Sunava – Church, Folklore and the Watershed

Sunava combines sacred art, vibrant folklore and a landscape where the watershed between the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea can be traced. This gives you a clear choice when planning your trip: you can explore church art and regional history, plan an educational trail through easy terrain or get to know the local culture through the Šumiháj folklore group.

Churches, Chapel and Special Buildings

The Church of St Nicholas in Vyšná Šuňava is a Neoclassical church built in 1832. Its single-nave interior, the straight-ended chancel, the sacristy added on the north side and the tower projecting from the west side give the building a clearly structured form. The late Baroque high altar from the end of the 18th century is particularly rich in detail. It includes a 19th-century statue of St Nicholas and was restored in 1887 and enhanced with acanthus ornamentation.

The Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity also provides historical context. It is considered Šuňava's oldest building. According to the mayor, it was built by Jesuits in the 16th or 17th century on the boundary of the former municipal lands of Nižná Šuňava and Vyšná Šuňava. This attributed history of its origins connects the building with the older settlement and municipal structure, without implying any current access rule.

Park dvoch morí and the Watershed

An unusual landmark is Park dvoch morí in Vyšná Šuňava. The local monument is connected with the Central European watershed. At Park dvoch morí in Šuňava, it divides the drainage towards the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. Next to the church there is a small park with the obelisk monument “Strecha dvoch morí”; this park bears the name Park dvoch morí.

The “Strecha dvoch morí” monument was erected in the municipality in 2007. It represents a symbolic roof divided into two parts and illustrates the flow of water using depictions of springs and rivers. The site therefore offers a concrete landscape theme that can be easily combined with a cultural tour: here, not only buildings and customs but also the direction of the water becomes an object of observation.

Educational Trail and Short Route Option

The “Náučný chodník 2” educational trail is a walking route that can be used in summer and winter and leads through easy terrain. It is 9.00 km long, has a stated elevation difference of 195 m above sea level, takes around 3 hours and includes 6 stops. This information helps you treat the route as a separate item on your itinerary and allow enough time for the distance.

A shorter route is offered by Route D7, designated as “CESTNÁ REKREA”. It runs for 2.4 km between Štrba and Vyšná Šuňava. This gives you different distances to choose from when planning your trip, without requiring the two options to be combined into a single route.

Folklore with Regional Connections

The Šumiháj folklore group was officially founded in Vyšná Šuňava on the initiative of ethnographer PhDr. Ján Olejník, CSc. It preserves local customs and performs the stage programmes “Regrútska odobierka”, “Svadba”, “Za chlebom”, “Fašiangy sa krátia”, “Ide jar”, “Na Ondreja” and “Nôty, moje nôty”. The group regularly performs at the Zamagurské folklórne slávnosti festival, as well as at various celebrations and events in the municipality and its immediate surroundings. If you are interested in regional culture, this profile is a worthwhile complement to the church, chapel and landscape monument.

When looking for accommodation, you can therefore first decide which focus should define your trip: sacred art and architectural history, Park dvoch morí with its watershed, a route or traditional folklore. This keeps your choice of accommodation connected to your personal itinerary without reducing Sunava to just one attraction.

For more travel ideas, you can also include Spišské Bystré, Spišský Štiavnik, Gánovce, Batizovce, Svit, Spišská Teplica, Hozelec and Velký Slavkov in your Slovakia research.

For the broader travel overview: Poprad District.