Spisska Nova Ves: History, Forest Trails and Cycling Routes

Spišská Nová Ves combines a clearly recognizable historic townscape with trails through forest landscapes and various opportunities to explore the region by bicycle. When choosing accommodation, this means that not only the town itself is of interest, but also the combination of culture, guided sightseeing and active excursions. The journey is possible by train and bus; airports in the more distant cities of Poprad and Košice can also be used.

Historic Town and Regional Culture

Spišská Nová Ves has been designated an urban heritage conservation area since 1992. One particularly distinctive building is the Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Its 14th-century architecture has partly been preserved in its original condition to this day, although the church has been repaired and rebuilt several times. The church tower is 87 metres high and offers views of the town, the surrounding area and the panorama of the High Tatras.

Guided tours climbing the tower of the Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary are offered year-round by the Tourist Information Centre. If you would like to combine the historic site with a scheduled visitor experience, this tour is therefore one of the specific options available locally.

The building housing the Múzeum Spiša is one of the most valuable historic properties in Spišská Nová Ves; its foundations probably date back to the 15th century. The Galéria umelcov Spiša offers a different cultural focus. It mainly presents works by artists connected with the region and organizes creative workshops for schools, as well as thematic workshops related to current exhibitions.

Forest Trails, Mining History and Cycling

In Novoveská Huta, the Banský náučný chodník conveys the mining and metallurgical history of the Spiš region. The educational trail offers shorter and longer walks through an attractive forest landscape and can be explored on foot, by bicycle or, in winter, on skis. This allows the same thematic experience to be enjoyed in different ways depending on the type of trip, without separating the mining history from the landscape.

The DIANA forestry educational trail is also located in Novoveská Huta. It is managed by Lesy mesta Spišská Nová Ves, is approximately 2,200 metres long and follows existing forest roads and trails. For shorter cycling excursions, there are also the Novoveské Singletraily, with two one-way routes: a children's route of approximately 300 metres and the approximately 1.5-kilometre Novoveský Trail.

Another option is the Východným okrajom Slovenského raja circular cycling route. It starts and ends at the railway station in Spišská Nová Ves and runs through the protected zone of Slovenský raj National Park. Unlike the one-way routes of the Novoveské Singletraily, this route has a different form by virtue of its circular course.

Places for Further Comparison

If you would like to compare other places with Spišská Nová Ves, you can also look at Hrabusice, Letanovce, Spišské Vlachy, Harichovce, Teplička, Betlanovce, Spisske Tomasovce and Matejovce Nad Hornádom.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Spišská Nová Ves.