An Adventurous Journey in the Slovak Paradise

Hello friends. When we set out it was still dark outside and not even 6 am yet. We gathered with friends and despite being a bit sleep-deprived, we embarked on our journey in high spirits. Our destination was paradise. The Slovak Paradise. Slovak Paradise is a national park conservation area and we had to travel 350 km to get there. It was good to have a reliable team with us.

We stopped in the village of Hrabušice. From there it was another two and a half kilometers to the trailheads. We were almost at the start of the trail. We specifically chose Hrabušice because it was the closest village to the trails and other places we wanted to visit.

At the entrance to Paradise we were greeted by massive gates. There was a parking area here and we parked our vehicle. This was the northern part of the Slovak Paradise. If you go there in winter you’ll find a completely different landscape. It was clear that the season was over because the terraces were empty, almost no people were around. Just us.

The area of the Slovak Paradise is 198 square kilometers. To understand its scale you can think of it as being the size of 280 football fields. The conservation area has about 300 kilometers of trails. Most equipped with ladders, chains and bridges. There are around 350 caves here, but only the Dobšinská ice cave is open to visitors and is a Unesco world heritage site. The next trail is even more exciting. It feels like an Olympic park, very impressive.

Fresh air and pure nature. There are many additional breathtaking views. On the first day we decided to go to the most popular and visited hiking trail, Suchá Belá. This trail is 4 kilometers long with a total elevation gain of 400 meters. You can complete this trail in 2-3,5 hours. I felt like I was walking along a shallow river in the high mountains, but I thought this river would flood when the snow melts in spring. Along the way there are forested valleys, waterfalls, steep climbs and gentle descents, with the constant sound of water. We passed the waterfall called Misové vodopády.

But it was incredible like we were experiencing an emotional overload. You have to reach the end of the trail. There are green and white colors along the signs. The paths are quite narrow and it's hard for one person to fit on the trail. There are chains and waterfalls. Also the rocks look really dangerous.

Watching a stream I understood the saying "water pierces stone." We watched beautiful and smooth rocks. As you understand you have to walk along the trail. So the most important advice is to wear comfortable and waterproof shoes.

After a while the scenery changed and the water decreased, but we still hadn't reached the end of the trail. The path merged with the Yellow trail and we continued walking on this path. We got a bit tired and thought it would be good to rest for a while. We were lucky to visit the Slovak Paradise in autumn and see the magical color changes of the mountain forests.

We continued on our way listening to the songs of crickets. The path was simple and you could even go by bicycle here. These challenges often change. We reached the end of our trip and returned to the village.

The second day was quite a good day for us. The place we stayed at was called Penzion Tereza. It was like a guest house, with a good host and a nice location. We found this option on Booking, costing 120 euros for two nights for four people. Maybe I'm being picky, but not finding a sauna in the village was a downside for me. It looked better in the photos on Booking, but it wasn’t bad at all.

We wanted to walk 6 kilometers to the village of Pila and start our route from there. This place is like a small monument to the Slovenian paradise, with chains and ladders.

The bus didn’t come, so we called the host and asked him to take us. He eventually did and didn’t charge us, but we insisted on paying and thanked him. Our goal was to reach the Tomášovský viewpoint. The host said it was impossible, but we were determined.

Some paths are one-way. You can only go up, not back down. This route was marked with white and yellow signs, with a total length of 3,5 kilometers and an elevation gain of 350 meters. It typically takes 1,5-2 hours to complete. Although apps show a faster time, we took our time taking photos along the way.

We saw a large waterfall called Velký vodopád on our way offering a fantastic view. Turning right from the waterfall we saw a beautiful valley, adorned with small waterfalls and streams.

We then passed through suspension terraces, reaching a place that felt like a fairy-tale forest. The journey ended here and another route began. We proceeded on the yellow path towards Suchá Belá.

We were lucky to have navigation. I can’t imagine how we would have managed without it. Some friends even hike with baby strollers and I admire them. At 770 meters there is a resting place: Chata Kláštorisko. Many routes converge here, making it a great spot to rest.

We headed towards the Tomášovský viewpoint, where we saw late autumn dandelions and a kind of TV tower. We walked carefully enjoying the stunning scenery.

At one point we went the wrong way and had to turn back. Following the signs, the descent was steep and winding. We reached a bridge, which marked the location of the Tomášovský viewpoint.

We crossed the bridge beneath the Tomášovský viewpoint. This place is definitely worth seeing. You need to be careful as rocks might fall because there could be climbers below.

If you search for Slovak Paradise on Google, this will be one of the first images that appear. It’s truly a high place. Lower down it’s a completely different world, approachable only by the bravest. This is the most popular and clearly the best viewpoint. Also known as Tomášovský výhľad it’s a gem of Slovakia. This rocky cliff is about 200 meters long and has an average height of 35 meters. Despite the vast area of Slovak Paradise, camping is officially allowed only here. I strongly recommend everyone visit Slovak paradise. It’s always among the must-see places in Slovakia. So, don’t leave without seeing this paradise.

It’s an amazing place. We took photos, had our lunch and enjoyed the view. We descended from the peak and continued walking along the river on a new path. If you deviate slightly from the path, you can see stunning views of this mountain river. There’s a really high and deep valley here. Theoretically you could make a nice jump from here.

On our way back to the village of Hrabušice, we chose the most beautiful path along the river. We followed the white and blue-marked trail but returned to Hrabušice without finishing it. The total length of the trail was 8 kilometers and we lost 200 meters of elevation, which took us 2.5 hours.

This is a really beautiful place. You only pay 1.50 euros for a day’s entry and 3.50 euros for three days. It’s really worth the money because they take good care of it. Walking here is very enjoyable, with well-made paths, caves and new twists and turns.

It was 18:12 and sunset was approaching. It would take us 1.5 hours to get home, so we had to leave quickly.

Like a horror movie, darkness fell and the lanterns lit up. We saw a bridge and a small cabin here. We followed the signs leading to the village of Hrabušice. It was a great end to the day. We walked a total of 30 kilometers, no joke.

We left behind this magnificent place, Slovak Paradise. Our trip here ended and we set off towards the castles.

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