with:[15]
References
- ^ "Hustota obyvateľstva - obce [om7014rr_obc=AREAS_SK, v_om7014rr_ukaz=Rozloha (Štvorcový meter)]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ a b c d "Základná charakteristika". www.statistics.sk (in Slovak). Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ^ "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ "Hustota obyvateľstva - obce [om7014rr_obc=AREAS_SK, v_om7014rr_ukaz=Rozloha (Štvorcový meter)]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ "Štrba – Štrbské Pleso". strba.customers.delphi.sk. Archived from the original on 2013-09-05. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
- ^ "Štrbské Pleso patrí mestu Štrba". pravda.sk (in Slovak). 2007-05-03. Archived from the original on 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
- ^ "Statistical lexikon of municipalities 1970-2011" (PDF) (in Slovak).
- ^ "Census 2021 - Population - Basic results". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2021-01-01.
- ^ a b "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
- ^ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
- ^ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
- ^ "Partnerské mestá". vysoketatry.sk (in Slovak). Vysoké Tatry. Archived from the original on 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2019-09-05.