Dlhá Ves: Church, Karst Landscape and Domica Cave

Dlhá Ves lies on the southwestern edge of the limestone Silická planina, in the enclosed Dlhoveská dolina and in the southern part of Slovak Karst National Park. The village combines a distinctive rural cultural history with karst landscapes, marked trails and proximity to Domica Cave. This creates a destination for your travel planning where nature observation, culture and active excursions can be combined in different ways.

Karst Landscape around Dlhá Ves

The cadastral area of Dlhá Ves contains the small karst lake Smradľavé jazierko, covering approximately 0.33 ha. In the vicinity of Domica Cave is also Domické škrapy, a national nature reserve since 1973 with thermophilous vegetation. Several traditional Gemer farmhouses from the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been preserved on Silická planina. Cultural and community events are regularly held there. A marked green hiking trail from Bretka passes through the cadastral area of Dlhá Ves and ends on Silická planina.

Church and Vidiecky dom

The evangelical church in Dlhá Ves was built in 1792; its tower was added in 1840. The church interior contains a Classicist altar dating from 1802. The organ is particularly noteworthy: it dates from 1795, was created by Fr. Ed. Petznik and is a national cultural monument. Another focal point is Vidiecky dom. The building is a cultural monument and an example of traditional rural architecture. The collection comprises three rooms – an entrance hall, a kitchen and a room – furnished with old furniture and objects from the former daily life of the local population. The entrance hall contains items used in fieldwork and when working with domestic animals. The kitchen contains looms on which former residents made fabrics. The collection continues to be supplemented with objects, old documents and photographs of local residents. The local craft tradition also includes the preserved production of charcoal and the likewise preserved art of glass painting. These themes give a visit to Vidiecky dom a tangible connection to earlier ways of working and living, rather than presenting rural history solely through architecture.

Domica, Cycling and Excursions

A second-class road runs through Dlhá Ves to Domica Cave and the international Domica–Aggtelek border crossing into Hungary; the border crossing is 3 km away. Domica Cave lies in the cadastral area of Kečovo, approximately 7 km from Dlhá Ves, and has been open to the public since 1932. Since 1985, the “Domica and Surroundings” educational trail has run in its vicinity, with five information panels covering Slovak Karst, Domica Cave, fauna and flora, geology and geomorphology, and agriculture. For cyclists, the “Jaskyňa Domica – Silická planina” route begins at the large car park by the church tower in the centre of Dlhá Ves and connects to the red cycling route. It leads through Dlhá Ves to Domica Cave via Road 587. In addition, the sports field beside the park offers a local feature used year-round: in summer it is used for football and other games, while in winter it has been used as an ice rink since 1989. An ice carnival is also held in Dlhá Ves every year. Further places for your travel planning: Betliar, Brzotín, Krásnohorské Podhradie, Rožňava, Drnava, Stratená, Vlachovo and Krásnohorská Dlhá Lúka.

To the higher-level travel overview: Rožňava.