Treasures of Slovakian Spiš 1/2

Rodzaj nawierzchni:
asfaltowe ścieżki rowerowe
drogi publiczne

Rodzaj roweru:
SPD - trasy odpowiednie dla każdego rodzaju roweru, tzn. szosowego, crossowego i górskiego/MTB
TRK - trasy odpowiednie dla roweru crossowego i górskiego/MTB

Spiš - a land of seven cultures, countless landscapes, from the mountain peaks to idyllic secluded corners, the land of small towns and treasures. The first part of this two-day trip guides you through the foothills of, formerly called, Snowy Mountains, where you can find small tourist centres, but also old historic cities and towns. They lure you in with their abundance of monuments and atmospheric vibes. The Poprad river is also enchanting, with its comfy paths along the banks.

Total length: 77.1 kmTotal ascent: 550 mRiding time (without breaks): 4 h 35 minRequired experience: lowNecessary physical fitness: moderateStart and end: Štrbské Pleso, KežmarokAccess: train (Štrbské Pleso, Poprad-Tatry, Kežmarok), car
Notes:
the trail is a part of a two-day trip, or a one-day excursion if you take a train back to the starting pointHelmets required in Slovakia suitable for at least teenagers, not recommended for parents with children (stretches on the roadside of the Liberty Road)you can check the train timetable at www.slovakrail.sk





Main attractions of the route:
Štrbské Pleso: dramatic nature of ragged peaks meets the serenity of the water.Liberty Road and Elektrická: a great project of the 19th and 20th-century Spisz inhabitants, who created the roads, railways and founded a dozen tourist settlements on the foothills of Slovakian Tatry.Svit: do not be fooled by this romantic name. It’s an abbreviation of the Slovenské Vizkózové Továrne - Slovakian viscose factory. This is why this place is so interesting - the architecture and urban planning here let you observe the original settlement from the 1930s.Route Poprad - Svit: a picturesque riverine cycling path, running through the fields. Vast views over Tatra mountains and Low Tatras.Poprad: the heart of the Slovakian Tatra foothills; created from the combination of smaller settlements. A comfortable point for trips to many parts of the High Tatras, the starting station of tatranská elektrická (Tatra Electric Railway), and a nice old town.Spišská Sobota: an enclave of greatly preserved and renovated medieval architecture of Spiš.Tatranská Lomnica: founded as a climate station; has an interesting old Spiš - German architecture, resembling the alpine resorts.Spišská Belá: formerly known due to linen production, now more popular because of the long tradition of liqueurs’ production. The historic old town of Spiš.Kaštieľ v Strážkach: old renaissance castellum, nowadays serving as a museum and restaurant. In the neighbourhood, you will find an old church and an English landscape garden, through which the Route around the Tatras goes. Kežmarok: literally, a cheese market - that’s the origin of the name. To get to know the city and its old town monuments well, you need to spend half a day here. The minimum includes the area of the Castle, Town Hall, and two evangelical churches, including a unique wooden church. 
Description:
The trail starts close to the station, just below Štrbské Pleso, where you can get by train from Štrba, Poprad, or Lomnica (the closest point from Poland). We recommend going to the lake, just for a while, to appreciate the uniqueness of this place.
From Štrbské Pleso, we ride down, on the Liberty Road (Cesta Slobody), all the way to Tatranská Polianka, where we turn right, just to go further down, with even higher speed (watch out, it’s better to slow down in Gerlachov - uneven road).
We ride through Svit, a peculiar example of the pre-war architecture and urban planning in the city founded as an initiative of a private investor. We reach the Route around the Tatras, from where, on the picturesque banks of the Poprad river, we go all the way to the city of Poprad.
In the city, the trail leads us through the old city centre, the medieval spindle-shaped market square, characteristic of the Spiš area. From the old town in Poprad, in just a few minutes, we get to another one - in fact, Poprad is made of five cities joined in one organism. The medieval architecture of Spišská Sobota fascinates us every time of day and every season of the year. The experience is even better after the recent restoration of this part of town. 
From Spišská Sobota, we go above the town, to slowly and persistently, facing the Tatras, get to Horný Smokovec, and back to the Liberty Road. We follow it through Lomnica, all the way to Tatranská Kotlina, passing numerous evidence of the German residing in Spiš. Around a hundred years ago, they were building stylish homes and villas here.
From the Basin, we ride down to Spišská Belá, and then further, to the banks of Poprad, along which we go towards Kežmarok, riding through a secluded park next to the castle - Kaštieľ v Strážkach.
We recommend devoting a few hours to get to know Kežmarok. Those interested in a one-day trip can get back to Poprad, Štrbské Pleso, or Lomnica via train.