Hrabusice: Church, Cycling Route and Hiking Destinations

If you are looking for a hotel in Hrabusice, you can tailor your stay to your preferred focus. The Church of St. Lawrence represents sacred architectural history; Podlesok is a suitable starting point for hikes into the gorges of Slovenský raj. A marked cycling route adds another activity to the options. This lets you consider culture, hiking and cycling as different aspects of the destination.

Church and Castle Ruins

The Church of St. Lawrence in Hrabusice was originally a Romanesque church dating from the mid-13th century. Its Late Gothic winged altarpiece dates from 1516 to 1520 and contains sculptures from the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča. The church’s Romanesque origins and the Late Gothic altarpiece mark different periods of construction. A winged altarpiece is an altar with side wings; the term therefore also refers to its design. Both the church’s early architectural history and a precisely dated work of art are relevant to understanding it.

Near Hrabusice, on the summit of Zelená hora in the Slovenský raj area, there are castle ruins. Only badly damaged foundations and remains of walls survive to this day. The historical focus here differs from that of the church: rather than Romanesque origins and a dated altarpiece, the few surviving remains shape the picture. Sacred architecture and castle ruins thus represent different forms of cultural heritage.

Podlesok and Suchá Belá

Podlesok is a district of Hrabusice and a suitable starting point for hikes into the gorges of Slovenský raj. The district lies at the mouth of the Suchá Belá gorge. The gorge’s waterfalls, in order, are Misové vodopády, Okienkový vodopád, Korytový vodopád, Bočný vodopád and Kaskáda. The information centre and the field station of the Slovenský raj National Park administration are also located in Podlesok. For orientation, it is helpful to distinguish between the two: Podlesok is the district and starting point, while Suchá Belá is the gorge with its named sequence of waterfalls.

Cycling and Hiking

The marked “Hrabušice, Majer – okruh” cycling route is 4.0 km long. It adds a specific cycling option to the hiking destinations.

The SR10 “Prielomom Hornádu – west” circular route begins and ends in Podlesok, at the SAD bus stop and car park. The hiking trail through Prielom Hornádu has seven metal bridges and footbridges, around 320 m of chains along exposed rock faces, 140 climbing aids and around 70 m of wooden walkways. Check the technical aids before your hike. The details answer different planning questions: for SR10, they identify the starting and ending point in Podlesok; for the trail through Prielom Hornádu, they describe its technical features.

Getting There by Train

Vydrník station is 3 km from Hrabusice; the village can be reached by train from Žilina and Košice via this station. Take the distance into account when planning your journey and check current train and bus timetables separately.

Discover more destinations: Teplička, Arnutovce, Slovinky, Odorín, Harichovce, Spisske Tomasovce, Krompachy, Matejovce Nad Hornádom

For the overview of the wider area: Okres Spišská Nová Ves.