Svidník

Svidník District · Prešov Region · Slovakia
Svidník — photo 1 Svidník — photo 2 Svidník — photo 3 Svidník — photo 4 4

Photos: ????? (Painters) - cc-by-3.0 Peter Zelizňák (photo), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons); Johanhome, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Peter Zelizňák, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons); ??? (architekt)Peter Zelizňák(photo), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Svidník is a town in north-eastern Slovakia, the capital of Svidník District in the Prešov Region. It is situated at an elevation of 230 m above sea level, in the northern part of the Ondava Highlands, at the confluence of the Ondava and Ladomírka rivers. Svidník lies within the Eastern Carpathians, surrounded by rolling hills and forests.

The present town was formed in 1944 by merging the villages of Nižný Svidník and Vyšný Svidník, which were divided by the Ladomírka river. Vyšný Svidník was first mentioned in 1330, and Nižný Svidník in 1414. The area played a significant role during the Carpathian-Dukla Operation in 1944–1945, and local partisan units were active here.

Svidník is known as a centre of Rusyn and Ukrainian culture. The town hosts the Museum of Ukrainian Culture and its open-air skansen, as well as the Military History Museum. Annual festivals of Ukrainian song and dance take place in the amphitheatre. Notable landmarks include the Greek Catholic Church of St. Paraskeva (1800), the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1845), the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, and the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Visitors can explore numerous trails such as “Svidník – Baňa”, “Lesík – Kaštielik”, “Rostoky (circular route)”, “Filipovský vrch – Kečkovce”, and “Šarbov – Stawok”. Highlights include the Dezider Milly Gallery, wooden churches in Bodružal and Ladomirová, and the military memorial at the Dukla Pass. Svidník serves as a convenient base for hiking in the Low Beskids and discovering local heritage.

Getting there from Ukraine

From Uzhhorod ≈138 km, ≈2 h 30 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké → I/19 to Michalovce → I/18 via Vranov nad Topľou towards Prešov → I/545 to Bardejov (≈133 km, ≈2 h 20 min from the border). From Lviv it is faster through Poland: M-10 → Krakovets – Korczowa → A4 to Dębica → DK73 to Jasło → DK28 to Gorlice → DW977 over the internal Schengen crossing Konieczna – Becherov → I/545 to Bardejov: ≈329 km, ≈5 h 10 min (≈251 km, ≈3 h 40 min from the border). Via the Uzhok Pass and Ubľa ≈345 km, ≈6 h 20 min.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, Karpaty.rocks data. More on Wikipedia

Trails nearby

All trails
Pred Čuntavou – Dukliansky PassHardMulti-dayMarkedPred Čuntavou Dukliansky PassElevation profile227–1 293 m280.7 kmascent 8 346 munder 1 km from the centreSvidník – BaňaModerateOne-dayMarkedSvidník BaňaElevation profile222–591 m17.1 kmascent 447 m≈ 5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreLesík – KaštielikEasyOne-dayMarkedLesík KaštielikElevation profile269–337 m2.8 kmascent 45 m≈ 45 min walking2.3 km from the centreNižná Jedľová – VápeníkEasyOne-dayMarkedNižná Jedľová VápeníkElevation profile283–595 m9.9 kmascent 265 m≈ 3 h walking3.2 km from the centreBelejovce – ObšarEasyOne-dayMarkedBelejovce ObšarElevation profile444–574 m2.5 kmascent 141 m≈ 60 min walking7.4 km from the centreŠarišské Čierne – Lazová MeadowEasyOne-dayMarkedŠarišské Čierne Lazová MeadowElevation profile352–581 m7.3 kmascent 117 m≈ 2 h walking8.1 km from the centre

Peaks nearby

All peaks
Stebnícka MaguraPeakStebnícka MaguraStebníkaltitude 900 m · Volcanic Carpathians range24 km from the centreStebnícka Magura is an 899.9 m summit in the Slovak part of the Low Beskid, in the Busov range. It rises above the village of Stebník about 6 km north of Bardejov and,...

