Silver 200 Sk coin commemorating
the centenary of the opening of the rack railway from Strba to
Strbske Pleso
The Vysoke 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 Strba with Strbske 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.
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