Slovak Paradise National Park
Slovakia · Spiš · 800 m
Description
Slovak Paradise (Národný park Slovenský raj) is a national park of limestone gorges south of the High Tatras where the walking is unlike anywhere else in the country, because most of the routes go up the stream beds themselves on iron ladders, chains and wooden footbridges bolted into the rock beside waterfalls. The gorges are one way only, uphill, to stop people meeting head on. Suchá Belá and Piecky are the busiest. The Dobšinská ice cave nearby holds a floor of ice metres thick and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An entrance fee is charged and the ladders demand a head for heights.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Suchá Belá gorge with its ladders
- Dobšinská Ice Cave (UNESCO World Heritage)
- One-way gorge routes up the stream beds
- Piecky and Kyseľ gorges
- Tomášovský výhľad viewpoint
- Hornád river canyon and its chains
- Kláštorisko monastery ruins in the forest
- Waterfalls stepped through the gorges
- Beech and spruce forest of the plateau
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Letanovce, Spišské Tomášovce, Vydrník