Discover Tisovec: Karst, cog railway and town history

For a trip to Tisovec, nature, railway history and historic buildings offer distinct themes to explore. The Hradová educational trail leads from the town to the ridge of the same name; the town museum and cog railway museum offer further specific places to visit. You can shape your stay around whichever focus you choose.

On foot along the Hradová educational trail

The Hradová educational trail leads from the town of Tisovec across the southern slopes to the Hradová ridge. It is intended for pedestrians only and has nine stops. The first information point is next to the vocational secondary school building in Tisovec. The route thus connects a starting point in town with the ridge as its destination.

At 887 metres, Tisovská Hradová is a prominent landscape feature in the surroundings of Tisovec. The extensive mountain consists of limestone cliffs and has numerous caves. Hradová is a national nature reserve covering 127.47 hectares and forms part of the Tisovec Karst, a Natura 2000 site of European importance. A castle with two separate, independent fortifications also once stood on Hradová. The landscape, protected area and castle history give the area distinct natural and cultural associations.

Museums and railway history

The Tisovec Town Museum is spread across two locations and has three permanent exhibitions. In the birthplace of Vladimír Clementis, an exhibition displays personal belongings, pipes, awards, identity documents and books. This collection brings together biographical evidence and a range of object types, offering a specific focus for anyone interested in Clementis or historic personal belongings.

The cog railway museum is next to Tisovec railway station. It presents the history of the Tisovec–Zbojská–Pohronská Polhora cog railway line and the story of its rescue. The line runs from Tisovec to Pohronská Polhora. Exhibits include a diorama of a traffic office, original cog railway equipment, models of tunnel construction, signalling devices, a locomotive tachometer and railway uniforms. The different objects make technical equipment and construction history topics in their own right, alongside the history of the railway line.

On steam train operating days, the museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the steam train is at the station. On other days, visits are possible by prior arrangement; arrangements must be made at least one day in advance. Check the train schedule and access arrangements before your visit.

Forests, buildings and themed routes

Lesný skanzen Tisovec is a recreational area along the Voniaca nature trail. Visitors can spend their free time there and get to know the surrounding forests and their inhabitants in Muránska planina National Park. The description, updated in August 2022, mentions a covered outdoor area that can be used, for example, as a reading space in nature, as well as interactive features: barefoot and other sensory trails, animal displays, nesting boxes, a children's playground, a pond with a bridge and a small climbing wall. As physical facilities may change, check their condition before visiting.

The designated historic sights can also be viewed in terms of their period and style. The Neoclassical town hall dates from 1796; a Neoclassical Evangelical church was built between 1825 and 1832. In the Hámor district, there is an 1845 Roman Catholic church in the Empire style. The designated house of Štefan Marko Daxner dates from 1872. Another way to explore the area is the Gothic Route: Tisovec lies on this route, which runs from Spiš to Malohont.

Discover more destinations: Kraskovo, Dolné Zahorany, Štrkovec, Hrachovo, Jestice, Klenovec, Šimonovce, Hodejovec.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Rimavská Sobota.