Suchá Belá Gorge

The 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 the most romantic. It is easy to find: the entrance lies right next to the Podlesok tourist centre near the village of Hrabušice. A stream of the same name flows through the gorge into the Veľká Biela voda, a tributary of the Hornád. The name (“dry Belá”) probably comes from the fact that a few dozen metres before its mouth the stream disappears into the gravel for most of the year, leaving the bed dry.

The first exploratory trip, led by Martin Róth in 1900, reached the Misové waterfalls. A marked path to them was built in 1908, and in 1910 a group led by Alexander Mervay walked the whole gorge in winter. The full gorge has been open to hikers since 1959, when steel steps were used here for the first time. Since 1964 it has been a national nature reserve of more than 153 ha, protecting potholes, waterfalls and karst features.

What to see

• The Misové waterfalls – the largest in the gorge, 29.5 m high, climbed by a system of ladders.
• Okienkový (Window) waterfall, 12.5 m, Korytový (Trough), 8.5 m and Bočný (Side), 8 m.
• Narrow rock corridors where the path runs straight up the stream bed on logs and steel steps.
• A wooden shelter at the top of the gorge – a place to rest.

Practical information

A green-marked trail runs through the gorge. It is 3.7 km long with about 420 m of ascent and takes roughly 2 hours. For safety reasons the gorges of the Slovak Paradise may be walked in one direction only – upstream; going back down the same way is not allowed. From the top you return to Podlesok on a forest path via Pod Vtáčim hrbom in about 90 minutes, or make a detour via Kláštorisko in about 2.5 hours. The Podlesok – Suchá Belá – Podlesok loop is 8.8 km and takes about 3.5 hours. Bikes can be hired at the top of the gorge and at Kláštorisko for the ride down to Podlesok (€7.50).

A fee is paid at the entrance: the «Suchá Belá+» ticket costs €4 for adults and €3 for children 6–15 and over-65s, under-6s free; it also covers all other gorges of the park on the same day. Parking at Podlesok is €6 per day (€3 after 14:00); buses run to Podlesok. In summer, come early: on peak days you may queue for almost an hour at the ladders by the Misové waterfalls. You need sturdy footwear, spare socks in wet weather and crampons in winter. The route is not for dogs or pushchairs, but school-age children with their parents manage it happily. The gorge may be closed temporarily after bad weather – in 2026 it is open, with a warning about the risk of falling trees.

Nearby

Podlesok is also the start of the canyon path through the Hornád Gorge. Above the gorge lies Kláštorisko with the ruins of a Carthusian monastery, and south of the Slovak Paradise lies the Dobšinská Ice Cave.

Official website: npsr.sk

Photos: Majka95, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; dariusz wozniak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Margoz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ladabohac, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.