Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj) With A Dog

Slovak Paradise National Park (Národný park Slovenský raj) is one of Slovakia’s nine national parks.

Situated in the east of the country, the Park covers an area of 197.63 sq km (76.3 sq miles). Despite its small size, Slovenský raj contains eleven national nature reserves and eight nature reserves.

The park is also a great doggy destination. It has around 300 km (186 miles) of clearly marked hiking trails and 90% of the park is forested, so the walks are shady. The steep-sided gorges also temper high summer temperatures.

Around 30% of households in Slovakia own dogs. We saw no stray dogs or fierce shepherd dogs, and found Slovakia to be a very dog friendly country. Nevertheless, we struggled to find information on visiting Slovenský raj with dogs. We visited in our own truck camper and stayed on the campsite at Podlesok. Hotel, chalets, pensions and other accommodation options are available. The national park lists pet friendly accommodation optios, or you could check dog friendliness with individual providers.

Mark & Kai taking a rest in the shade – the park is 90% forested

So, I did my own painstaking research into dog friendly routes, and here is my summary.

For obvious reasons, dogs are not allowed in Suchá Belá gorge in *Slovenský raj*
Majka95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

National Park regulations require dogs to be on a lead with a muzzle, although we did not find this to be enforced. I think this regulation reflects lower standards of training and discipline among local canines. Note that there are also sheer cliffs and steep drops in places.

We made sure The Fab Four stuck to the marked paths, and did not disturb wildlife. And of course, we cleared up after them.

Note that disturbing wildlife in Slovenský raj can include wolf, wild boar, lynx, wild cats and brown bears, the European relative of the North American grizzly. If you stick to the high traffic trails and hike during the daytime, it is unlikely that you will encounter any of these creatures, particularly bears. However, here’s what to do if you see a bear.

There is a small daily entrance fee to the national park which includes mountain rescue insurance, although this is for humans, not dogs, so make sure you can get your dog home in case of injury. The payment kiosks seemed to be at car parks and on the gorge entrances rather than the walking and cycling routes. There is a discount for a 3-day pass – it’s still only a couple of euros. We walked a few trails from Camp Podlesok and didn’t pay just to walk, although a charge applied for Suchá Belá gorge and the trails at Prielom Hornádu.

All hikes are long and over rough terrain and slippery rocks, so I recommend you always wear proper hiking boots, regardless of the weather, and take a map and plenty of water. The emergency number is 112.

To make your journey back easier, buses and taxis operate from the main tourist centres: taxi numbers are often displayed alongside the bus timetable. Buses allow dogs on board – you would need to ask the individual taxi companies. Dogs should wear a muzzle on public transport, but the driver didn’t enforce this when we returned to Podlesok from Píla.

The dogless can save their knees by renting a bike at the end of Suchá Belá gorge or at Kláštorisko to ride back to Podlesok, although the two-wheeled descent is quite a challenge: it is steep, rough, and rocky.

One of the Podlesok loops to Kláštorisko. The terrain is rough – hiking boots recommended.

One of the Slovak Paradise National Park Websites has a map of the park with trails marked on. You can filter the walks by various criteria, such as difficulty, length, and amount of ascent. The walks are classified by the destination, (Viewpoint or Point of Interest), rather than the starting point.

The information includes which walks are dog friendly, and which involve steps and ladders. However, you can’t filter on dog friendliness or see which parts of the walk involve the steps and ladders!

I have listed all the dog friendly walks below. (Please note – I haven’t personally walked every one, so this is a compilation of the information made available by the National Park. As such, I accept no responsibility for errors. Please see my Disclaimer for more details.)

The coloured routes are the gorges, which are one way & not dog friendl. Avoid any routes that include these!
Honza Groh, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

VIEWPOINTS

Tomášovský – 6 of 7 trails dog friendly

Tomášovský vyhád is one of the most visited places in the national park. It offers views of the Biely Potok Valley, the Prielom Hornádu, Čertova Sihoť and, on a clear day, the High Tatras.

Note that Tomášovský vyhád is a sheer cliff, rather like Norway’s Pulpit Rock, so keep unsuspecting canines under control well away from the edge.

The viewpoint is just 35 minutes’ walk from the car park in beautiful meadows at Ďurkovec. Ďurkovec is on Park4Night, and the owners, Janka and Martin, are very welcoming.

