Kežmarok District: Culture, the Dunajec and Thermal Baths

Kežmarok District combines historic sights with distinctive landscapes and various opportunities for an active or relaxing trip. Important cultural and historical sites are concentrated in Kežmarok, while the Dunajec Gorge, Spišská Magura and Vrbov Thermal Park provide further focal points. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore decide whether you mainly want to visit churches, castles and museums, use educational trails and cycling routes, or experience waterscapes and thermal baths.

Culture and history in Kežmarok

Kežmarok is particularly suitable for travelers who want to combine their stay with culture. The Evangelical articulated wooden church has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. Kežmarok Castle is considered the only completely preserved castle in the Spiš region. Another important place is the Evangelical Lyceum, which houses the largest historic school library in Central Europe.

Kaštieľ Strážky also has its own distinctive character. It presents a portrait exhibition from the 17th to the 19th century in the Spiš region. A cycle path connects Spišská Belá and Kežmarok and runs through the English park at Kaštieľ Strážky. This makes it possible to incorporate historic destinations and a cycling route into your personal travel plans without having to combine all the attractions into a single circular route.

In Spišská Belá, the J. M. Petzval Museum focuses on the development of photographic and cinematographic technology. The museum is located in the birthplace of J. M. Petzval and contains more than 600 exhibits on the history of photographic optics. Visitors can also see a collection of camera shutters and an area dedicated to the origins of cinematography. Anyone interested in the history of technology and science will find a clearly defined museum focus here.

The Dunajec, trails and landscapes

The Dunajec Gorge is partly located in Kežmarok District and includes the cadastral areas of Červený Kláštor, Lechnica and Lesnica. An educational trail with ten stations runs through the gorge. Visitors can also travel along the Dunajec on traditional wooden rafts. The Pieninska cesta connects Červený Kláštor with Szczawnica and today serves as an educational trail and cycle route. These different ways of exploring the area make a difference when planning your day: you can focus on information along the trail, a cycling trip or a journey on the river.

Spišská Magura also shapes the character of the district. Its ridge is more than 30 kilometers long, and its highest peak, Repisko, reaches 1,259 meters above sea level. Jezerské jazero lies southeast of Jezersko, a protected natural formation below the steep slope of Spišská Magura.

In Malá Franková, there are two educational trails, Furmancova droga Dolným koncom and Furmancova droga Horným koncom. The educational trail in Malá Franková ends at a stream and a chapel, where visitors can observe the local wildlife.

Thermal water and regional traditions

Vrbov Thermal Park has nine pools, including three children's pools. Those who want to combine relaxation in the water with excursions when planning their trip will therefore have a concrete point of reference for choosing the region.

A cultural highlight is the Európske ľudové remeslo festival, held every year in the historic center of Kežmarok. Original Goral buildings have been preserved in Osturňa. They are arranged in farmsteads with log houses, barns and stables. In addition, 157 buildings there have been designated as part of a heritage reserve. The inhabitants of Osturňa continue to wear the traditional dress of the Goral ethnic group. Thus, in this part of Kežmarok District, the focus is not only on individual buildings, but also on the traditional settlement and everyday culture.

Places for regional orientation

For further planning, you can compare the places in Kežmarok District individually: Spišské Hanušovce, Matiašovce, Lechnica, Majere, Spišská Stará Ves, Slovenská Ves, Reľov, Lendak, Tvarožná, Veľká Franková, Jezersko, Vrbov, Malý Slavkov, Červený Kláštor, Busovce, Spišská Belá, Kežmarok, Veľká Lomnica, Zakovce, Stara Lesna, Osturna and Mlynceky. This keeps your choice of accommodation connected to your preferred focus: culture in Kežmarok, landscapes along the Dunajec, trails in Spišská Magura or thermal water in Vrbov.

For the broader travel overview: Preschau.