What to visit

All
Museum of Ukrainian Culture in SvidníkMuseumMuseum of Ukrainian Culture in SvidníkSvidníkunder 1 km from the centreThe Museum of Ukrainian Culture (Múzeum ukrajinskej kultúry) in Svidník is Slovakia's oldest specialised museum of a national minority and the main place of memory of...Military History Museum in SvidníkMuseumMilitary History Museum in SvidníkSvidníkunder 1 km from the centreThe Military History Museum in Svidník (Vojenské historické múzeum – Múzejné oddelenie Svidník) is a branch of the Slovak Military History Museum, which belongs to the...Dezider Milly Gallery, SvidníkMuseumDezider Milly Gallery, SvidníkSvidníkunder 1 km from the centreThe Dezider Milly Gallery (Galéria Dezidera Millyho) is the art-historical exhibition of the Museum of Ukrainian Culture in Svidník, part of the Slovak National Museum.Wooden Church of St Michael the Archangel, LadomirováChurchWooden Church of St Michael the Archangel, LadomirováLadomirová4.4 km from the centreOn its edge, behind a wooden fence with a little shingle roof, stands the Greek Catholic Church of St Michael the Archangel — one of the architecturally most valuable...Wooden Church of St Nicholas, BodružalChurchWooden Church of St Nicholas, BodružalBodružal11 km from the centreOn the highest hill in the middle of the village stands the Greek Catholic Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker — one of the oldest wooden churches in Slovakia,...Dukla Pass: memorial, war cemetery and observation towerHistoric siteDukla Pass: memorial, war cemetery and observation towerVyšný Komárnik15 km from the centreRemembering the Carpathian–Dukla Operation In autumn 1944 the Dukla Pass (Duklianský priesmyk) on the Slovak–Polish border above the village of Vyšný Komárnik became...

Craft nearby

All craft places
Bardejovské Kúpele: Wellness Spa Ozón and summer poolWater parks & thermal poolsBardejovské Kúpele: Wellness Spa Ozón and summer poolBardejov22 km from the centreBardejovské Kúpele is one of Slovakia’s oldest spas, a part of the town of Bardejov about 5 km from its centre, in a valley under the Magura massif that shelters it...

Spas and thermal pools nearby

Bardejovské Kúpele: Wellness Spa Ozón and summer poolWater parks & thermal poolsBardejovské Kúpele: Wellness Spa Ozón and summer poolBardejov22 km from the centreBardejovské Kúpele is one of Slovakia’s oldest spas, a part of the town of Bardejov about 5 km from its centre, in a valley under the Magura massif that shelters it...

Huts, shelters and springs nearby

303 mSpringSpring below LesíkLow Beskids · SlovakiaNot verified220 m from a trail
366 mHutHut below LesíkLow Beskids · SlovakiaNot verified200 m from a trail
283 mSpringSpring below KrížovLow Beskids · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trail
294 mHutHut below KaštielikLow Beskids · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trailOpen fire inside (smoke hut)
664 mHutČierna Hora HutLow Beskids · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trailOpen fire inside (smoke hut)
593 mHutMitová HutLow Beskids · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trailOpen fire inside (smoke hut)

All springs of the CarpathiansAll Carpathian huts

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 ≈138 km, ≈2 h 30 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké → I/19 to Michalovce → I/18 via Vranov nad Topľou towards Prešov → I/545 to Bardejov (≈133 km, ≈2 h 20 min from the border). From Lviv it is faster through Poland: M-10 → Krakovets – Korczowa → A4 to Dębica → DK73 to Jasło → DK28 to Gorlice → DW977 over the internal Schengen crossing Konieczna – Becherov → I/545 to Bardejov: ≈329 km, ≈5 h 10 min (≈251 km, ≈3 h 40 min from the border). Via the Uzhok Pass and Ubľa ≈345 km, ≈6 h 20 min.

Checked 23.10.2026; border crossing hours and timetables change — check before you travel.

What's nearby