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Essential Guide to Navigating Slovakia's Trail Marks

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Have you ever seen a tree or a lamp painted with a horizontal red stripe between two white ones and wondered what this mark means? In this article, we will take you to the world of Slovak trail marking system and help you decipher the symbols and colours that guide your way through Slovakia’s diverse terrain. 

Slovakia has more than 15 000 km of marked hiking trails. The marking system consists of various symbols and colours that convey crucial information including directions and points of interest.

ROUTE NAVIGATION MARKS

The mark consists of three horizontal stripes. The middle stripe determines the leading colour of the marked route. The marks are painted on trees or other visible objects approximately every 200 metres. If the terrain is more difficult, the frequency is higher and if the route is not complicated (e.g. straight asphalt route), the marks can be less frequent. There are four main colours of the trail marks, each one represents a different type of trail:

Red Marks: are used for the most important and longest routes, they usually follow mountain ridges.

Blue Marks: are used for medium-long routes, side ridges, valleys.

Green Marks: represent routes of local importance and are used mainly for ascent hiking trails, e.g. from the valleys to the ridges.

Yellow Marks: are also called connectors because they connect to more important trails. Yellow routes are usually simpler and shorter and are often located around inhabited areas.

Coloured Arrow: points to a new direction of the trail. The arrow is used when the direction is changed abruptly.

Coloured Square (within white square): indicates the trail’s end.

Local Marks (square divided diagonally, one part coloured): are used for shorter walking routes around towns, major tourist centres, campsites etc. These marks also use arrows when the direction of the route changes abruptly.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Coloured Half Circle: this symbol is very important as it marks the turn-off to a spring or to a well from which you can drink. However, the health safety of the water is not guaranteed. Also, it is recommended not to rely too much on these water sources as they can be often dried up, especially during summer.

Coloured Triangle: marks the turn-off to a place with a view or to a summit.

Square Missing Its Top-right Quarter:

A sign of this shape to lead you to the ruins of a castle or a castle.

SIGNPOSTS

Signposts are places that give information about the route direction and distance of places. They are usually placed on a yellow metal pole or trees, lamps and other suitable objects.  The Slovak signposts, however, display distance information in time units. So for example, you get to know from the signpost that it takes approximately 1:10 h to reach the summit but you don’t know how far the summit is in terms of kilometres. 

Do You Feel Like Hitting the Trails?

To explore the trails safely and responsibly, you need to plan your route first and foremost. You can do it using online hiking maps or trail map apps in your mobile or classic paper map. It is also strongly recommended to download offline maps to your mobile. If you set off to mountains, make sure you have the number of Mountain Rescue Service (18 300) and have proper insurance. Also, always check the weather forecast and plan your trip accordingly.

Trail marks are an integral part of any hiking experience. They not only guide you through the terrain but also ensure your safety by helping you stay on the right path. By understanding Slovak trail marks, you can confidently explore Slovakia’s rich landscapes.

Enjoy the outdoors and stay safe!