Holiday apartment in Mníšek nad Popradom: Hiking trails and church

The marked hiking trail 2805 runs from Mníšek nad Popradom at the state border to the Sulínka mineral spring and is 10.9 kilometres long. A second marked route bears the number 5881; it leads from Osly via Mníšek nad Popradom to Kače and is 11.2 kilometres long. Both trails identify Mníšek nad Popradom as an important section of their respective routes, but connect the village with different starting and endpoints. The two routes therefore show different connections through the village: one extends from the state border to Sulínka, while the other links Osly with Kače. Their stated lengths make the extent of the marked trails directly comparable.

Landscape

Mníšek nad Popradom lies in the valley of the Hraničná stream. The Poprad River forms the border between Mníšek nad Popradom and Poland and thus determines a significant part of the village’s geographical setting. The lowest point lies 382 metres above sea level below the church. It is located where the Poprad leaves the territory of Slovakia and is also the lowest point in the district. The valley, river border and elevation figure describe different geographical reference points of the same village: the valley of the Hraničná, the course of the Poprad and the location below the church.

History and customs

A surviving written mention from 1323 names hermits at this location and uses the expression „locus heremitoris“. The historical designation stands alongside a religious celebration that is still named today: the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated in Mníšek nad Popradom on 14 September as a Christian celebration called „odpust“. This section therefore includes both a medieval written reference and a specifically dated religious celebration of the village.

Church and art

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a pseudo-Romanesque three-nave pseudo-basilica built around 1900, with Classical elements. Its architectural classification thus combines the pseudo-Romanesque basic form with Classical design elements. The side altars contain an image of Our Lady of the Rosary by Jozef Hanula and an image of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross by F. Staudinger, a Viennese painter, from 1869.

Inside the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross there is also a Baroque-Classical Calvary sculptural group from the late 18th century. In addition to the church building, the two aforementioned altar paintings and the sculptural group are therefore among the specifically named sacred works of art in the village. The information brings together different periods and forms within the same church interior: the construction period around 1900, the altar painting from 1869 and the sculptural group from the late 18th century.

Geographical setting

A road border crossing connects the municipality with a recreational and spa area in Poland. The planned EuroVelo 11 route is intended to provide a further regional connection: it is to connect the Mníšek nad Popradom border crossing with the town of Stará Ľubovňa through the Poprad valley. The route is described as planned.

Other places: Hajtovka, Nová Ľubovňa, Maly Lipnik, Šambron, Lesnica, Kamienka, Vysne Ruzbachy, Plavnica

To the higher-level travel overview: Stará Ľubovňa.