Spišská Stará Ves: Hotels between the Dunajec and culture

Spišská Stará Ves lies in the protection zone of Pieninský národný park and is also connected with the landscapes along the Dunajec and a remarkable cultural history. Every year, from spring to autumn, tourists travel from here on wooden rafts through the Dunajec Canyon. During this trip, several-hundred-metre-high limestone cliffs and rock crags rise directly from the river. Thus, in and around Spišská Stará Ves, natural surroundings, the river landscape and historical evidence come together within a closely connected narrative space.

Culture

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Spišská Stará Ves was built in the second half of the 14th century as a two-nave Gothic church. Its Gothic presbytery, two Gothic portals and Gothic windows with original tracery have been preserved. Inside, the late Baroque high altar dates from 1765; there is also a painting of a seated Madonna from 1490.

Another cultural address is the Galéria Ferdinanda Kleinbergera Katonu in Spišská Stará Ves. It is a permanent exhibition of the Tatranská galéria in Poprad. The exhibition comprises 50 oil paintings and 30 drawings by Ferdinand Katona and also presents nearly one hundred selected works by the artist featuring natural motifs from the Spiš region and the High Tatras. The gallery’s name and its connection to Poprad are just as much part of its classification as the different groups of works.

Places of remembrance are also part of the local history. The Plague and Cholera Cemetery in Spišská Stará Ves was established after the devastating plague epidemic of 1710. In the same burial ground, 71 victims of the cholera epidemic were buried in 1831, 121 years later. The chronological sequence of plague and cholera is directly connected with the burial ground at this site.

Nature

In the wider surroundings of Spišská Stará Ves runs the nature trail in the Prielom Dunajca, also called Pieninská cesta. The route is connected with ten stations and information panels. Its name and this fixed structure are among the features under which the nature trail is presented.

Water and landscape

The raft trip through the Dunajec Canyon connects the starting point of Spišská Stará Ves with a distinctive river setting. It takes place every year from spring to autumn on wooden rafts. During the trip, limestone cliffs and rock crags can be seen that are several hundred metres high and rise directly from the Dunajec. The water surface, the vertical rock formations and the seasonal period are precisely the elements that describe this activity.

Cultural life

The folklore ensemble FS Maguranka regularly takes part in the Zamagurské folklórne slávnosti as well as in various cultural and social events in Spišská Stará Ves, the immediate surrounding area and the wider region. During the tourist rafting season, FS Maguranka presents Gorals folk traditions and the custom of placing the bridal cap in the Pieniny. The 41st Zamagurské folklórne slávnosti were held in the amphitheatre of Spišská Stará Ves. Thus, the ensemble, the festival events and the venue have a clearly defined relationship to one another.

Connections

Class II road II/542 runs through Spišská Stará Ves from Spišská Belá via Slovenská Ves to Spišská Stará Ves. The road designation and its route through the named places define the town’s position within this connection.

Hotels

When comparing hotels in Spišská Stará Ves, it is worth taking a close look at the respective offer page before booking. In particular, check the exact location, the type of accommodation and the possible occupancy there. Included services, individual price components and the conditions for booking and cancellation may likewise be listed differently. This keeps the key points for your planning together where the specific offer is described.

Other places

Other places: Slovenská Ves, Spišská Belá, Busovce, Malý Slavkov, Vrbov, Červený Kláštor, Osturna, Stara Lesna.

To the higher-level travel overview: Kežmarok District.