The south of the Slovak Paradise in the vicinity of the mountain village of Stratená boasts extraordinary natural wealth. The most frequent tourist destination is the famous Dobšinská Ice Cave, which is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. However, it is also worth visiting the National Nature Reserve Stratená with the massifs of Srnčích and Sokolích rocks, the sightseeing hill Havrania skala, the Wetlands of Hnilca nature trail, the Stratenský canyon accessible also for physically handicapped visitors or the romantic valleys of Malé Zajfy and Tiesňava. In addition, the valley of the Hnilec River is sensitively complemented by a romantic railway line with many tunnels and viaducts.
The area around Stratena is an ideal holiday destination for sports enthusiasts. A number of well-marked cycling routes await cyclists. Fans of agro-tourism and horse riding will find enjoyment on the Farm on Samelová lúka or on the Ranch under the Ostrá skala. There are four special circuits for Nordic walking with lengths from 4 to 12.6 km. The Tarzania rope park offers an adrenaline rush while overcoming obstacles in the treetops. And during the winter season, the new Snow Park Ľadová provides ideal conditions for cross-country skiing on machine-groomed tracks.
Not far from Stratena, at the southern foot of Dobšinský Hill, is the town of Dobšiná with a rich mining history. Apart from being the venue of the popular annual hill climb car races, its historical centre hides many interesting sights. The mining past of the town is also presented by two routes of the trail along the traces of mining in Dobšiná.
Tip for a trip – Intermittent spring and nature trail Intermittent spring – Havrania skala
Join us on the Havrania skala hill, which offers panoramic views of the entire Slovak Paradise. On the way to it, we will get to know the unique natural phenomenon Občasný spring and we will also “wander” into the romantic Stratenské canyon.
Directly from Stratená along the green hiking trail we climb steeply around the cemetery up to the Sokolí rocks, under the Marčeková hill. After about an hour of walking, the trail brings us to a crossroads to a very interesting protected natural creation called Občasný pramen (Occasional Spring).
The intermittent spring is located at an elevation of 960 metres. Its irregular outflow is conditioned by the shape of the karst spaces below the ground surface, from which water emerges only after they have been filled. The maximum discharge of the spring is 45 litres per second and a single discharge lasts between 2 and 3 hours. The activity of the spring was described in the 19th century by the geologist Dionýz Štúr and it is one of the best known and most valuable springs of this kind in Slovakia. Interestingly, the temperature of the water flowing from the Občasný Spring is maintained in the range of 5.2 – 6.4°C all year round.
From the Občasný spring, the yellow tourist trail leads to the top of Raven Rock. On the two kilometres here you will overcome an elevation of almost 300 metres, so you should prepare for a steep climb. Along the nature trail we will find seven information boards, from which we will learn about interesting facts about the world of living and non-living nature in the area, as well as about the economic activities of man in this locality in the past.
Raven Scale
Havrania skala is one of the most dominant sightseeing peaks in the Slovak Paradise. With a height of up to 1 153 m above sea level, it rises high above the surrounding landscape and in good weather offers panoramic views of the central part of the Paradise, the High Tatras and towards the Palcmanská Maša dam. An interesting natural creation is the cave in the Raven Rock, which drills directly into the summit cliff. It is 39 metres long and freely accessible to tourists. After resting on the top of Raven Rock, we slowly descend along the yellow hiking trail, but not back to the Occasional Spring, but towards the Straten Canyon.
Straten Canyon
The Stratenský Canyon is formed by the Hnilec River and offers a magical natural scenery similar to the canyons in the central part of the Slovak Paradise. Once upon a time, a state road for motor vehicles led through the high limestone cliffs around the Hnilec river. However, after the construction of a road tunnel next to the canyon in 1972, it lost its original purpose. Today, the canyon is a cycling route and a special educational hiking trail.
The uniqueness of the nature trail in the Straten Canyon lies mainly in the fact that it was the first in Slovakia to be built as a priority for wheelchair-accessible visitors, for whom the height of the information panels is adapted. In addition to wheelchair users, the Straten Canyon is also an ideal destination for families with children in prams, as the path leading through it has an asphalt surface throughout and the elevation is minimal.
The nature trail is 1.1 km long and consists of 10 educational panels with a lot of interesting information about the surrounding nature. From Stratena Canyon it is only less than a kilometre along the red trail around the main road back to the village of Stratena.
For whom the trip is intended
This moderately demanding hike does not test the hiker so much by its length as by passages with steep ascents. It therefore requires adequate physical fitness. Experienced hikers can easily complete it in 3 to 4 hours under favourable conditions. We also recommend that you consider a possible trip with children according to the age and physical fitness of your little explorers.
Tip
If you have more time on your trip, make sure you go to the Dobšinská Ice Cave or to the Stratenská píla, where you can refresh and relax by the Palcmanská Maša dam.
More information:
Dobšinská Ice Cave Tourist Information Centre
Dobšinská ice cave 5, 049 71 Stratená
Tel: +421 948 287 901
E-mail: tic@vraji.sk
Dobšinská ice cave
Administration of Slovak caves
Tel: +421 58 78 81 470
E-mail: dobslj@ssj.sk
Web: www.ssj.sk
Tourist Information Centre Dobšiná
Námestie baníkov 384, 049 25 Dobšiná
Tel: +421 58 79 41 154
E-mail: tic@dobsina.sk
www.dobsina.sk
