Kežmarok District: Discover Culture and Nature

Explore Kežmarok District through a range of interests: Kežmarok highlights architectural and educational history, the Dunajec offers a nature trail and rafting, and the Spišská Magura features natural landmarks. This variety gives you several starting points for choosing a focus for your trip.

Cultural Sites in Kežmarok and Spišská Belá

Kežmarok brings together three distinct aspects of cultural history. The Evangelical Articular wooden church has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. Kežmarok Castle is the only completely preserved castle in the Spiš region. The Evangelical Lyceum houses the largest historical school library in Central Europe. The church, castle and library thus offer different perspectives on the town’s cultural heritage.

The Európske ľudové remeslo festival is also held annually in Kežmarok’s historic centre. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the specific event dates. At Kaštieľ Strážky, a portrait exhibition presents works from the 17th to the 19th century in the Spiš region. The festival and exhibition add two further cultural themes to the historic buildings.

A cycle path connects Spišská Belá and Kežmarok and passes through the English park at Kaštieľ Strážky. The route therefore links two towns and also runs through the park. Check the route conditions before planning a ride.

In Spišská Belá, the J. M. Petzval Museum, housed in the birthplace of J. M. Petzval, presents the development of photographic and cinematographic technology. More than 600 exhibits cover the history of photographic optics. The collection also includes camera shutters, and a separate section is devoted to the origins of cinematography. Photography and early film technology are thus two interconnected themes of the museum.

The Dunajec: Nature Trail and Wooden Raft Ride

The Dunajec Gorge lies partly in Kežmarok District and includes the cadastral areas of Červený Kláštor, Lechnica and Lesnica. A nature trail with ten stops runs through the gorge. Visitors can also travel along the Dunajec on traditional wooden rafts. The nature trail and raft ride offer two different ways to explore the river area: one follows a path with stops, while the other travels along the water.

Another useful reference for planning is the Pieninska cesta. It connects Červený Kláštor with Szczawnica and today serves both as a nature trail and a cycle route. These two functions make the route relevant to different interests; check in advance which one suits your plans.

Landscapes and Trails in the Spišská Magura

Jezerské jazero is a protected natural feature southeast of Jezersko, below the steep slope of the Spišská Magura. The ridge of the Spišská Magura is over 30 kilometres long; its highest peak, Repisko, rises to 1,259 metres above sea level. These details give the landscape a tangible scale, from a single protected natural feature to a long mountain ridge with a named peak.

There are two nature trails in Malá Franková: Furmancova droga Dolným koncom and Furmancova droga Horným koncom. One of the trails ends at a stream and a chapel; visitors can observe local wildlife at this endpoint.

Goral Traditions and Thermal Pools

Original Goral buildings have been preserved in Osturňa, arranged in homesteads with log houses, barns and stables. A total of 157 buildings there are designated as part of a heritage reserve. Residents also continue to wear the traditional costume of the Goral ethnic group. The architecture, layout of the buildings and clothing thus offer different insights into local Goral traditions.

Vrbov Thermal Park has nine pools, including three children’s pools. As the pool configuration may change, it is advisable to check it before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Červený Kláštor, Malý Slavkov, Vrbov, Jezersko, Tvarožná, Veľká Franková, Lendak, Reľov, Slovenská Ves, Spišská Belá, Matiašovce, Spišské Hanušovce, Osturňa, Busovce, Spišská Stará Ves, Majere, Lechnica, Mlynceky, Stara Lesna, Zakovce, Veľká Lomnica, Kežmarok.

To the regional travel overview: Prešov.