Bobačka Cave is the most extensive cave system in the national park: more than five kilometres of underground passages feature abundant sinter formations. In the publicly accessible Hrdzavá Valley, you can see waterfalls or cascades and an almost 600-metre-deep gorge lined by steep limestone cliffs. The caves and open landscape reveal two very different ways to experience nature here.
Trails through landscapes and seasons
Muránska Planina offers opportunities for hiking and ski touring. Its network of hiking trails, accessible year-round, covers more than 310 kilometres. More than 150 kilometres of cycle paths are also marked out there. The Huculská magistrála offers another perspective: it was created for visitors who want to explore the landscape from the back of a Hucul horse, and leads through the mountains and valleys of the Slovak Ore Mountains and Muránska Planina.
Wildlife also offers a seasonal reason to explore. At Sysľovisko Biele vody near Muráň, visitors can observe a colony of European ground squirrels at close quarters from spring to autumn. The ground squirrels can also be hand-fed there. Those interested in unusual geological features can find Ľadová jama, a vertical cave at Studňa: thanks to the climatic conditions, ice remains at the bottom even in summer. An observation platform is located above the entrance.
Studňa educational site has its own access rules: it is accessible exclusively on foot; in winter, cross-country skiers can also visit when snow conditions are favourable. No cycle path leads there. This distinction is useful when choosing how to get around, without conflating the different types of routes.
A castle, cliffs and specific trail distances
The ruins of Muránsky Castle stand on Cigánka Rock, within the national nature reserve of the same name. The historic site lies alongside habitats for rare plants and animals. The castle was first mentioned in writing in 1271, under the name “castum Mwran”.
The route details for the Náučný chodník Muránsky hrad educational trail are clearly specified: it is 6.5 kilometres long, of moderate difficulty and has an elevation gain of 530 metres; the walk takes about two hours and 30 minutes. The four-kilometre Gemerská zelená cesta offers a shorter route. It follows embankments and engineering structures of the unfinished Gemer railway between Revúca’s square and the former spa area. The route is suitable for walkers, cyclists, families with children and Nordic walkers. Its combination of a walking route and former railway infrastructure gives the outing its own distinct theme.
Romanesque art and urban history
The Rotunda of Saint Margaret of Antioch stands in Šivetice. With an internal diameter of eleven metres, it is the largest Romanesque rotunda of its kind in Slovakia and Central Europe. Its late Romanesque frescoes depict the life and martyrdom of Saint Margaret and are considered the oldest hagiographic narrative in Slovak visual art.
In Jelšava, the town museum presents the town’s history and information about mining, bell founding and Gubárstvo. In Revúca, the Museum of the First Slovak Gymnasium is housed in a building designated a national cultural monument. The building served the Slovak Evangelical Gymnasium from 1862 to 1874. These two museums have different focuses: one on the town and its crafts, the other on the history of the gymnasium and its building.
Beyond individual places, the Gotická cesta is Slovakia’s first thematic cultural tourist route. Together with a section in Spiš, it forms a 276-kilometre circular route. The region’s nature experiences, distinctive buildings and cultural history can thus complement one another without being combined into a single type of excursion.
A speciality from Muráň
Muránske buchty are among the local specialities. They have been baked in Muráň since the 1970s and, after a break, are once again being made. A trademark for the speciality was registered in January 2018.
Discover more destinations: Muráň, Muránska Huta, Gemerská Ves, Hucín, Chyžné, Jelšava, Kameňany, Leváre, Levkuška, Lubeník, Magnezitovce, Mokrá Lúka, Muránska Dlhá Lúka, Muránska Lehota, Muránska Zdychava, Polina, Prihradzany, Rašice, Ratková, Ratkovské Bystré, Rybník, Skerešovo, Tornal'a, Višňové, Žiar, Revúcka Lehota, Revúca.
For the broader travel overview: Banská Bystrica.
