Below, you will find an excerpt from a small book titled, "Below Snina Rock". This book is a descriptive writing of the Snina area.

Below Snina Rock
Pod Sninským Kamenom
By Vladimír Slimák
1964

Nature in the Vicinity of Snina
Snina and her surroundings have a very diverse palette of their outdoors, but up until now it has not been fully utilized. The oldest Sninans talk about the quantity of game, particularly large game, which was found here. Nature was giving to the oldest settlers of Snina their livelihood already in the more distant times, whether it was the hunting of animals, or the harvesting of wood, or the burning of charcoal, all this was giving the possibility of earnings, when far and wide in the surrounding area there was no factory.

Until today there have remained in Snina’s countryside many untouched beauties. It is rich in forest produce and in mushrooms, but a great part of this countryside still is inaccessible and not utilized. Beautiful forests, mountains and valleys are not yet fully known and many of them hide in themselves undiscovered minerals. The best-known place in this district countryside is Morské oko [the Eye of the Sea] below Snina Rock and Snina Rock 1,007 meters above sea level. In its proximity, members of the Municipal People’s Committee and of the angler's club built not far north of Snina Rock in the area called Cichá, two artificial fish ponds on the hillside itself at behind the Vihorlat plant which today serve for recreation. Near the fish ponds is built a chalet with refreshment opportunities.

A favorite place for tourist excursions from Snina is Snina Rock and the Eye of the Sea lying below it. Through the summit of Snina Rock along the main ridge of Vihorlat runs the border of the areas Humenne and Michalovce. Snina Rock seen from a distance with its interesting silhouette evokes an imposing view, because it consists of two giant rock rectangles. The higher, Great Rock, 1,007m above sea level, spans the main ridge and the area border; the lower, Little Rock 998m above sea level, is to the northwest, in the territory of the Humenné area. On the summit of Snina Rock grow in huge numbers the Vihorlat kostrava[?] sheep, which inhabit the summit and the steep rocks.

A tour to Snina Rock begins at the railway station, with the new sign [following] along the path of the former mountain railroad on the left bank of the Cirocha opposite the heating plant, then into old Snina and we walk around the manor-house on the wagon road in the direction toward Zemplinske Hamre. From Zemplinske Hamre it possible to get to Snina by bus via Belá nad Cirochou. Beyond the upper outskirts of the village boundary it is possible to take a tour into the forest with an ascent to the ridge of Vihorlat. The footpath leads mostly by beechwoods and small islands of brush. At the end of the hike we move below the rocks and stones that form and surround Snina Rock. First we move onto the lower Little Rock and then we step onto the massive formation of the Big Rock.

Here the signs lead further to the Eye of the Sea, which is spread as if in the lap of this entire mountain massif. The ascent to Snina Rock from Zemplinske Hamre takes a little more than 1 1/2 hours.

At the Eye of the Sea [Lake] tourists are found regularly each year, and in recent years there is the popular youth trip to the Eye of the Sea from the Humenne and Michalovce areas, organized by Czechoslovak Youth[?]. The Eye of the Sea under Vihorlat exceeds even the beauty of some Tatra mountain lakes. It is 1,300m long and in places 40m deep. Accommodations are being enlarged every year, and -- in the plan of construction for the recreational district Vihorlat-Morske Oko -- even more hotels should be built here with the opportunity for lodging and meals. From Snina it is possible to undertake tours to other nearby and distant surroundings.

The most famous tourist spot after the Snina Rock and the Eye of the Sea area is Ruské. The natural environment of the area is abundant in woodland fruits and mushrooms, but touring it is most beautiful especially in winter, since there are remarkable ski conditions, some of the best in eastern Slovakia.

Snow remains above Ruské until the end of April; while Vihorlat protects it from the south, from the north it is exposed to cold air. The most beautiful terrain is on the snow-covered slopes of Plaša – 1,163 m above sea level, to the east of the village. Plaša is a botanically interesting peak. We find here a diverse flora (flowers), in which predominates the flora of the Eastern Carpathians. The ascent from Ruské to the summit of Plaša along the forest trail takes more than 2 hours. A forest road leads to the border peak Beskyd -- 1,015m above sea level.

In Ruské several ski events of even region-wide significance have already been organized and it will be counted on for this purpose in the future more and more. Its terrain is utilized well by tourists and the skiing division of the Physical Fitness Association Vihorlat Snina, which organizes ski trips to here. At the foot of the hill Sirkan, not far from the housing development in Snina, a new ski tow 360m long was put into operation in the year 1965, which serves skiing and recreational purposes not only for Snina but for the entire vicinity. Vihorlat, the People’s Enterprise Snina, also owns the recreational center Trist, which is about 45 minutes away from the railway station Dlhé nad Cirochou.

Snina and its surroundings have a great future from the viewpoint of travel activity. The construction of other recreational districts is anticipated here, with the building of ski tows and such. This high point of the republic will open her arms to visitors even more and its people will further reveal her beauties.

At this point, I suggest clicking here to view an online version  of the book. It is only 31 pages long.

Note:
English Translation and Transcription
by  Bill  Tarkulich  and  Mark  Sabol
October 19, 2002