In the resort village of Štrbské Pleso in the High Tatras mountains of Slovakia

 The mountains are calling, and I must go.”

-- John Muir, Scottish naturalist and mountaineer, 1838-1914
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(in the High Tatras mountains of Slovakia) Štrbské Pleso, small morainic lake, Východní Slovensko kraj (region), Slovakia. It lies at the end of a narrow-gauge electric railway from Poprad. At 4,455 feet (1,358 meters) in elevation, it is the most popular of the lakes in the High Tatra mountain range.
+ An attractive village of the same name has developed around the lake, with tourist, skiing, and health centers. Within the area are more than 100 lakes and several waterfalls (and the highest peaks in Tatra National Park are nearby). Just south of the lake, but several hundred feet lower than it, is an important pass between the Biely Váh and Poprad rivers.

+ Strbske Pleso (or corrie loch) that is a tarn (a mountain lake, pond, or pool, which was formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. At just over two kilometers around, it is a great place to get up in the middle of the mountains, below the high ones, for a walk around it on the trail. The paths are extremely well-kept and no matter when you visit the area, it is likely to provide something of interest to all. It is fed by underground springs and the water drains out also underground. (No rivers flow in or out of here so all seems calm all the way around it.)

+ Though the lake is a tourism spot for a whole range of visitors, all year round, there are no masses of people and the calm of the lake is evident all the way around. Every now and then there are indications of how the place was built up around it. Wooden lodge restaurants, all looking so inviting -- culminating in the Grand Hotel Kempinski that quietly adds to the grandeur of the place, without spoiling it in any way.

+ In images below, you can also see signs of a perfect spot for Winter adventures. The old Ski Jump stands above the trees. In Winter, this area comes into its own. Langlauf (cross-country) tracks appear all around the lake and as the water is frozen, deep, for much of the winter there is skating and ice adventure to be had for the whole family. Looking up from the lake you can see chair lifts going in many directions. Indeed, this is a popular area for alpine skiing, and (in the warmer months) a good way to start hiking in the High Tatras.

+ Of course, Winter gives way soon enough to warm Summers, the ski boots come off and walkers can hardly wait to set foot on the area's many hiking trails.
For those wanting an other form of adventure or relaxation there is the opportunity to hire boats and relax in the eateries overlooking the lake.

+ There is one other thing that Štrbské Pleso is noted for -- and was a part of the growth in this area. Spas and Spa Healing. If you love to treat yourself to a relaxing spa then there are surely no better spots than looking out over these reflections with the mountains rising up behind.