100th anniversary of the opening of the cog railway from Štrba to Štrbské Pleso

200 Sk commemorative silver coin

The Vysoké Tatry – high mountains with unique natural features, the settlements below the Tatry, which excel by their especial charm and their reputation for excellent health-giving results, attracted ever more spa visitors and tourists in the 19th century. Carts and carriages were soon inadequate for transporting them. On 28th July 1896, a rack railway connecting Štrba with Štrbské Pleso was opened. At first it operated only in summer, but later also in winter. The narrow gauge track with a width of 1,000 mm had a length of 4.8 km and a gradient of 127 promile. It was closed in 1932 due to lack of profit. The idea of reopening it arose at the beginning of the 1950s, and it was actually reconstructed before the World Skiing Championships in 1970. The new track utilised two thirds of the track of the old rack railway.