Krompachy
Photos: Margoz, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); SEZ Krompachy, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Bubamara, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); VLADIMIR DUGAS, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Szombat78, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Krompachy is a town in the Spišská Nová Ves District of the Košice Region, Slovakia, situated at 375 metres above sea level in the valley of the Hornád River, where the Slovinský stream joins it. The town lies in central Spiš and is surrounded by mountain ranges: to the north are the Levoča Hills and Branisko Massif (with the highest point, Slubica), and to the south, the Volovec Mountains, part of the Slovak Ore Mountains.
The first written mention of Krompachy dates back to 1282, when it belonged to the Spiš Castle domain. From the Middle Ages, the town was a centre of mining and metallurgy, especially iron and copper. In the early 20th century, it was home to the largest ironworks in Hungary. In 1921, the Krompachy Uprising took place here.
Krompachy is known for its scenic hills, valleys, and fields, as well as the Plejsy ski centre, which has become a popular holiday destination. The town features notable sites such as the Roman Catholic Church of Saint John, a 17th-century baroque curia, the administrative building of the former ironworks, the Krompachy Uprising monument, and Eastern Slovakia's first water plant.
Visitors can use Krompachy as a base for hiking in the surrounding mountains. Trails include "Krompachy, station – Žakarovce", "Krompachy, station – Poproč", "Ríchnava, stop – Slubica", as well as routes to Branisko Pass or the Erika hut (1,137 m). Those interested in history can visit Spiš Castle and the Mining Museum in Gelnica. The Erika hut is available for mountain stays.
Getting there from Ukraine
From Uzhhorod to Krompachy is about 182 km, approximately 2 h 45 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké, then I/19 via Sobrance and Michalovce to Košice, D1 motorway via Prešov to the exit near Levoča, and road 533 to Spišská Nová Ves. The D1 requires an e-vignette (eznamka.sk).
Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, Karpaty.rocks data. More on Wikipedia
Trails nearby
All trails
EasyOne-dayMarkedKrompachy, station ŽakarovceElevation profile373–888 m8.6 kmascent 515 m≈ 3 h walkingunder 1 km from the centre
HardMulti-dayMarkedSabinov Krompachyvia Branisko PassElevation profile321–1 129 m48.9 kmascent 1 967 munder 1 km from the centre
HardMulti-dayMarkedKrompachy, Central Orientation RožňavaElevation profile306–1 318 m55.4 kmascent 3 523 munder 1 km from the centre
HardMulti-dayMarkedKrompachy, central orientation Teplička nad Hornádom, stopElevation profile377–1 127 m44.2 kmascent 1 365 m≈ 14 h walkingunder 1 km from the centre
EasyOne-dayMarkedKrompachy, central orientation Biela skalaElevation profile377–926 m6.1 km≈ 1.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centre
HardMulti-dayMarkedKrompachy, station PopročElevation profile356–1 130 m33.4 kmascent 1 896 m≈ 12 h walkingunder 1 km from the centrePeaks nearby
All peaks
PeakSľubicaSlatvinaaltitude 1 129 m6.6 km from the centreSľubica is a 1129 m summit in the Branisko mountains of eastern Slovakia, the third highest of the range and the highest in its southern part, which bears the same name.
PeakSmrekovica (Branisko)Vyšný Slavkovaltitude 1 200 m15 km from the centreSmrekovica is the highest peak of the Branisko Mountains in eastern Slovakia, 1200 m high (1199.9 m to be exact).
PeakKojšovská hoľaKojšovaltitude 1 246 m17 km from the centreKojšovská hoľa (colloquially Kojšovka; German Koischdorfer Höhe, Hungarian Kojsói-tető) is a 1,246 m mountain in the Volovské vrchy, part of the Slovak Ore Mountains...What to visit
All
MuseumMining Museum in Gelnica and the Jozef AditGelnica8.2 km from the centreThe Mining Museum in Gelnica (Banícke múzeum v Gelnici) is the town museum of an old mining town in the Hnilec valley, among the Volovské vrchy, part of the Slovak Ore...
CastleSpiš CastleŽehra12 km from the centreA castle visible for dozens of kilometres Spiš Castle (Spišský hrad) is the ruin of a vast castle on top of a 634 m travertine rock that rises 200 m above the Spiš basin.
ChurchSpišská Kapitula and St Martin’s CathedralSpišská Kapitula14 km from the centreSpišská Kapitula is an ancient church town on St Martin’s Hill, directly opposite Spiš Castle. It is often called the ‘Slovak Vatican’.
Koliby & Hutsul cuisineSpišský salaš below Spiš Castle: Spiš cooking since 1964Spišská Kapitula15 km from the centreBetween Spiš Castle and Spišská Kapitula, at the edge of the plain below the travertine mound of Sivá brada, stands the wooden Spišský salaš.
LakeRužín reservoir on the HornádMalá Lodina17 km from the centreRužín is a reservoir on the Hornád river in the deep, winding valley of the Čierna hora hills, the north-eastern part of the Slovak Ore Mountains, a dozen or so...
MuseumSpiš Museum in Spišská Nová Ves (Provincial House)Spišská Nová Ves23 km from the centreThe Spiš Museum (Múzeum Spiša) in Spišská Nová Ves is one of the most comprehensive regional museums in eastern Slovakia.Craft nearby
All craft places
Spas and thermal pools nearby
Huts, shelters and springs nearby
Getting there from Ukraine
Border crossings
- Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké — road, 24/7
- Malyi Bereznyi – Ubľa — road, 24/7 For cars and buses; pedestrians not confirmed by the Ukrainian border service, lorries up to 3.5 t.
- Mali Selmentsi – Veľké Slemence (pedestrian) — pedestrian, 09:00–21:00 Kyiv time Pedestrians and cyclists only; inconvenient for the Tatras without onward transport.
- Chop – Čierna nad Tisou (rail) — rail, 24/7
By car
From Uzhhorod ≈182 km, ≈2 h 45 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké → I/19 via Sobrance and Michalovce to Košice → D1 motorway via Prešov to the exit near Levoča → road 533 to Spišská Nová Ves (≈177 km, ≈2 h 30 min from the border). From Lviv via Uzhok and Ubľa ≈407 km, ≈6 h 40 min; through Poland (Kraków – Nowy Targ) ≈496 km, ≈6 h 20 min. The D1 requires an e-vignette (eznamka.sk).
Checked 23.10.2026; border crossing hours and timetables change — check before you travel.
