Ždiar — Goral village below the Belianske Tatras

Ždiar is a Goral village in the valley between the Belianske Tatras and the Spišská Magura hills, about 34 km from Poprad. It stretches for 7 km along the Biely potok stream and is known for its wooden houses with painted façades, its own Goral dialect and colourful folk costumes. About 1,330 people live here, and most adults still speak Goral.

The village arose in the second half of the 16th century, when shepherds and charcoal burners from nearby villages settled in the valley. They burned the forest to make pastures — hence the name, linked to the word "žiar" (a burned clearing). According to tradition, 13 families came here and divided the land into 13 strips by cutting clearings across the stream. That is why the farmsteads line the valley instead of clustering together. In 1977 the four most valuable groups of folk buildings were declared reserves of folk architecture. From 1925 the folk-art expert Karel Plicka often came to Ždiar and filmed scenes here for his film "The Earth Sings".

What to see and do

• Wooden houses. Over time the log walls took on a reddish tone, and the women of the house decorated them with plant ornaments. A typical feature of Ždiar houses is blue lines along the joints between the logs and painted window frames. The best-preserved farmsteads are in the parts of the village called Antošovský vrch and Blaščatská dolina.
• Ždiarsky dom museum. The village set it up in 1971, modelled on old Ždiar houses. It holds work tools, farm implements, typical household furnishings and, above all, many variants of the Ždiar costume. Visitors can try on a costume, take photos or join a re-enactment of a Ždiar wedding; there is also a photo gallery with archive pictures and short films about Goral culture.
• Goral folklore. Every year the village hosts the Goral Folklore Festival, where Slovak and Polish groups present Goral dances, songs and customs. The first folk-art ensemble in Ždiar was founded in 1925.
• Walks. Ždiar is the starting point of the only marked trail in the Belianske Tatras: the nature trail up the Monkova dolina valley to the Kopské sedlo saddle. In winter there are ski slopes, including Strednica.

Practical information

Getting there. Ždiar lies on the road from Spišská Belá via Tatranská Kotlina to Tatranská Javorina and the Lysá Poľana border crossing, so it is easy to reach both from Poprad and from Zakopane in Poland. Buses run from Poprad to Ždiar. The Ždiarsky dom museum stands right by the main road (Ždiar 260). Seeing the village requires no fitness at all — a good destination for families and people who do not hike.

Ždiarsky dom museum (according to the museum website): November–March — Monday–Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed on Sunday; April and October — Monday–Saturday 10:00–16:00, Sunday 13:00–16:00; May, June, September — Monday–Saturday 10:00–17:00, Sunday 13:00–17:00; July–August — Monday–Saturday 10:00–18:00, Sunday 13:00–17:00. Admission: adults €4, children €2.50, pensioners and students €3, family ticket €10; trying on a costume costs €12 per person. Groups of 10 or more can arrange a visit outside opening hours.

TANAP rules. The trail up Monkova dolina to Kopské sedlo runs through the Tatra National Park and, under the park rules, is closed from 1 November to 31 May. Hiking on park trails is allowed only in daylight. The best time to visit the village is May to October; in winter it is ski season here.

Nearby

• Bachledka Treetop Walk in Bachledova dolina, which belongs to Ždiar.
• Belianska Cave in Tatranská Kotlina, about 11 km away.
• Zelené pleso — the nearest high-mountain lake below the Belianske Tatras.
• Kežmarok Castle — a historic town on the way to Poprad.

Official website: gorali.zdiar.eu

Photos: Ing.Mgr.Jozef Kotulič, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ing.Mgr.Jozef Kotulič, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.