Holiday apartment in Stratená – Nature, Caves and Cultural History

Stratená stands out because of Havrania skala: the distinctive and significant peak near the small municipality offers one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Slovenský raj. At the same time, protected forest ecosystems, extraordinary caves, historical traces and special sacred art come together here.

Nature and Mountain Landscape

The Stratená Nature Reserve also includes the cadastral territory of Stratená. It protects well-preserved forest ecosystems on varied relief; these include larch-pine stands on limestone rocks. Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) is relatively common in the nature reserve.

Dozens of small caves are located in the Havrania skala massif. Some of them are accessible to tourists via official hiking trails. The peak itself is considered a distinctive and significant point near Stratená and offers one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Slovenský raj.

The protected area and the Havrania skala massif represent different landscape contexts: the former is described through its cadastral territory and protected forest ecosystems, while the latter is described through the small caves in the rock. The caves are not accessible as a whole; only some are explicitly mentioned as being accessible to tourists via official hiking trails. The peak itself complements this landscape as a distinctive point near Stratená and as a viewpoint in Slovenský raj.

Hiking Trails

The official circular trail to Havrania skala begins and ends in Stratená. This circular trail via Zajfy has no ladders or metal footholds. The route thus explicitly connects the starting and finishing point with the aforementioned rocky landscape without requiring any additional technical equipment.

Skalná Brána is an entrance to Stratenský kaňon. Its remains also bear witness to fighting during the Second World War. Another trail notice concerns the Tiesňava Valley near Stratená: it remains closed until further notice after a landslide damaged the entire footpath, including the safety chains.

Localities and Connections

The Margecany–Banská Bystrica railway line runs through Stratená and the locality of Dobšinská Ľadová Jaskyňa. Dobšinská Ľadová Jaskyňa is a locality of Stratená and was added to the World Natural Heritage List in 2000.

The ascent from the settlement of Dobšinská Ľadová Jaskyňa to the cave is approximately 1 km long, overcomes an elevation gain of 130 metres and takes about 25 minutes. The length, elevation difference and approximate duration describe the ascent in clear, manageable stages.

Culture and History

Stratená is home to the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Augustine. It was built in 1909 by Ferdinand Coburg. A remarkable statue of Mary Magdalene comes from the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča.

At Skalná Brána, too, history is directly connected with a specific place: the remains preserved there bear witness to fighting during the Second World War. Together with the church and the statue from the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča, sacred art and historical evidence are therefore among the documented features of Stratená.

Other Places

Other places to discover: Betliar, Čierna Lehota, Krásnohorské Podhradie, Vlachovo, Rejdová, Dedinky, Drnava, Rožňava.

To the higher-level travel overview: Rožňava.