Beneath the austere face of Lomnický štít (the second-highest summit of the High Tatras), something happens in winter that sounds like a joke—but is absolutely real: a snowman symposium. Instead of an ice-sculpture contest, you get an open-air, do-it-yourself “gallery” of snow figures that appear one after another beside a mountain chalet.

The setting is Skalnatá chata (1,725 m above sea level), just a short walk from Skalnaté pleso and the upper cable-car stations. It is here—typically from late December until early March—that tourists and skiers leave behind not just footprints in the snow, but entire characters: classic snowmen, wildly imaginative figures, and sometimes even small scenes built out of snow.

The rules are simple. You build your snowman near the chalet, take a photo of it, and email the picture to the organisers. The photos are then posted on social media, where some of the winners are chosen by public voting and the rest by a jury. In practice, four winners are selected by online reactions and votes, and four more are picked by the jury.

The exact dates can vary from edition to edition, but early March is usually the finishing line for building, with results sometimes announced later. The safest approach is to check the organiser’s current announcements for the most up-to-date details.

Getting there does not require a full-on winter expedition. Although many hiking routes in the Tatras may be restricted or closed in winter, the area around Skalnaté pleso generally remains accessible depending on conditions. The easiest option is to take the cable car from Tatranská Lomnica toward Skalnaté pleso and then walk a short distance to the chalet. You can also arrive via marked hiking trails, but it’s worth remembering that some specific links may be closed in winter—for example, the route between Skalnaté pleso and Chata pri Zelenom plese.

And even when there is less snow, imagination tends not to run short. In strong seasons, dozens of snow creations can appear around the chalet, but organisers and local reports note that the weather sometimes makes things more “minimalist” simply because there is less snow available. Even then, the event usually goes on—just on a smaller scale.

If you don’t feel like building anything yourself, you can still come to look. The area near Skalnaté pleso has also featured ready-made, oversized snowmen as seasonal attractions—giant figures that stand watch until the sun and temperatures finally win.

What makes it work is the perfect combination: a dramatic mountain backdrop, a format that anyone can join (everyone can build some kind of snowman), and a sense of shared fun that doesn’t require athletic performance or expensive gear. It’s also a great excuse to see the winter Tatras from a less solemn, more playful angle.