Little Carpathians
Encyclopedia
The Little Carpathians are a low, about 100 km long, mountain range
, part of the Carpathian Mountains
. The mountains are situated in Western Slovakia
, covering the area from Bratislava
to Nové Mesto nad Váhom
, a very small part called Hundsheimer Berge (or Hainburger Berge) is situated south of Devín Gate
in northeastern Austria
. The Little Carpathians are bordered by Záhorie Lowland
in the west and the Danubian Lowland
in the east.
In 1976, the Little Carpathians were declared a protected area under the name Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area
, covering 646.1 km². The three highest mountains are Záruby
at , Vysoká
at and Vápenná at .
Division of the Little Carpathians (from south to north):
The Little Carpathians are used for hiking
, cycling
, skiing
and other winter sports.
The southeastern part contains extensive vineyards (e.g. Bratislava, Rača, Pezinok
, Modra
). Several castles or castle ruins are situated in the Little Carpathians, for example Devín Castle
, Čachtice Castle
, Červený Kameň Castle
, and Smolenice Castle
. Driny
, a limestone cave, is the only cave open to public.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
, part of the Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
. The mountains are situated in Western Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, covering the area from Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
to Nové Mesto nad Váhom
Nové Mesto nad Váhom
Nové Mesto nad Váhom is a town in the Trenčín Region of Slovakia.- Geography :District town located at the northern edge of the Danubian Hills at the foothills of the northern end of the White Carpathians, on the Váh river. Other mountains nearby are the White Carpathians and the Považský Inovec...
, a very small part called Hundsheimer Berge (or Hainburger Berge) is situated south of Devín Gate
Devín Gate
Devín Gate or Hainburger Gate is a natural gate in the Danube valley at the border of Slovakia and Austria. In a wider sense it begins below Bratislava Castle, in which case the gate is 11.5 km long and 2 to 7 km wide; in a narrower sense it begins below Devín Castle and ends near Hundsheimer Berg...
in northeastern Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The Little Carpathians are bordered by Záhorie Lowland
Záhorie
Záhorie is a region in western Slovakia bordered by the Little Carpathians in the east and the Morava River in the west. Although not an administrative region in its own right, it is one of the 21 official tourism regions in Slovakia...
in the west and the Danubian Lowland
Danubian Lowland
The Danubian Lowland or Danube Lowland is the name of the part of Little Alföld situated in Slovakia, located between the Danube, the Little Carpathians and all other parts of the Western Carpathians....
in the east.
In 1976, the Little Carpathians were declared a protected area under the name Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area
Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area
Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area is one of the 14 protected landscape areas in Slovakia. The Landscape Area is situated in the Little Carpathians, part of the Carpathian Mountains, in West Slovakia...
, covering 646.1 km². The three highest mountains are Záruby
Záruby
Záruby is the highest hill of the Little Carpathians. It is located at an altitude of 768 m, near the village of Smolenice....
at , Vysoká
Vysoká (Carpathian mountain)
Vysoká is the second-highest mountain in the Little Carpathians. It is situated above Kuchyňa. The top has a nice view of Little Carpathians' relief, Tribeč, Považský Inovec and Podunajská pahorkatina.- Approach :...
at and Vápenná at .
Division of the Little Carpathians (from south to north):
- Devín Carpathians (in Bratislava)
- Pezinok Carpathians (from Bratislava to BukováBukováBuková is a village and municipality of Trnava District in the Trnava region, Slovakia. The village is located in the Little Carpathians and Buková reservoir is located nearby.-External links:*...
) - Brezová Carpathians (from Buková to PrašníkPrašníkPrašník is a village and municipality in Piešťany District in the Trnava Region of western Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 189 metres and covers an area of 27.881 km². It has a population of about 851 people....
) - Čachtice Carpathians (from Prašník to Nové Mesto nad Váhom)
The Little Carpathians are used for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and other winter sports.
The southeastern part contains extensive vineyards (e.g. Bratislava, Rača, Pezinok
Pezinok
Pezinok is a city in southwestern Slovakia. It is roughly northeast of Bratislava and has a population of 21,334 .Pezinok lies near the Little Carpathians and thrives mainly on viticulture and agriculture, as well as on brick making and ceramic production.-History:From the second half of the 10th...
, Modra
Modra
Modra is a city and municipality in the Bratislava Region in Slovakia. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty and is an excellent centre of hiking.Modra is famous for its pottery industry...
). Several castles or castle ruins are situated in the Little Carpathians, for example Devín Castle
Devín Castle
Devín Castle is a castle in Devín, which is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia....
, Čachtice Castle
Cachtice Castle
The Čachtice Castle is a castle ruin in Slovakia next to the village of Čachtice. It stands on a hill featuring rare plants, and has been declared a national nature reserve for this reason...
, Červený Kameň Castle
Cervený Kamen Castle
Červený Kameň Castle is a castle in southwestern Slovakia in the Little Carpathians near the village of Častá.-History:A stone castle was built in the 13th century as part of the chain of country frontier defense castles ranging from Bratislava to Žilina. This castle was completely rebuilt as a...
, and Smolenice Castle
Smolenice Castle
The Smolenice Castle is a castle in the eastern slope of the Little Carpathians, near the town of Smolenice, Slovakia.-History:The Smolenice Castle was built up in the half of 15th century, but it was destroyed during the Rakoci's uprising and Napoleanic wars...
. Driny
Driny
Driny is a limestone cave in West Slovakia in the Little Carpathians Mountains. It is located around 2 km southwest of the village of Smolenice.The cave's entrance altitude is 399 m....
, a limestone cave, is the only cave open to public.