Little Carpathians
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, and northeastern Austria, where a very small part called Hundsheimer Berge is located south of the Devín Gate. 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. The area is rich in flora and fauna diversity and contains numerous castles, most notably the Bratislava Castle, and caves. Driny is the only cave open to the public. The three highest mountains are Záruby at, Vysoká at, and Vápenná at.
Description
Geomorphologically, the Little Carpathians belong into the Alps-Himalaya System, the Carpathian Mountains sub-system, its province Western Carpathians, and its subprovince the Inner Western Carpathians.The Little Carpathians are further divided into four parts : Devín Carpathians, Pezinok Carpathians, Brezová Carpathians and Čachtice Carpathians.
| Mountain range | Division | Subdivision |
| Little Carpathians | Devín Carpathians – in Bratislava | Devínska Kobyla |
| Little Carpathians | Devín Carpathians – in Bratislava | Bratislava Foothills |
| Little Carpathians | Devín Carpathians – in Bratislava | Lamač Gate |
| Little Carpathians | Devín Carpathians – in Bratislava | Devín Gate |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Homoľa Carpathians |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Kuchynská hornatina |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Stupava Foothills |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Biele hory |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Smolenická vrchovina |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Lošonská kotlina |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Plavecké predhorie |
| Little Carpathians | Pezinok Carpathians – from Bratislava to Buková | Bukovská brázda |
| Little Carpathians | Brezová Carpathians – from Buková to Prašník | Dobrovodská kotlina |
| Little Carpathians | Čachtice Carpathians – from Prašník to Nové Mesto nad Váhom | Plešivec |
| Little Carpathians | Čachtice Carpathians – from Prašník to Nové Mesto nad Váhom | Nedze |
The mountains are densely forested, and the southeastern part contains extensive vineyards. Several castles or castle ruins are situated in the Little Carpathians, for example Devín, Čachtice, Červený Kameň, and Smolenice castles.
Geologically, the mountain range is part of the Tatra-Fatra Belt of core mountains. There are several active faults, which have produced earthquakes. Of them the most notable is the Dobra Voda fault. This particular fault is closely monitored because of its proximity to the NPP Jaslovske Bohunice. The Little Carpathians are seismically one of the most active regions in Slovakia and epicentres of earthquakes with approximate magnitude of 2.5 on Richter magnitude scale are located here.
There are a total of eight karst areas in the Little Carpathians: the Devín Carpathians, Borinka, Cajlan, Kuchyňa-orešany, Plavecký, Smolenice, Dobrovodský, and Čachtice karsts. The most important karst forms include caves Deravá, Tmavá skala, Driny, and Čachtická, and caves along the Borinský potok. Driny, a limestone cave, is the only cave open to public. Major streams include Vydrica and Suchý jarok.
Highest peaks
History
While being a low mountain range, the Little Carpathians were always considered a mountain barrier, often attaining a height of 500 meters, as they were surrounded by various lowlands,. In the past, various types of ore were mined in the Little Carpathians used for the production of gold, silver, antimony, manganese and pyrite.During the Second World War, the Little Carpathians were the birthplace of the partisan group Janko Kráľ. Insurgency in the mountains lasted until the occupation by the Soviet Red Army in 1945.
Tourism
The Little Carpathians are a popular tourist destination in Western Slovakia. The mountains are used for hiking, cycling, tramping, backpacking, automobile and motorcycle tourism, skiing, cross-country skiing, and other winter sports. The mountain range contains a dense network of trails, and the recreational infrastructure is relatively well developed, especially in the south. The Little Carpathians are a popular destination for the inhabitants of Bratislava and other larger cities in the region.Since the Middle Ages, the area has been known for its wines and wine-making traditions. Well known centers of local wine-making include Svätý Jur, Modra and Pezinok. The main tourist centers include the Slovak capital Bratislava, Pezinská Baba and Zochova chata.