Región SPIŠ – in general

Spiš Region is known in Slovakia by its wealth of historical monuments and a number of significant deposits. In particular, visitors are attracted by the historic centres Levoča and Kežmarok. We cannot omit the largest castle in Central Europe, Spiš Castle. Spišská Nová Ves and Smižany are ideal places for accommodation if you want to get to know this region better. They are located 10 km from Levoča, 20 km from Kežmarok and 25 km from Spiš Castle. And they are also the gateway to the Slovak Paradise. From Spiš it is not far to take a 1-day trip to the High Tatras, go rafting on Dunajec and visit Červený Kláštor (Red Monastery), or spend several days at the thermal swimming pool in Vrbov

Slovenský raj

The national park Slovak Paradise consists of limestone mountains that belong to the Spiš-Gemer Karst. In the west it is adjacent to the Low Tatras, in the south to the central part of the Slovak Ore Mountains and in the north to Hornádska Basin. It is covered mainly by the fir-beech forests. 69 caves have been discovered in the ground. In the peripheral parts canyons were created, and inside the territory passes and gorges with steep mountain walls, rock steps and waterfalls. You will see that many of the gorges are one-way, so you should follow these instructions if you want to avoid unnecessary problems and complications.

Kežmarok

It owes its prosperity to royal privileges. From the town you can see the High Tatras, which give a mountain atmosphere to the town. The most obvious landmark in the town is the Evangelical Church. Nearby there is also Wooden Church. There is also the Church of the Red Cross, which was built in the 15th century by Spiš Germans. You can find here, such as in Levoča, works of Master Pavol.

Dedinky

A village situated at the edge of an artificial lake, where you will find several accommodation facilities and  small shops. If you stay in Čingov or Smižany, we recommend you to take the bus from Spišská Nová Ves to Dedinky and return walking through the Zejmarská Gorge to Čingov or Smižany. The hike takes 6-7 hours, or you can also stop at Kláštorisko.

Levoča

For a long time, Levoča was the most prosperous town of the region. It recorded its largest bloom between 14th and 17th century. The free royal town made its living by the trade and sculptures from wood. In the Church of St. Jakub, there is the biggest wooden altar in the world, 19 m high and 6 m wide. It was built by Master Pavol of Levoča in the 16th century. In addition to the altar, we can find here other important works of this master. We cannot omit the town hall, in front of which there is the famous cage of shame.

Kláštorisko

It is a place where all tourist routes of the Slovak Paradise cross. You will find here accommodation throughout the whole year. You will discover the ruins of a former important monastery at this place. Kláštorisko is located 2 hours walk from Čingov and 3 hours from Smižany.

Spišský hrad

It was built in the 12th century. The interior of the castle is open to the public, and massive walls will provide the visitors an unforgettable experience. The castle belongs among the UNESCO monuments.

Klauzy

Klauzy was famous by logging. In the past a system was built here that helped to take the timber down into the river Hornád and through Hornád to Smižany. Wood is no longer logged here, but the system of timber transport can still be found here.

Spišská Nová Ves

A town with 40,000 inhabitants is the gateway to the Slovak Paradise. It developed from the settlement, and in the middle of the 13th century it was settled by German colonists. The centre of the town is characteristic of the renaissance style. The city has one of the largest squares of a spindle type in Europe, which gives a peculiar character to the town originally with gothic, renaissance multi-storey townsmen houses bordering the square. Do not miss Reduta Theatre in the Art Nouveau style, Evangelical Church from the 14th century with the bell 86 meters high, Gothic Roman Catholic Church and the building of the Homeland Museum in Letná Street with Levoča Gate.

Dobšiná

From the village Dobšiná you can get to Dobšinská ice cave. The cave is open to the public only in summer, and it is visited every year by 100,000 visitors.

Tourist interactive map

Videogallery Slovenský raj