Little Carpathians

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Lesser Carpathians around Červený Kameň Castle
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Lesser Carpathians around Červený Kameň Castle

Little Carpathians (Slovak: Malé Karpaty; frequent other translations to English are Lesser Carpathians or - wrongly - Small Carpathians) are a low 100 km long mountain range (part of the Carpathian Mountains system) in western Slovakia, covering the area from Bratislava to Nové Mesto nad Váhom.

The highest point is Záruby (768 m). In 1976, the Little Carpathians were declared a protected area, covering 655,04 km².

Division of Lesser Carpathians (from south to north):

  • Devín Carpathians (in Bratislava)
  • Pezinok Carpathians (from Bratislava to Buková)
  • Brezová Carpathians (from Buková to Prašník)
  • Čachtice Carpathians (from Prašník to Nové Mesto nad Váhom)

The Little Carpathians are a tourist destination, particularly for the inhabitants of Bratislava. There are possibilities for walking, sightseeing, skiing and winter sports.

The southeastern part features well-known vineyards (Bratislava, Rača, Pezinok), while in the northern part there are many castle ruins. There is also one public limestone cave, Driny, in the Little Carpathians.

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