Sunava: Church, Folklore and Trails

Several different themes can shape a stay in Sunava: the architecture of St. Nicholas Church, local folklore, a monument to the watershed and two trails described in different ways. This lets you take the town’s cultural and landscape features into account when planning your trip.

St. Nicholas Church and Sacred Architecture

The Neoclassical St. Nicholas Church in Vyšná Šuňava was built in 1832. Its single-nave interior has a main nave, and the chancel has a flat-ended apse. The sacristy is attached on the north side, while the tower stands in front of the west side. These details offer specific points of reference if you are interested in the church’s layout.

The main altar has its own, earlier date: it dates from the late 18th century. It includes a statue of St. Nicholas from the 19th century and was restored in 1887 and embellished with acanthus ornamentation. The church and the altar can therefore be distinguished by their respective stated dates of construction and restoration.

According to the mayor, the Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity is Šuňava’s oldest building. He attributes its construction to Jesuits, who are said to have built it in the 16th or 17th century on the boundary between the former municipal lands of Nižná Šuňava and Vyšná Šuňava. This account remains an attributed historical description.

Folklore and Local Customs

The Šumiháj folklore group preserves local customs and regularly performs at the Zamagurské folklórne slávnosti and at various celebrations and events in the municipality and nearby area. Alongside the buildings, folklore offers another way to experience the town’s culture.

The group’s stage programs include “Regrútska odobierka,” “Svadba,” “Za chlebom,” “Fašiangy sa krátia,” “Ide jar,” “Na Ondreja” and “Nôty, moje nôty.” The different titles provide specific examples of the repertoire, while the preservation of local customs describes what the programs have in common. If you are interested in folklore, you can learn about both the group’s work and its performances at festivals.

Park of Two Seas and the Watershed

The Park of Two Seas in Vyšná Šuňava is a local monument associated with the Central European watershed. The obelisk monument “Strecha dvoch morí” stands in the small park beside the church. It was erected in 2007 and represents a symbolic roof divided into two parts.

The depiction illustrates the flow of water using images of springs and rivers. The Central European watershed divides the drainage between the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. At the park, the monument with its symbolic form and the watershed as a landscape feature are presented side by side.

Trails and Route Lengths

The “Náučný chodník 2” nature trail is a walking route through easy terrain that can be used in summer and winter. It is 9.00 kilometers long, takes about three hours and has six stops. The stated elevation is 195 m above sea level. For planning purposes, the trail combines a specific distance and approximate time with information about the terrain and stops.

Another route listing is route D7, designated “CESTNÁ REKREA.” It runs for 2.4 kilometers between Štrba and Vyšná Šuňava. Comparing the two distances, the 9.00-kilometer nature trail is longer than the 2.4-kilometer D7 route, so the stated lengths differ considerably. For the nature trail, the approximate duration, stops and terrain are also specified.

Discover more destinations: Zdiar, Spišské Bystré, Vernár, Spišský Štiavnik, Liptovská Teplicka, Nová Lesná, Lucivna, Mengusovce.

Go to the regional travel overview: Okres Poprad.