Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
Although the summer tourist season in Slovak Paradise National Park has only just officially begun, the walking trails are already busy with visitors. According to Marcel Kacvinský, the mayor of Hrabušice, and Tomáš Dražil, the park’s director, visitor numbers have risen sharply earlier than expected.
The first large group of tourists arrived during the Easter holidays, and numbers have remained high throughout the long weekends in May – especially with many visitors from Poland.
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Flooded by tourists
Mayor Kacvinský said the tourist season is already well under way. Both Slovak and foreign tourists are coming in large numbers.
“There have probably never been so many Polish tourists here,” he said. “On Thursday, we counted about 600 cars, and by Friday that number may have reached 1,000.”
Because of the high turnout, local authorities are warning that visitors to the Suchá Belá gorge – one of the park’s most popular routes – could face queues and delays of up to three hours.
Tiesňava to stay shut for the year
Although the season started early, summer-like weather has been present for nearly a month. Most hiking routes are now open, and the gorges are clear of ice.
However, the popular via ferrata trail remains closed under a seasonal restriction and is not expected to reopen until 15 June.
Repairs are still ongoing in the Tiesňava gorge, where a major landslide around a year and a half ago destroyed the path and pulled safety chains from the trees. Unfortunately, Dražil confirmed the gorge will remain closed for the rest of the year.
Folklore festival finds new home in Podlesok
A new cultural highlight will be added to the park this summer: the 51st Spiš Folklore Festival. Traditionally held at the foot of Spiš Castle, the festival will this year take place in Podlesok on 21 and 22 June.
The local council also plans to bring back a small tourist train that was introduced last year and proved popular with visitors.
“Our aim was to spread out the tourist numbers by encouraging people to explore quieter areas,” Kacvinský explained. “Visitors staying in local guesthouses were able to use the train for free.”
The service will run at weekends from 15 June, and then operate daily during the school summer holidays.
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