You can spend an interesting winter holiday in the Spiš region, around the Belianske Tatry or Pieniny. Take a look at our offer of sports and cultural experiences.

WHERE TO GO TO SKI

Ždiar offers good opportunities for those who prefer downhill and cross-country skiing. In addition to the possibility of skiing in the Strednica and SKI Centrum Strachan resorts, the year-round SKI &SUN Bachledka resort offers a number of various activities. It spreads over the territory of three municipalities –Ždiar, Jezersko and Malá Franková. Access to the resort is possible from each of them. It offers a unique Slovak experience – the possibility of skiing in three valleys from different cardinal points (a total of 8.8 km of slopes at all levels of difficulty, including 6 km of snowy downhill runs, the 10-seater Bachledka cable car, 5 lifts, night skiing, ski equipment rental, ski school, catering facilities directly on the slope, transportation via ski-bus to Ždiar). For cross-country skiers, there are about 20 km of cross-country trails. A winter stay in Bachledka can also be spent pleasantly without skis, walking through the snowy nature and visiting the Treetop Walk (www.bachledka.sk).

In Ždiar you can also try cross-country skiing on the undemanding trails at the entrance to Monkova Valley. Equipment can be rented at Hotel Magura.

Near the town of Levoča is the Resort Levočská Valley (www.levocskadolina.sk). In winter there are four ski lifts and a children’s cable car – 60m long. All four slopes 270m, 850m, 1050m, 1130m, are covered with technical snow and regularly maintained, suitable for demanding and less demanding skiers and even ski courses. In the resort you will find a car park, ski service, ski school for children and adults, as well as a ski rental.

For cross-country skiers, in the nearby village of Úloža, cross-country trails are maintained if there is sufficient natural snow.

In Červený Kláštor (Red Monastery) if the snow conditions are good, there is a tourist trail maintained for cross-country skiing along the river Dunajec.

If you want an exceptional winter experience floating on rafts on the Dunajec River, follow www.canoeraft-dunajec.sk.

CHARMING VILLAGES IN ZAMAGURIE

I guess nowhere is winter as penetrating, cold, harsh, white, romantic and beautiful as in the countryside. Take a look at the wooden cottages in the village of Osturňa, experience tobogganing on the slopes and meadows in Veľká and Malá Franková, or in Spišské Hanušovce.

LEVOČA AND SPIŠSKÉ PODHRADIE (UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE)

The former metropolis of ancient Spiš, and Spišské Podhradie with the Spišská Kapitula ranks, thanks to its rich history and remarkable architectural monuments, among the most visited tourist towns in Slovakia. Its historical section, together with the Work of Master Paul, was inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Behind the massive town walls, which form the border of the historic centre of Levoča, there are more than 300 immovable national cultural monuments in the town’s monument reserve. In winter, it is possible to visit a unique Gothic church –the St. James Basilica, or the House of Master Paul, the St. Martin Cathedral in Spišské Podhradie and other monuments. Up-to-date information on winter opening hours can be found at: http://ik.levoca.eu/otvaracie-hodiny-muzei-a-kulturnohistorickych-pamiatok/, https://www.spisskyhrad.com/lokalita/spisska-kapitula/.

A winter walk on the Mariánska Mountain (Mariánska hora) is another of the possibilities of how to spend a winter day in the Spiš region. From the centre of Levoča, a pleasant 3/4-hour walk will take you to a famous pilgrimage site. On a hill above the town is the Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Greek Catholic chapel, a pilgrimage and retreat centre and an outdoor altar.The wooden cross at the foot of the mountain commemorates the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1995. The International Marian Tourist Route passes through Mariánska Mountain in Levoča.

KEŽMAROK (UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE)

The picturesque historic town below the Tatras will probably enchant everyone. It was a town of poets, writers, researchers and inventors. The biggest landmark of the town is the ancient reconstructed castle. Wear warm clothes for the winter tour of Kežmarok Castle. Except for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the castle, as well as the exposition of the Museum of Interior Styles (Urban Housing Culture), are open to the public. In Kežmarok you can also visit the exceptional Wooden articular church (UNESCO World Heritage) or the historical Lyceum library: https://www.ecavkk.sk/otvaracie-hodiny.

SPIŠKÁ BELÁ AND MANOR HOUSE STRÁŽKY

In the section of Spišská Belá named Strážky there is a manor house with a well-kept park, which is a jewel of Renaissance architecture in Slovakia. The manor house was built on the foundations of a Gothic castle, which allegedly was built on the ruins of a Templar monastery and is one of the oldest in Slovakia. Today, the mansion houses an exhibition of paintings by the Slovak National Gallery, focusing on paintings by Ladislav Medňanský. Even in winter, the gallery is accessible: https://www.sng.sk/sk/strazky/navsteva/otvaracie-hodiny-a-vstupne. You can also go to the manor house by an easy winter walk along the cycling path from Kežmarok.

MUSEUM OF ČERVENÝ KLÁŠTOR (RED MONASTERY)

The snow-covered courtyard and peace and quiet welcome visitors to the monastery in winter. Its history began around 1320. The stone foundations were laid after 1330 and the construction lasted several decades. The Carthusian monastery withstood various intrigues for almost 250 years. In the 18^th century, Camaldolese monks settled in the monastery. For the inhabitants of Červený Kláštor, the administration of the abbey by the Camaldoleses was perceived positively. A visible benefit for the wider area was the management of the pharmacy. Medicines made in the monastery were sought after even beyond the borders of the country. Perhaps the most famous administrator of the pharmacy was Brother Cyprián. He raised the pharmacy to such a high level that it became known to the whole of Hungary.https://old.tatryspispieniny.sk/sk/package/muzeum-cerveny-klastor/

RELAX IN THERMAL PARK VRBOV AND IN SPA ČERVENÝ KLÁŠTOR – SMERDŽONKA

Swimming in hot thermal water in Vrbov near Kežmarok brings relief after skiing or a winter hike. Thermal Park Vrbov (www.termalnekupalisko.com) offers 5 swimming pools during the winter season. Families, athletes and even seniors will enjoy themselves here. The water in the pools is maintained at a temperature of 26°C to 38°C. Whirlpool jets contribute to the abundant relaxation of visitors.

The reconstructed RED MONASTERY SPA-Smerdžonka (https://kupelecks.sk/) with its rich history is situated in the heart of the beautiful Pieniny in Červený Kláštor (Red Monastery). The unique natural healing water from the Smerdžonka spring, thanks to its composition rich in minerals and hydrogen sulphide, helps in the treatment of skin diseases, as well as diseases of the musculoskeletal and digestive system or diseases of the nervous system. A new complex and a new guest house have recently been completed for both visitors and patients.