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The three hundred kilometres of trails will take you through amazing gorges and canyons, with lots of lazily flowing rivers, bubbling streams and gurgling waterfalls. You will need to pass through the installed ladders or metal grids on the certain parts of the limestone rocks which adds some flavor to your trip adventure. Yet there is nothing to worry about, since there is no extreme climbing performance waiting for you on the way. Therefore you can in good conscience take some of the popular routes, leading e.g. through one of the most romantic gorges – Suchá Belá, or through Hornád Canyon (Prielom Hornádu), Veľký Sokol, Kláštorska gorge or Sokolia valley, where you can enjoy the beauty of the highest waterfall in Slovak Paradise – Závojový waterfall (75 metres high).

Most of the Slovak Paradise is covered by forests, which is a home to many animals. Among the most famous inhabitants are such as the brown bear, gray wolf or lynx. But do not worry, they live in inaccessible areas, and the likelihood that you meet them during your trip is almost zero. However you will be accompanied by butterflies, birds and hares and if you will have a luck you should also meet basking otters. Right thanks to this diversity of animal and plant species Slovak Paradise became the first protected area in Slovakia already in 1964 and 24 years later was declared a national park.

Very popular are also local karst caves, whose concentration is here undoubtedly the largest from all over Slovakia. However only one cave is open to the public from the three hundred discovered underground caves. It is Dobšinská ice cave, which in addition to its fabulous formations boasts the title of the first electrically lit cave in the world. Today’s 1km long guided tour is already equipped with modern facilities. Looking at the beautiful ice decoration you will understand why it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The caves in the Slovak Paradise were discovered many thousands of years ago by ancestors of modern man. Several prehistoric tools were found here from the Stone Age and Palaeolithic Age, while the age of others is estimated at 45 million years.

The ideal starting point for your tours around this beautiful national park can be Čingov village, Podlesok, Dedinky or Hrabušice. For higher security there are mainly one-way trails so the map should really not be left at home. When planning a trip do not forget the appropriate footwear and be always prepared for the rain. Never leave the marked trails, otherwise you can get lost easily.

If your ways lead to Slovakia, Slovak Paradise National park should not be missed.

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The entrance to the cave is situated at an altitude of 970 meters above sea level and used to be known as a “cold hole”. The first visitor was a mining engineer and amateur speleologist Eugen Ruffínyi with his friends Gustáv Lang and Andrej Mega. They explored the cave in June 1870. A year later it was opened to the public and in 1887 became the first cave in Europe with electric lighting. The total length of the cave is 1388 m, from which only 475 m long section is available for the public. In the years 1893 – 1946 the public skating was allowed here during the whole year.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

Underground spaces were created and formed by chemical and mechanical action of water of the river Hnilec. Dobšinská ice caves were originally connected with Stratenská caves. But after the collapse of the cave ceiling, the cave system has been divided and closed the air circulation. The cave got a shape of a pocket-like large cavity. It is 18 meters wide and 70 meters deep with a single hole on the surface. This resulted in the establishment of local microclimatic conditions and ice caves. In winter a cold air penetrates into the cave, which cools its walls and leaking water and freezes, creating ice formations (stalactites, stalagmites, icefalls, pillar and floor ice). The thickness of ice reaches up to 25 meters at the floor, its volume is approximately 145,000 cubic meters. The average annual temperature of the cave is -1 °C while the humidity reaches 96-99%.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

Glaciation is only in the part of the cave entrance, where it gets cold from outside. Rear and bottom areas are ice-free, but with many weathered stalactite formations. The cave consists of several separate parts – Small Hall, Large Hall, collapsing dome, Ruffínyi’s corridor, and other. The largest area is the Great Hall – 72 metres long, 42 metres wide and 10 metres high. The largest ice column is named the Well (Studňa).

The tour through Dobšinská Ice Cave lasts 30 minutes. It is open from May to October. Eating or drinking is prohibited here, you can use a camera for additional fee. Entry is permitted only with a guide.

Dobšinská Ice Cave is a home of several species of bats, and in 2000, the cave has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

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