The High Tatras have become a popular Christmas destination.
photo: Roman Millan
The town of Vysoké Tatry in the High Tatras mountains has prepared a series of 15 events for the last month of the year. The town mayor, Ján Mokoš, told the TASR news wire that the program would start on December 5 and 6 when St. Nicolas, or Mikuláš in Slovak, and his entourage arrive in town to give presents to children. The children's New Year's Eve celebration in Štrbské Pleso will round out the program on the last day of the year.
"There are a lot of New Year's Eve activities for adults, so we decided to prepare a New Year's Eve program for children," Vysoké Tatry Councilor Ján Bendík said.
"The festival is called A Tatra Christmas, and it is dedicated to the local citizens as well as to visitors to the High Tatras, whose come in great numbers particularly between December 22 and 31. They can choose from 10 large open-air events and 5 indoor events. All of them will take place in the main recreation areas of the mountains, such as Tatranská Lomnica, Malý Smokovec, Veľký Smokovec, and Štrbské Pleso," Bendík told TASR.
One of the bigger open-air events will be the official opening of the winter season in Štrbské Pleso on December 9, where children will be able to participate in skiing competitions, and the FIS premises will host the "Hello, Winter!" cultural program.
"Winter on the Cable" on December 23 at the lower station of the cable car line in Tatranská Lomnica, and "Christmas at the Lake" at Štrbské Pleso on the same day, also offer holiday celebrations.
Other events include Christmas concerts, film screenings, and theatre plays for children. The organizers are also organizing a midnight mass called "Under the Heavens" close to the Solisko recreational facility for visitors to Štrbské Pleso for December 24.
- Jana Liptáková
