Štôla on the southern slope of the High Tatras

Štôla is located in the western part of the Poprad Basin on the southern slope of the High Tatras. Štôla was established on the site of a former Benedictine monastery built in 1314.

History

The Benedictine monastery burned down around 1436 during the Hussite Wars and the unrest surrounding the Hungarian throne and was never rebuilt. A wooden bell tower with a double cross and a bronze bell stands in Štôla as probably the last surviving public relic of the monastery.

Culture

The Evangelical neoclassical church in Štôla dates from 1870 and houses an altarpiece by Peter Bohúň. It is usually closed; visits must be arranged with the local pastor from Mengusovce. The Štôla military cemetery contains 296 war graves.

Four traditional Hlemajzy still survive in Štôla, serving as granaries or storage rooms. Preserved local crafts are presented at various cultural and social events, including woven carpets, scratched and painted Easter eggs, wooden sculptures, painted pictures and blown-glass products. A wooden house in Štôla was built in 1929 and designed by the renowned Slovak architect Dušan Jurkovič. Visitors can also arrange an appointment with Mr Kocián at his glass workshop, where he presents his craft.

Nature

The orchard belonging to the former monastery still preserves several centuries-old field boundaries overgrown with plum trees, which are considered a horticultural rarity. The Batizovce–Gerlachov–Mengusovce–Štôla educational and hiking trail serves education and nature conservation and is intended for the general public, including less experienced hikers, children and older people. It consists of one large and three small information boards.

Each information board has seating with a table and benches, a bicycle rack and a waste bin. The trail offers several viewpoints of the Tatra peaks and follows marked paths around artificial lakes. The cycling routes on this educational and hiking trail are connected to the cycling network below the Tatras.

Winter

In winter, cross-country ski trails are groomed in Štôla, leading through nature along the Poprad River and offering views of the High Tatras panorama. Weather permitting, Štôla organizes the Štôlska lyža sporting event in February or March.

Other places include Gerlachov, Strba, Spišský Štiavnik, Vernár, Nová Lesná, Batizovce, Zdiar and Sunava.

Hiking

A yellow-marked hiking connection with the times 0:45/0:35 is recorded between Vyšné Hágy and Štôla. A green-marked hiking connection with the times 1:15/1:00 is recorded between Tatranská Polianka and Štôla. A yellow-marked hiking connection with the times 3:15/2:35 is recorded between Batizovské pleso and Štôla. A yellow-and-red-marked hiking connection with the times 4:15/3:35 is recorded between Sliezsky dom and Štôla.

For the higher-level travel overview: Poprad District.