Hnilec: Hiking Trails and History in the Hnilec Valley

Hnilec lies in the Hnilec Valley below the Babiná, Súľová, Veľká Knola and Malá Knola massifs. Two hiking trails each have one of their endpoints here: the SR19 Hrebeňom západnej časti Volovských vrchov ends in Hnilec, while the SR29 Na Volovec begins in Hnilec and ends in Henclová. At the endpoint of the SR19 hiking trail in Hnilec, there is a SAD bus stop, a ŽSR railway stop and a parking area. The same three facilities—a SAD bus stop, a ŽSR railway stop and a parking area—are located at the starting point of the SR29 Na Volovec hiking trail in Hnilec.

Landscape and Trails

The location between the aforementioned massifs shapes the geographical relationship between the hiking trails and the other routes through Hnilec. The two routes connect the village with different starting and end points within the Volovské vrchy.

Cycling Route

The Hnilecká cyklomagistrála is 70 km long, passes through 11 municipalities and connects the southern part of Slovenský raj National Park with the Ružín Reservoir. This route also passes through Hnilec, where wooden houses are examples of traditional architecture. The 3 km section from Sykavka to Hnilec runs along a paved road.

The village also has a public multifunctional sports field that can be used year-round for football, volleyball and tennis. A football tournament is held in Hnilec every year in July. During the summer school holidays, the Hnilecký hudobný festival also takes place in Hnilec.

Culture and History

The Church of Karmelskej Panny Márie in Hnilec serves as a place of worship. Its foundation stone was laid by the then administrator, Štefan Mišík, on 2 May 1894. A memorial plaque dedicated to Štefan Mišík is located on the parish building in Hnilec. Another memorial plaque dedicated to him stands on a rock to the left of the main road from Hnilec toward Spišská Nová Ves.

Hnilec was founded after 1290 through šoltýs colonization. Copper ores and locally silver-bearing ores were mined in the local mines. Smelters and hammer mills were established along the Hnilec River.

For an overnight stay in Hnilec, accommodation offer pages can be viewed and compared according to your travel plans. On the respective offer pages, you can check details such as the exact location, type of accommodation, occupancy and included services before booking. The individual price components and the applicable booking and cancellation conditions are equally important. The conditions stated there can then be compared with the planned length of stay and personal budget. When considering several options, it is also worth checking whether the listed services apply per person or to the entire occupancy, and whether additional costs are shown separately. Minimum stays and deadlines can also be checked there in advance before continuing to compare the offers based on your own travel plans.

Other Places

Other places to explore: Spisska Nova Ves, Smizany, Spišské Vlachy, Slovinky, Mlynky, Jamnik, Hrabusice, Rudnany.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Spišská Nová Ves.