Holiday apartment in Drienčany: Karst, caves and culture

Drienčany combines a protected karst landscape with historic buildings and places commemorating Slovak literature.

Nature

The municipality of Drienčany lies within the protected Drienčanský kras area, known for its karst caves, karst pinnacles and sinkholes. The Drienčanský kras educational trail is currently a 3-kilometre circular route that begins in Drienčany and passes karst pinnacles, sinkholes and depressions, the Great and Small Drienčany Caves, and a karst pond. Its route runs through preserved ecosystems of running waters, steppes and forests.

The educational trail has 15 stations and combines natural science, nature conservation and historical information. It is considered an easy walking route that is also suitable for children and older people. The circular route is accessible year-round and can be visited independently without prior registration.

The two Drienčany Caves differ in terms of public access. The Small Drienčany Cave has distinctive arched entrance openings and is the only publicly accessible cave in the surrounding area. The Great Drienčany Cave is not open to the public because of its importance as a wintering site for bat colonies.

Culture

The Evangelical memorial vicarage in Drienčany is a single-storey Neoclassical building where, among others, Ján Liskai, Gustáv Liskai, Jonatan Dobroslav Čipka, Ján Čajak Jr. and Pavol Dobšinský worked. The memorial vicarage houses the Museum of Slovak Fairy Tales, where Pavol Emanuel Dobšinský lived and worked for almost 24 years. Visits to the Museum of Slovak Fairy Tales are possible only by telephone appointment made at least 1 to 2 days in advance.

Below the vicarage grounds, the Pavol Dobšinský Monument depicts his work through the symbols of a golden pen, a golden horseshoe and golden hair. The combination of the memorial vicarage, museum and monument makes the name Dobšinský visible in several places in Drienčany, with each of these elements having its own architectural or figurative form.

The Evangelical church in Drienčany also preserves several historic features. It has a wooden coffered ceiling, a carved wooden Protestant gallery and an organ with a Rococo case dating from 1799, which was repaired in 1804. The church can be reached via a covered wooden staircase and is surrounded by a wall with loopholes.

The church stands on the Late Romanesque foundations of an earlier place of worship, which was already mentioned in the 13th century and in 1513; the present church was created through reconstruction in 1793. The church grounds also include a Renaissance bell tower from the mid-17th century. The historic character is further complemented by Drienčany Castle: it was built in the 13th century, survives today only as a ruin, and began to deteriorate as early as the 17th century.

Experiences

South of Drienčany, the Teplý Vrch reservoir lies in the immediate vicinity and offers opportunities for water sports and recreational fishing. A traditional crafts focus was provided in Drienčany on 13 June 2026 by the events “Tvorivé dielne s remeselnými majstrami regiónu”. Visitors could try out traditional crafts in practice and take home a product they had made themselves.

More pages about nearby places: Vieska Nad Blhom, Kraskovo, Chanava, Padarovce, Kráľ, Španie Pole, Hostišovce, Hostice

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Okres Rimavská Sobota.