Only the Loop from Letanovce via Prielom Hornádu involves steps and ladders, which you will find on the BLUE riverside path. There is a dog friendly YELLOW path which meets up with the riverside route at either end. This blue route along the river features in several walks, so it’s good to know the yelloe path is a dog friendly alternative.

The YELLOW route at *Prielom Hornádu* is dog friendly. The BLUE route is 2 way, but has steps & ladders.

Mother of God – All 4 trails are dog friendly

Together with the Bear’s Head, Matka Božia (Mother of God) is a mountain that originally formed the primeval plateau. It is a rock formation of steep outcrops that offers a beautiful view of the entire Lesnice valley, the Tomášovský view, and the High Tatras.

Owl Rock – All 5 trails are dog friendly

This viewpoint is very popular. Access is easy and undemanding. It offers views of Prielom Hornáda, the High Tatras, and the entire Čingov resort.

Borovniak (Blueberry) – All 3 trails are dog friendly.

Borovniak is the highest peak in the Slovak Paradise.

Čertova sihoť (Damn it!) – 4 of 8 trails are dog friendly.

This viewpoint offers a beautiful vista of the valley and its surroundings.

Loop via Biely potok
Loop from Spišské Tomášovce
Loop from Podlesok
From Podlesok and back

(Note that you could can use the YELLOW route as a dog friendly alternative to the BLUE Prielom Hornádu riverside route, according to the map shown earlier.)

Ihrík (A Game) – 3 of 7 trails dog friendly

From Letanovce and back
Crossing from Sp. Tomášovce to Letanovce
Crossing from Letanovce to Podlesok

Havrania skala (Ravens Rock) – All 5 trails dog friendly

Havrania skala is a distinctive peak near the pretty village of Stratená. Apparently, it offers one of the most beautiful views in the entire Slovak Paradise. You can find dozens of small caves in the massif of the Havraná skaly. Some are accessible from the official hiking trails.

The Tatra Mountains from *Slovenský raj*

POINTS OF INTEREST

Blajzloch – All of 2 trails dog friendly

Blajzloch is a small reservoir.

Monastery Kláštorisko – 4 of 15 trails are dog friendly

Kláštorisko 13th century Carthusian monastery

The ruins of the 13th century Carthusian monastery sit at a crossroads of many trails. There are public toilets at the restaurant, which serves drinks and snacks, such as hotdogs. There is also a 24-hour beer pump – you just swipe your credit card!

Loops from Podlesok 1 and 2
Loop from Čingov via Čertova sihoť,
From Letanovce and back

All the other routes are via ferrata or through the gorges.

One of the best ever Slovak innovations – self-service 24-hour beer at Kláštorisko !

Klauzy (Clauses – 1 of 5 trails is dog friendly

Loop from Dedinky

Klauzy in the eastern part of the park is known for its reservoir. It is offers different face of the paradise, with forest and a low-lying marsh. Dedinky is a village on the southern borders of the Slovak Paradise, which has a large parking lot and offers boating.

Dedinky lake & dam, SLovak Paradise
Szeder László, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

Letanovský Mill – 1 of 2 trails is dog friendly

Letanovský mlyn is one of the resorts on the northern edge of the Slovak Paradise. You can still see the remains of the old mill at the confluence of the Trstené brook and the Hornád river. There is also a reconstruction of the stone Carthusian bridge which led to the Monastery. It’s a nice to see while walking past, but not worthy of a special visit. When we passed through, the Bufet at Letanovský Mill served only crisps, nuts, chocolate and drinks and charged 1 euro to use the loo.

From Letanovce and back is dog friendly

Geravy – 4 of 6 trails dog friendly

Geravy is a vast plain of mountain meadows, woods, and groves in the south of the Slovak Paradise.

From Dedinky and back,
Loop from Dedinky via Zajfy,
Loop from Stratená,
Loop from Dedinky via Chotárna dolka

That’s it – I hope you find this short guide helpful.

For more doggie travel advice, check out my The Wuff Guide to Travelling with Dogs. It includes country guides, plus tips on driving with dogs, how to keep your fur babies cool in hot climates, how to keep chilly canines warm in cool climates, and includes a printable puppy packing list.

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