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

Muránska Plain (upland plain, National Park)
One of the most valued parts of Slovakia. In 1997 it was proclaimed a National Park. Muránska Plain is a limestone plain with plenty carst formations. More than 150 caves (none of them is opened o public) and 15 abysses can be found here. Over 90% of the Muránska Plain is covered by vast forests. There are many various plants there, including several endemites (cannot be found anywhere else in whole world). Muránska Plain is home to many animals – one can see here a bear, a wolf, a lynx, a wild cat, an otter, an eagle or an eagle-owl. In the Veľká Lúka area, close to the Muránsky castle, the half-wild horses are bred. The highest peak of the Muránska Plain is Fabova hoľa (1439 m) and the lowest point is the valley of the Muránka stream (400 m. above sea level). Muránska Plain with its 300 kilometers of tourist routes is a real tourist paradise. When compared with the other national parks and mountains the Muránska Plain is not visited by that many tourists, with the exception of the famous Muránsky castle. 

Muránsky castle (castle)
This royal castle was built in the 13th century to protect the route leading from gemer to Liptov and Zvolen. It lies at the altitude of 935 meters above the sea level and it offers a beautiful view around. The castle burned out in 1760 and was never rebuilt so only ruins remain to be seen.

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.

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. 

Day 2

Geravy (elevated plateau)
A limestone plateau in Slovak Paradise covered by dense forests. Accessible via the cable car from Palcmanská Maša or via an interesting ascend through Zejmarská Valley.

Havrania Rock (peak)
Reaches to 1156 meters above the sea level. From its top one has a beautiful view to the whole Slovak Paradise. Below the Havrania Rock there is an interesting natural phenomenon – “The Irregular Stream” – the water flows out in intervals.

Day 3

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. The inner part of the cave is covered by ice that is up to 25 meters thick. It was discovered in 1870. The cave is 1483 meters long. The tour is 515 meters long and lasts for 30 minutes.    

Day 4

Zejmarská Gorge (rocky gorge)
The shortest accessible gorge in the Slovak Paradise and the only one in southern part of the Slovak Paradise. The stream flowing here creates a several-steps set of waterfalls. The tourists cross the gorge using the chains and ladders.

Podlesok (recreational area)
An important tourist centre of the Slovak Paradise. It is a starting point for the main tourist routes in Slovak Paradise. One can find here the accommodation and catering establishments.

Day 5

Suchá Belá (rocky gorge)
One of the most beautiful and most often visited gorges of the Slovak Paradise. There are plenty of waterfalls there with the 15-meters Okienkový Waterfall being the tallest. Water flowing through the gorge has to get through the 400 meters elevation difference. The tourist routes are secured by many chains and ladders.

Kláštorisko (remains of the monastery)
Ruins of the monastery built in 1299 in the altitude of 790 meters above the sea level. The monastery is undergoing the repair works, lasting for several years. The site was first settled in the primeval ages. In 1241 and 1242 the inhabitants of the nearby villages found here the shelter from the attacking Tatars. Kláštorisko is surrounded by gorges. At present it is a centre of the tourist routes in the northern part of the Slovak Paradise and almost all passages lead to Kláštorisko. That’s why in summer one can see plenty of tourists here.

Day 6

Piecky (rocky gorge)
Another typical and often visited Slovak Paradise’ gorge. There is the 13-metre tall Veľký Waterfall. Passage through the gorge is secured by chains and ladders. 

Day 7

Hornád Breaktrough (rocky gorge)
The 16 kilometers long canyon created by the Hornád River at the edge of the Slovak Paradise. Its walls stand several dozens of meters tall. It is one of the most attractive tourist routes of the Slovak Paradise. Its first passage was made in 1906 – walking on the frozen surface of the Hornád River.

Tomášovský view (cliff)
From this 667 meters tall cliff one has magnificent view to the Hornád Breaktrough, Biely Stream’ valley and even to the High Tatras.

Čingov (recreational area)
The largest tourist centre of the Slovak Paradise. The first fortified settlement was built here in primeval ages. There are plenty accommodation and catering establishments there. It is a starting point of many tourist routes.

Day 8

Žehra (village)
The village is well-known for its Roman-Catholic church where the unique medieval paintings, created in the 13th, 14th and 15th century, can be found. The church belongs to the world heritage UNESCO. 

Dreveník (protruding rock)
The largest travertine formation in Slovakia. It can be found near to the Žehra village on the slope opposite the Spišský Castle in the altitude of 609 meters above the sea level. it is an important archeological locality. The items found here prove that the first to settle this area were the Neanderthals. The remains of the mammoths were uncovered here, as well as the artifacts from the Neolith and the Bronze Age.  

Spišský castle (castle)
It is built in the altitude of 634 meters above the sea level on a limestone rock which  exceeds  surrounding landscape about 200 meters. The first written reference of the castle dates back to 1120. It was built on the place of older Slavic and prehistoric hill-fort. In 1780 the castle burnt down and stayed only as remains. Despite of it the castle excels among other castles. It is one of the largest castle complexes in the middle Europe. In 1993 it was registered in UNESCO World Heritage List. On the castle there are expositions of the Spišské Museum.

Spišská Kapitula (clerical village)
It has been a clerical centre of Spiš region since the 12th century. Since 1776 till nowadays it is the residence of a Roman Catholic bishop. There are several clerical buildings there. The most important of them is the St. Martin`s Cathedral with two towers, built in the years 1245 - 1275. The whole Spišská Kapitula is enclosed by the fortification built in the 14th century.

Day 9

Pieniny (National Park)
It is the smallest National Park in Slovakia, however, it excels by its nature beauty. It was established in 1967. Together with the Polish Pieniński Park Narodowy it was the part of the first international park in Europe, established in 1932. The highest peak of the Pieniny is Tri Koruny (Three Crowns), which lies on the Polish side of the park. The Pieniny are atractive by many rocky walls, towers and cliffs of various shapes.

Červený Kláštor (monastery)
It is a tourist centre of the whole Pieniny. The monastery was built here by monks who left Kláštorisko in the Slovak Paradise. The monks later established here probably the oldest pharmacy in Slovakia. In 1750 the Bible was translated here into the Slovak for the first time. Nowadays there is a museum with the demonstration of monk`s life in Middle Ages in the monastery. A legend of the Flying Monk Cyprián, who allegedly constructed a flying machine, is connected with Červený kláštor.

Day 10

Dunajec (river)
A river flowing through Pieniny. The border between Slovakia and Poland passes through the centre of the Dunajec river. It is mainly known by rafting on wooden flatboats – a great tourist attraction. The boating passes through a rocky gorge called the Dunajec Breakthrough, which is the longest gorge in Middle Europe.

Day 11

Stará Ľubovňa (castle)
The castle is built on a rocky cliff in the altitude of 711 meters above the sea level. It was built at the beginning of the 14th century as a boundary castle and was guarding an important trade route to Poland. The castle is famous for being a hide-out of the Polish crown jewels in 1655 - 1661 and because of Móric Beňovský, an aristocrat, traveler and the king of Madagascar, was imprisoned here. The most important event in the history of the castle occurred in 1412, when emperors of Ugrian and Poland signed a peace agreement.

Zamagurská village Museum (museum)
It is located in the close neighborhood of the Stará Ľubovňa castle. Buildings of folk`s architecture from several surroundings villages can be found here. There are totally 25 log wooden buildings built within the period from the first half of the 19th century till the beginning of the 20th century. The buildings demonstrate the way of life of people in this region in the past.

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