(source: Marcela Ballová)
The slopes of the third highest peak of the Low Tatras are currently full of skiers. Especially on its upper half, skiers cannot complain about the lack of snow even a few days before Easter. And it is precisely on one of the slopes, specifically the southern one, that a treasure is hidden.
Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side.
Some visitors to the sought-after tourist resort discover it by chance when they visit the Kosodrevina restaurant for refreshments, not far from the iconic mountain hotel of the same name.
Only a few metres separates the modern Funitel cable car, which can withstand even a hurricane, from the old Von Roll cable car.
More than half a century ago, it was the first one to connect two regions located on opposite sides of Chopok - Horehronie and Liptov. At that time, it was a European rarity.
No cell phones, just a field phone
Whoever steps behind the doors of the Von Roll Cable Car Museum, located at an altitude of 1,494 metres, feels like they are travelling back in time. A valuable part of history is unveiled before their eyes, unimaginable for many today.
Thousands of tourists from different parts of the world used to travel to Chopok in this way. The Von Roll cable car was once a huge attraction in both winter and summer. It approximates the time when mobile phones did not exist, communication was ensured by a field military telephone.
The impossible became reality
The cable car was built by enthusiastic builders from the Horehronie, Liptov and Orava regions. Engineers from Podbrezová and nearby factories joined in, and hiking enthusiasts helped as well.
Based on his visit to Swiss mountain resorts in 1947, Alojz Lutonský returned with an idea of building a chair lift to Chopok. It was supposed to be the first of its kind in Slovakia. Two years later it was in operation.
The Von Roll transport cable car system is a historical landmark in mountain transport in Slovakia and deserves due attention. At the time, the cable car was characterised by safe and comfortable boarding, thanks to detachable carriages attached to the transport rope only after passengers had safely boarded.
"The strange thing was that the passengers were sitting sideways. The carriages were two-seaters and the travel speed was 2.5 metres per second," reads the information.
The museum of the historic Von Roll cable car is accessible to visitors free of charge from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 15:30.
©My Novohrad
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