Holiday apartment in Stola – history, crafts and trails in the High Tatras

Štôla lies in the western part of the Poprad Basin on the southern slope of the High Tatras. The village was established on the site of a former Benedictine monastery, which was built in 1314. The monastery burned down around 1436 during the Hussite Wars and the unrest surrounding the Hungarian throne and was never rebuilt.

Culture and history

The Evangelical Neoclassical Church in Štôla dates from 1870 and houses an altarpiece by Peter Bohúň. The church is usually closed; visits must be arranged with the local parish priest from Mengusovce. The Štôla military cemetery contains 296 war graves. A wooden bell tower with a double cross and a bronze bell stands in the village and is probably the last surviving public relic of the monastery.

Smaller reminders also preserve the connection with the local past. The orchard belonging to the former monastery still contains several centuries-old field boundaries overgrown with plum trees, which are considered a rarity in fruit growing. Four traditional Hlemajzy buildings are still preserved in Štôla; they serve as grain stores 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.

Trails and nature

The Batizovce–Gerlachov–Mengusovce–Štôla educational and hiking trail serves educational and nature-conservation purposes and is intended for the general public, including less experienced hikers, children and older people. The trail 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.

Several viewpoints along the educational and hiking trail offer views of the Tatra peaks. The route follows marked trails around artificial lakes. The cycle paths of this educational and hiking trail are connected to the cycling network below the Tatras.

Winter and crafts

In winter, cross-country ski tracks are maintained in Štôla. They run through nature along the Poprad River and offer views of the High Tatras panorama. If weather conditions permit, Štôla organizes the Štôlska lyža sporting event in February or March.

In Štôla, visitors can arrange an appointment with Mr Kocián at his glass workshop. During the appointment, he presents his craft.

Marked hiking connections

Several marked connections with time indications are listed between Štôla and other places. Between Vyšné Hágy and Štôla, a yellow-marked hiking connection is listed with the times 0:45/0:35. Between Tatranská Polianka and Štôla, a green-marked hiking connection is listed with the times 1:15/1:00. Between Batizovské pleso and Štôla, a yellow-marked hiking connection is listed with the times 3:15/2:35. Between Sliezsky dom and Štôla, a yellow-and-red-marked hiking connection is listed with the times 4:15/3:35.

More pages about local destinations

More pages about local destinations: Svit, Nová Lesná, Batizovce, Spišský Štiavnik, Vernár, Velký Slavkov, Hozelec, Sunava.

To the broader travel overview: Poprad District.