Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak Paradise
Podlesok is a small tourist centre on the northern edge of the Slovak Paradise National Park, belonging to the village of Hrabušice. From here trails lead into the park’s best-known gorges — Suchá Belá, Piecky and Veľký Sokol — and to the Hornád Gorge. A little away from the main tourist bustle, below the forest, stands the family-run Ranč u Trapera, run by the Salaj family. The owners say they welcome more than one and a half thousand guests a year.
The ranch offers what most visitors to the Slovak Paradise miss: seeing the area not from the ladders in the gorges but from horseback. The meadows around Podlesok open to the north, so on a clear day you can see the ridge of the High Tatras straight from the saddle.
What to do
- Trail rides in nature. The main offer is one-hour rides across meadows and along forest tracks around Podlesok. They can be booked not only by ranch guests but by any visitor.
- For beginners and families. According to the owners, the instructors look after safety and adapt the pace to each rider’s experience, so complete beginners are welcome too. Among the reviews the ranch publishes is a group of novices aged 7 to 47 who went out together on a one-hour ride.
- Winter rides. The ranch works all year: in winter rides go out across snowy meadows, and the surrounding trails are good for cross-country skiing.
- Peace and horses. Many guests come precisely for the calm: horses in the pasture, the smell of hay and evenings by the campfire with no noisy attractions.
Combining it with other activities. The ranch makes a handy base for a few days. From Podlesok marked trails lead to Suchá Belá, the Hornád Gorge, the Kláštorná gorge, the Tomášovský viewpoint, Malý and Veľký Kysel and Piecky. In summer you can go swimming at the aquapark in Poprad, the thermal pool in Vrbov or the Palcmanská Maša reservoir, and in winter go skiing at Mlynky, Vernár, Telgárt or Levočská dolina. For day trips the owners suggest Spiš Castle, Spišská Kapitula, Levoča and Kežmarok, or Červený Kláštor with rafting on the Dunajec.
Practical information
Getting there. The ranch is in Podlesok (address Podlesok 491/16, Hrabušice), a few minutes’ walk from the centre of the resort. It is about 17 km by car from Poprad and about 19 km from Spišská Nová Ves. There is parking by the ranch.
How to book. The ranch does not publish fixed hours, so a ride must be arranged in advance by phone or via the website form, especially in summer and at weekends. An hour’s ride costs €25 per person for visitors and €20 for those staying at the ranch (as of October 2026). Wear closed shoes and long trousers; ask about helmets and minimum age for children when booking.
Staying over. If you want to stay, the ranch has a small guesthouse with five wood-panelled double rooms and a kitchen for guests.
Nearby
The ranch is a stone’s throw from the Suchá Belá gorge and the Hornád Gorge, and above it the Kláštorisko clearing with the ruins of a Carthusian monastery. To the south, beyond the hills, lies the Dobšiná Ice Cave.
Official website: rancutrapera.sk
Photos: rancutrapera.sk.
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
Uzhhorod – Poprad ≈195 km, ≈2 h 55 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké checkpoint → I/19 via Sobrance and Michalovce → Košice → D1 motorway via Prešov → Poprad (Liptovský Mikuláš is ≈56 km further on the D1, total ≈249 km). Košice – Poprad ≈112 km. The D1 requires an e-vignette (eznamka.sk). Note: from Lviv the fastest way to Poprad is through Poland — Krakovets – A4 – Kraków – Zakopane – Łysa Polana ≈468 km (≈5 h 50 min); via Uzhok and Malyi Bereznyi ≈419 km but slower (≈6 h 40 min). Zakopane – Poprad ≈69 km, Zakopane – Liptovský Mikuláš ≈80 km.
Checked 23.10.2026; border crossing hours and timetables change — check before you travel.
Location on the map
Comments
Trails nearby
All trails
ModerateOne-dayMarkedPodlesok, campsite Krivian, junctionElevation profile546–1 024 m13.1 kmascent 479 m≈ 4 h walkingunder 1 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak Paradise
EasyOne-dayMarkedPodlesok, ATC Suchá Belá, endElevation profile547–959 m3.9 kmascent 4 m≈ 60 min walkingunder 1 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak Paradise
EasyOne-dayMarkedChodník Horskej službyElevation profile515–578 m8.6 kmascent 116 m≈ 2.5 h walkingunder 1 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseNearby attractions
NatureSuchá Belá Gorge1.9 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseThe most romantic gorge in the Slovak Paradise Suchá Belá is the most visited gorge in Slovak Paradise National Park and, according to the park administration, one of...
WaterfallPiecky Gorge and its waterfalls3.2 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadisePiecky is a limestone karst gorge in the north-western part of the Slovak Paradise National Park, between Suchá Belá to the north and Veľký Sokol to the south.
NatureHornád River Gorge (Prielom Hornádu)3.8 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseThe Hornád Gorge (Prielom Hornádu) is, together with the Suchá Belá ravine and the Tomášovský výhľad viewpoint, the best-known place in Slovak Paradise National Park.Craft nearby
All craft places
Craft beer & breweriesMinipivovar TATRAS, Poprad11 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseMinipivovar TATRAS is a brewpub on Poprad’s main square, Námestie sv. Egídia, housed in a building with a long brewing history.
Water parks & thermal poolsAquaCity Poprad water park12 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseAquaCity Poprad is a large year-round water park and wellness complex in the town of Poprad, a few minutes from the centre; according to the complex, the High Tatras...
Water parks & thermal poolsThermal Park Vrbov14 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseThermal Park Vrbov is one of the best-known thermal baths in the Spiš region, on the southern edge of the village of Vrbov, about 6 km (as the crow flies) from...
Koliby & Hutsul cuisineSpišský salaš below Spiš Castle: Spiš cooking since 196427 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseBetween Spiš Castle and Spišská Kapitula, at the edge of the plain below the travertine mound of Sivá brada, stands the wooden Spišský salaš.
Horse ridingKone vo Východnej: horse rides below the Tatras36 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseKone vo Východnej (“Horses in Východná”) is a small family horse farm on the meadows above the village of Východná in upper Liptov, with a sweeping view of the High...
Eco farmsFarma Východná — organic farm below the Tatras37 km from Ranč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak ParadiseFarma Východná is the highest-lying organic farm in Liptov, at 930 m in the village of Východná right below the Tatras.