Spišská Nová Ves District: Trails and Cultural Heritage

Spišská Nová Ves District combines extensive natural and cultural landscapes with experiences ranging from marked trails to historical exhibitions. Slovenský raj National Park is the district’s only large protected area. The district is also home to cultural monuments in several towns and museums that showcase different aspects of the region.

Hiking and cycling in Slovenský raj

Slovenský raj has 268.2 kilometres of marked hiking trails and 13 educational trails totalling almost 89 kilometres. This means that, alongside hiking routes, there are also routes designated as educational trails. You can choose a tour to suit your day based on the type of route you want and how much time you have.

The cycling network also covers different areas: 110 kilometres of marked cycle routes run through the national park and its buffer zone combined. Of these, 65 kilometres are in the national park and 45 kilometres are in the buffer zone. The figures show how the network is divided without treating the two areas as one and the same.

Another option is the 74-kilometre cycle route around Slovenský raj. It starts and ends in Spišská Nová Ves, at the bus station, the railway station and the car park. The Spišská cycle route connects Hrabušice, Spišské Tomášovce, Smižany, Spišská Nová Ves and Markušovce, then continues towards Spiš Castle and Kežmarok. The Hnilec cycle route passes through Mlynky, Hnilec and Nálepkovo. This gives you the choice of a circuit and two routes that pass through named towns and villages.

Cultural monuments and historic places

More than 1,560 movable and immovable cultural monuments are registered in Spišská Nová Ves District. There are three conservation areas, in Spišská Nová Ves, Spišské Vlachy and Markušovce. In Kláštorisko in Slovenský raj are the restored remains of a Carthusian monastery dating from the 14th century. Culture lovers will find a wide range of places to explore, from protected historic town centres to the remains of a medieval monastic complex.

Individual buildings also tell stories of different eras. The Spiš Artists Gallery is housed in a historic burgher’s house in the centre of Spišská Nová Ves. Its history dates back to the second half of the 16th century; the gallery presents 1,898 works of art in three permanent exhibitions. In Krompachy, the railway blast furnace known as “maša” dates from 1831. These two places offer distinct experiences, from an art collection to industrial history.

Museums and experiences in Spišská Nová Ves and Smižany

Since 1954, the Múzeum Spiša has been housed in a historic building that once served as the medieval town hall in Spišská Nová Ves. It has branches with exhibitions in Markušovce and Smižany. Its natural history exhibition features plants and animals you may encounter while walking in the region. This connects a museum visit with the landscapes and wildlife you can discover outdoors.

In Smižany, the permanent exhibition at the ethnographic museum focuses on the folk culture of central and lower Spiš from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Textiles, clothing and how they were made are at its heart. Anyone interested in everyday life will find a different way to explore history here than at the art and industrial heritage sites.

In Spišská Nová Ves, visitors can climb 155 steps to the top of the 87-metre tower of the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. From there, the view extends across the town and the surrounding area to the panorama of the High Tatras. The Railway Exposition adds to the cultural offering with a model railway, train models and a railway communications system. Visitors can also try operating a locomotive and working as a train dispatcher. Images and historical recollections focus on the Košice–Bohumín railway line.

Spišské divadlo has operated under this name in the Reduta building since 1992 and has a history spanning more than 40 years. Together with the exhibitions, the tower climb and the Railway Exposition, it shows the variety of cultural experiences available in Spišská Nová Ves.

Events and choosing the focus of your trip

The four-day Spišský trh (Spiš Market) continues the market tradition of Spišská Nová Ves, which dates back to 6 December 1380. Fairground food is part of the event experience; individual vendors may vary. Dni mesta Spišská Nová Ves (Spišská Nová Ves Town Days) takes place every year at the end of summer and includes a market for traditional crafts with almost 100 stalls.

Check the relevant dates and how close they are to the places you want to visit when planning your trip. This makes it easier to combine your hotel search with a clear plan for your time in Spišská Nová Ves District.

Discover more destinations: Letanovce, Harichovce, Hrabusice, Smizany, Hnilcik, Rudnany, Teplička, Matejovce Nad Hornádom, Mlynky, Spišské Vlachy, Krompachy, Jamnik, Spisske Tomasovce, Odorín, Spisska Nova Ves, Betlanovce, Arnutovce, Hnilec, Markušovce, Slovinky, Poráč.

Return to the broader travel overview: Košice.