155 steps lead to the 87-meter-high tower of the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. From there, the view stretches across Spišská Nová Ves and the surrounding area to the panorama of the High Tatras. In Spišská Nová Ves District, urban explorations like this sit alongside nature experiences in Slovenský raj National Park, which extends into the district and is its only large protected area.

Hiking Trails and Nature in Slovenský raj

Those wishing to explore the landscape on foot will find 268.2 kilometers of marked hiking trails in the national park. There are also 13 educational trails totaling almost 89 kilometers. These trails add dedicated routes to the hiking network, while the nature exhibition at the Múzeum Spiša features plants and animals you may encounter on walks in the region.

There are several options for cycling, too: 110 kilometers of marked cycling trails run through Slovenský raj and its buffer zone. Of these, 65 kilometers are in the national park and 45 kilometers are in the buffer zone. A separate 74-kilometer cycling route around Slovenský raj forms a loop that starts and ends in Spišská Nová Ves; it includes the bus station, railway station and parking lot. You can therefore use the route figures as different points of reference: one describes the trail network in the protected area and its buffer zone, while the other describes a loop with its starting and ending point in the town.

Other named cycling routes connect places across the region. The Spišská cyklomagistrála links Hrabušice, Spišské Tomášovce, Smižany, Spišská Nová Ves and Markušovce, then continues toward Spišský hrad and Kežmarok. The Hnilecká cyklomagistrála runs through Mlynky, Hnilec and Nálepkovo. This distinction helps you tell apart a specific loop and longer routes with different sequences of towns.

Cultural Monuments and Exhibitions

The district’s cultural heritage includes more than 1,560 registered movable and immovable cultural monuments. Three conservation zones are located in Spišská Nová Ves, Spišské Vlachy and Markušovce. In Spišská Nová Ves, the Múzeum Spiša has been housed since 1954 in a historic building that was once the medieval town hall. It has branch locations with exhibitions in Markušovce and Smižany.

The permanent exhibition at the ethnographic museum in Smižany focuses on the folk culture of central and lower Spiš from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Textiles, clothing and their production are at its heart. The Spiš Artists Gallery offers another way to explore the collection: it presents 1,898 works of art in three permanent exhibitions in a historic burgher’s house in the center of Spišská Nová Ves, whose history dates back to the second half of the 16th century.

Railway history also comes to life in Spišská Nová Ves. The Railway Exposition features a model railway and train models; visitors can try driving a locomotive and working as a railway dispatcher. It also includes a railway communications system, as well as photographs and historical recollections of the Košice–Bohumín railway line. In Krompachy, the railway blast furnace known as “maša” is an industrial monument dating from 1831. Since 1992, Spišské divadlo has operated under this name in the Reduta building and has a history spanning more than 40 years.

Markets and Events

Two different events offer a glimpse into local traditions. Spišský trh lasts four days and continues Spišská Nová Ves’s market tradition, which dates back to December 6, 1380; fairground food is part of the experience. Dni mesta Spišská Nová Ves takes place annually at the end of summer. It includes a market for traditional crafts with almost 100 stalls. Each event brings together market life, craftsmanship and local history in its own way.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Hnilec, Hrabusice, Smizany, Hnilcik, Rudnany, Teplička, Matejovce Nad Hornádom, Mlynky, Spišské Vlachy, Krompachy, Jamnik, Spisske Tomasovce, Odorín, Spisska Nova Ves, Betlanovce, Poráč, Arnutovce, Letanovce, Markušovce, Slovinky, Harichovce.

For the main travel overview: Košice.