Ružín reservoir on the Hornád

Ružín 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 kilometres north-west of Košice. It is named after the flooded village of Ružín and consists of two stages: the main Ružín I reservoir (about 3.9 km², 45.3 million m³, backing up for about 14 km and 50–150 m wide) and the lower Ružín II balancing reservoir. Besides the Hornád, the Hnilec, the Belá and many brooks flow into it. The banks are mostly rocky and steep, covered with broadleaved forest; from the water you can see the peaks of Šľuchta (781 m), Bujanov (757 m), Bradlo (618 m) and Holica (641 m), and most striking of all the limestone crag of Sivec (781 m), rising about 430 m above the water.

The scheme was built in 1963–1970, and its power section went into full operation in 1973. The rock-fill dam of Ružín I is 64 m high — the highest in Slovakia — with a 330 m crest and a maximum depth of 54 m at the dam; the maximum water level is 327 m above sea level. Below the dam a power station with two reversible Francis turbines has a total output of 60 MW. The lower Ružín II stage has a 27 m high concrete dam and covers 65 ha. The system’s main purpose is to supply water to industry in Košice, even out the flow of the Hornád, generate electricity and give partial flood protection; the reservoir is also used for recreation. The villages of Ružín, Košické Hámre, Malý Folkmar, Rolová Huta and parts of Margecany and Jaklovce were flooded entirely or partly. The Ružín railway viaduct crosses the reservoir.

What to see and do

• Sivec — a limestone crag above the dam in the national nature reserve of the same name: from the top you can see Ružín I and II, Branisko, Čergov and even the High Tatras.
• Canoeing and kayaking: quiet meanders near the Kozinec settlement, rocky banks and islets; yachting and windsurfing are allowed on the whole water surface except the water-ski and bathing zones.
• Autumn colours of the broadleaved forest on the steep slopes and winter ice on the water.
• The Ružín viaduct — a railway bridge over the water, striking when seen from a boat.

Getting there

By car you reach the reservoir from the north-west via Margecany and Jaklovce (where the Hnilec joins the Hornád), from the south via Košická Belá and Veľký Folkmar, and from the east via Malá Lodina. By train — to Margecany, Margecany-zastávka (Rolová Huta) and Malá Lodina stations; there is also a Ružín stop. From the bridge over the reservoir runs the route Nováčany – Ružín Reservoir, bridge, and to Sivec Ružín – Sivec (yellow trail from the Ružín stop via the Priehyba pod Sivcom junction). A walk along the shore needs no equipment, while the climb to Sivec is a real ascent through forest and rocks.

Season and safety

The reservoir is accessible all year; the best season for boating is spring to autumn. Under the navigation rules on Ružín I, boats with combustion engines are banned except on two 1 km water-ski sections (by the railway bridge at Margecany and at Kozinec); jet skis and planing are banned from 18:00 to 10:00; fishing is not allowed at landing places; and navigation is banned within 300 m of the dam crest and at maximum or minimum water level (328 and 298 m). Do not take boats into bathing zones. Take care on the steep rocky banks. Mountain rescue number — 18 300, general emergency number — 112. As of October 2026.

Nearby

Upstream on the Hnilec lies the Palcmanská Maša reservoir in the Slovak Paradise; to the north-west is Spiš Castle, and to the north Šariš Castle near Prešov.

Photos: Hladac, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.