Slovak Paradise National Park

Slovak Paradise National Park is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia, situated in East Slovakia. The National Park protects the area of the Slovak Paradise mountain range, which is located in the north of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains (Slovak Ore Mountains).

The National Park covers an area of 197.63 km2 (76.3 mi2), and the buffer zone around the park covers an area of 130.11 km2 (50.2 mi2); 327.74 km2 together. Eleven national nature reserves and eight nature reserves are situated in the park. The park offers about 300 km of hiking trails, often equipped with ladders, chains and bridges. The Slovak Paradise contains about 350 caves, but only Dobšiná Ice Cave, which is since 2000 a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open to the public. The headquarters of the park are located in Spišská Nová Ves.

The national park is located in the Eastern part of Slovakia. The easiest way to get there is with a car. The drive from most major cities are a few hours. The drive from Bratislava is around 3 - 4 hours depending on the traffic. Alternatively, you can drive from Krakow and Budapest. The drive from these cities are not much more and both cities have international airports.

The national park is popular with visitors year round. The most popular seasons are spring and summer and there will be visitors on most of the popular trails. There are fewer visitors during autumn and even less during winter. Just be sure to properly prepare before venturing into the park during winter.