Osturna: Heritage Reserve, Nature and Hiking Routes

Culture and Village Character

The Osturňa Folk Architecture Heritage Reserve was designated in 1979 and comprises 157 protected historic buildings. Typical Osturňa farmsteads have a shingle-roofed log house at the front and a barn with a stable behind it. The Church of St Michael in Osturňa contains a historically valuable 18th-century Rococo pulpit.

The Osturnianska izba is housed in a reconstructed school building and contains a collection of traditional furniture and equipment, as well as wedding items and typical painted ornaments. The inhabitants of Osturňa still wear traditional Goral clothing to this day.

Nature and Landscape

The Osturňa area features varied terrain and a natural environment of considerable value in terms of landscape design and biological qualities. The Veľké osturnianské jazero Nature Reserve is home to rare plant taxa of aquatic habitats and transitional bogs. The same nature reserve is also home to the endemic species alpine newt (Triturus alpestris) and Carpathian newt (Triturus montandoni).

At the Malé osturnianske jazerá, the water depth does not exceed 1 m. The water surfaces are not continuous; the eastern part of the lake basin is filled with water for most of the year, while the western part has a marshy character. Lake Jazero lies in a closed basin at an elevation of 874 m, approximately 2 km south of Osturňa, and was formed by creeping slope deformations.

Several mighty fir trees more than 100 years old stand in the forest around Lake Jazero. Getsemanská záhrada is a western basin landscape in the valley of the Osturniansky potok and is considered an area of exceptional natural and aesthetic qualities. A hill above Osturňa offers a view of the Tatra Mountains.

Hiking Routes

A marked green route connects Osturňa with Ždiar via the Príslop saddle and is 11 km long. A marked yellow route connects Osturňa with Magurka and is 5.5 km long. Route VT32 "Zo Ždiaru do Osturne" also passes through Osturňa. It is considered a moderately difficult full-day hike lasting 7 hours, with an elevation difference of 498 m. The different route lengths and the duration of VT32 help you distinguish shorter connections from a full-day hike.

For your trip to Osturňa, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies for a hotel. This information helps you assess the practical aspects of an offer in advance before weighing up the culture, nature and routes.

You can find more destinations to compare at Mlynceky, Malý Slavkov, Veľká Lomnica, Červený Kláštor and Stara Lesna.

Cuisine

Traditional dishes from Osturňa mainly consist of sheep's cheese, potatoes and bacon.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kežmarok District.