Slovinky offers two distinct starting points for exploring: trails through a narrow karst valley and traces of its mining history. The Poráč Valley connects Slovinky and Poráč; in the municipality, a church, mining relics and memorials also recall different chapters of the local history. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Slovinky, you can plan your stay around experiences in nature and culture.
Hiking and easy cycling in the Poráč Valley
The Poráč Valley itself is nine kilometres long, narrow and karstic. The Poráč stream has cut it into the limestone; the valley connects the municipalities of Poráč and Slovinky. The hiking route through the valley starts at a signpost in the centre of Slovinky, near the primary school. The route is also suitable for easy cycling. So, in this valley, both hiking and an expressly easy cycling option are in focus. The Červené skaly section is designated a national nature reserve. Those interested in the landscape will find specific features here: the valley’s geological form, the stream as a shaping element and the protected status of this section.
Trails to Biela skala and “Vrchmi okolo Sloviniek”
The hiking route to Biela skala also starts at a signpost in the centre, near the primary school. Biela skala rises 926 metres above Slovinky. From there, green-marked trails lead to Krompachy; a yellow-marked trail connects further on with the blue-marked route through Galmus. This means that when planning your route, you can take into account both a named destination and colour-marked connections onwards.
Another option is the “Vrchmi okolo Sloviniek” route, which also starts at the signpost in the centre. It is rated as moderately difficult and is also suitable for moderate to challenging mountain biking. This offers a different combination from the route through the Poráč Valley: here, both a specific hiking difficulty and a mountain-biking profile are stated, while the valley route is also suitable for easy cycling. If you are weighing up hiking and cycling, you can use these differences in activity and stated difficulty to help you choose.
Karst landscape and protected areas
Galmus is a karst plateau at an elevation of 700 to 900 metres. The Galmuská tisina area of Galmus is a national nature reserve covering 55.9 hectares. Slovinská skala is listed on the national list of European sites of community importance in the Natura 2000 network. No tourist trails have been laid on Slovinská skala, in order to protect important habitats. This is an important difference from the marked routes in the surrounding area: habitat protection also determines what kind of tourist access is provided here.
Mining history and a cultural monument
Slovinky originated as a mining settlement in the former extensive domain of Gelnica. The first written reference to the village dates from 1368 and names it Villa Abakuk. Mining history is also represented in the village by memorials: mine carts were installed by the municipal office as early as 2004. In 2009, members of the miners’ guild in Slovinky erected the portal of a mine tunnel near the municipal office as a reminder of the village’s mining history. A monument to miners who lost their lives at work was ceremonially unveiled in the centre on 9 August 2013. There are also memorials to the fallen in a park in the centre.
The architectural history includes the Greek Catholic Church of Saint George the Martyr. It is a cultural monument of the Slovak Republic and is listed under number 701 in the Central List of National Cultural Monuments. The present-day church was built between 1798 and 1808; the iconostasis dates from 1874. The construction period of the present church building and the later date of the iconostasis provide two distinct points of reference for local religious history.
Discover more destinations: Hnilec, Odorín, Rudnany, Mlynky, Arnutovce, Spisska Nova Ves, Letanovce, Poráč.
Return to the regional travel overview: Okres Spišská Nová Ves.
