SLOVAKIA: Slovak Paradise

During our Erasmus plus project called H2O not wasted we visited Slovak Paradise- The Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj) – one of the most beautiful areas in the Spiš region in Slovakia. This small piece of nature earned the name thanks to its precious natural treasures and beauties. It consists of preserved karst plateaus, deep-cut river canyons, gorges with glamorous waterfalls, a huge underground world of caves and chasms and richly represented fauna and flora.

The Slovak paradise was a place of our first teachers´ workmeeting devoted to ICT skills, necesaryy for the realisation of the project as well as disemination tools.

The Slovak Paradise is located in the eastern part of the Slovak Republic, in the north of the Slovenské rudohorie mountains, where along with the Muránska planina plateau it creates the complex of the Spišsko-gemerský kras (Spiš-Gemer Karst). In the west it borders the Nízke Tatry (Low Tatras) mountains, in the north the Hornádska kotlina basin.
The national park covers an area of 19 763 hectares, and the size of protected zone of national park is 13 011 hectares.
Gorges, formed by brooks flowing from the plateaus, have narrow sections with precipitous cliffs, and are rich in rocky steps with waterfalls. Except one, all are located in the northern part of the territory. There are canyons cut into the outskirts of the Slovak Paradise – in the north the canyon of the Hornád river, in the south the canyon of the Hnilec river.
The water formed extensive cave systems inside the limestone massif. Out of more than 450 registered caves, ravines and sinkholes there is one unique site inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage List. It is located in Duča cave complex, which consists of the Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa (Dobšinská Ice Cave),
the Stratenská jaskyňa cave and the Psie diery cave with a total length of 21 737 m
and a depth of 194 m.

During our project meeting we visited Tomasovsky vyhlad- The easiest accessible and most popular viewpoint at a 146 m high rocky terrace on the left bank of the Hornád river. It offers unique views of inner parts of the Slovak Paradise (of the Biely potok and Prielom Hornádu valleys) and through the Hornádska kotlina basin of the nearby Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras) mountains.

Possible places to stay and eat:
1. Park Hotel
2. Hotel Cingov
3. Hotel Trio