Geographical information
During the trek you will visit these cultural, historic and nature places:
Day 0
Košice (city)
Košice is the second largest Slovak city; more than 230 000 inhabitants live here. This area was settled as early as the primeval ages. The first written reference of the city dates back to 1230. In 1342 Košice became a royal municipium and in 1369 it became the first city in Europe to be awarded its own coat-of-arms. In Košice there are plenty of historic sites. The best known is a monumental St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral, built in the 15th century, the largest Dome in Slovakia. Košice are also well known for its International Peace Marathon, one of the oldest world’s marathons.
Day 1
Slovak Paradise (National Park)
The Slovak Paradise was proclaimed National Park in 1988. It is one of the most visited areas of Slovakia. There are the elevated plateaus (Geravy, Glac), gulleys and gorges, waterfalls and caves there. The tourist routes lead through the gorges that the visitors cross using the metal and wooden ladders. More than 90 % of Slovak Paradise is covered by forests and one can see a bear, a lynx or a wolf here. There are also almost 200 caves and gorges in Slovak Paradise. The Dobšinská Ice Cave, that is a part of the UNESCO world heritage, is accessible since 1871.
Dobšinská Ice Cave (cave)
Dobšinská Ice cave is one of the most important worlds’ ice caves. In 2000 it was added to the UNESCO natural world heritage.
Palcmanská Maša (water reservoir)
A small water reservoir built in 1956. It is an important recreation centre of the Slovak Paradise. The accommodation and catering establishments were built nearby.
Day 2, 3
Telgárt (village)
The first written reference of the village dates back to 1326. During the World War II the fascists burnt out the village. Many people`s habits retain here till the present times. Telgárt is the starting point of tourist routes to Kráľova Hoľa and pass-over the Low Tatras.
Nízke Tatry - Low Tatras (mountain range, national park)
The Low Tatras are the second most visited and the most important mountain range of Slovakia. It represents a massive mountain arch, which stretches in an east-west orientation in the length of 100 kilometers. The highest peak is Ďumbier with the altitude of 2043 meters. From many peaks there is a unique view to mountains and valleys of Slovakia. The Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT) was proclaimed here in 1979. The forests cover 90% of the area of the National park. You can see here some big beasts such as bears and wolves. The Low Tatras provides great opportunities of hiking through almost a thousand kilometers of marked tourist routes. Through the main ridge of the Low Tatras leads the tourist route of Heroes of SNP (the Slovak National Uprising) in the length of 9 km, which is a part of the international tourist route No. E8.
Kráľova Hoľa (peak)
The highest peak of the eastern part of the Low Tatras with the altitude of 1946 meters. In 1960 a television transmitter was built here. On the hillside of the mountain a several big Slovak rivers spring - Váh, Hron, Hornád. Kráľova Hoľa is a massive and majestic peak, seen from several mountain ranges of Slovakia.From Kráľova Hoľa there are also beautiful views and a big part of Slovakia can be seen from it.
Shelter hut Andrejcová and Ramža (shelter huts)
They serve as accommodation for tourists hiking through the main ridge of the Low Tatras. There are water springs nearby.
Day 4
Cottage of M.R.Štefánik (cottage)
A cottage situated on the hillside of Ďumbier in the altitude of 1740 meters above the sea level. It is the crossroads of tourist routes.
Day 5
Ďumbier (peak)
The highest peak of the Low Tatras with the altitude of 2043 meters above the sea level. In the past ferrum and gold were mining in hillsides of Ďumbier. The remains of this activity such as mining tunnels and routes can be seen also today. During the World War II harsh battles between partisans and fascists were fought near Ďumbier. On the hillside of Ďumbier there is the Cottage of M.R. Štefánik (1740 meters above the sea level).
Demänovská valley (valley)
The most beautiful and the best-known valley of the Low Tatras with the length of 15 kilometers. It is the main centre of tourism in the mountain range of the Low Tatras. There are plenty accommodation and catering establishments in the valley. There are also many caves here, from which the best-known ones are Demänovská Freedom Cave and Demänovská Ice Cave. In Krčahovo there are the reconstructed partisans’ bunkers from the World War II.
Demänovská Freedom Cave (cave)
Perhaps the most beautiful dripstone cave in Slovakia. It is 8126 meters long. It was discovered in 1921. A regular tour is 1150 meters long and lasts 60 minutes; the longer one is 2150 meters long and lasts 100 minutes. The regular temperature inside the cave is approx 6°C.
Demänovská Ice Cave (cave)
This cave is known for several centuries. It is covered by ice. Its overall length is 1975 m. The tour is 650 m long and lasts for 45 minutes. The average temperature inside the cave is slightly above 0°C (in summer). The remains of the cave bear were found here, however people used to think these were dragon’s bones, so they named the cave The Dragon Cave.
Liptovský Mikuláš (town)
Liptovský Mikuláš is a small town with some 33 000 inhabitants. It is a centre of the Liptov region and an important tourist resort. Many interesting areas of Slovakia can be accessed via this town – Západné Tatras, Chočské mountains, Low Tatras. Not far from here there are caves (Demänovské caves, Važecká cave), thermal spas (Bešeňová, Aquapark Tatralandia), water reservoirs (Liptovská Mara, Čierny Váh), mineral springs (Liptovský Ján, Korytnica), archeological museum in the nature (Havránok), a wooden church (Svätý kríž), ruins of the castles (Liptovský castle, Liptovský chateau, Likava), museums and galleries. The first written reference about the town comes from 1286. In Liptovský Mikuláš the legendary Slovak outlaw captain Juraj Jánošík was executed in 1713.
Svätý Kríž (wooden church)
This evangelistic church, built fully of wood that is one of the tallest wooden buildings in Europe. Originally it was built in 1774 in the Paludza village, but while building the water reservoir Liptovská Mara in 1974 - 1982 it was moved to the village of Svätý Kríž. Up to 6 thousand people can take part on the mass here. In the church there is an altar from 1693.
Day 7
Liptovská village Museum (museum)
This museum was first opened in 1991. It is a historical demonstration of the rustical architecture of the typical village in Liptov region. The museum consists of several buildings – wooden houses, a bell-tower, chateau, school, etc.
Chopok (peak)
The second highest peak of the Low Tatras with the altitude of 2024 meters above the sea level. On its top there is a meteorological station and a cottage (Stone cottage).
Day 10
Špania valley (village)
The village lies 11 kilometers north of Banská Bystrica on the border line of the Low Tatras and the Veľká Fatra, in the altitude of 728 meters above the sea level. Long ago it was well known in whole Europe for its fields of copper containing silver. The copper fields were the reason for the settlement of the area already in the Bronze Age, so almost 6000 years ago. The first mines in the area were opened in 1006. The mines in the village were closed in 1888. The rarity of the village is a mining water pipeline, which supplied the water from the distance of 26 kilometers by a wooden water-trough. The most important historic site is the church, into which a roofed wooden staircase leads from the square with the super elevation of 80 meters and with 162 stairs. There are several old mining houses in the village.
Day 11
Banská Bystrica (city)
It is the centre of the Central Slovakia. With the amount of inhabitants over 80 000 it is one of the larger Slovak cities. It has become a city in 1255. The history of the city is closely connected with mining. In the surroundings of the city there were rich fields of gold, silver, copper and ferrum. During the World War II Banská Bystrica was the centre of the anti-fascist resistance as the centre of the Slovak National Uprising. The Museum of the Slovak National Uprising reminds us these important events. To the most valuable sight of the city belongs the complex of the city castle (Barbakan) and a square with surrounding streets.