Vernár: Ski hotels and Vernár–Studničky ski resort

Winter sports

The Vernár–Studničky ski resort has easy and intermediate ski slopes at elevations of 800 to 1,000 metres. It is located approximately 500 metres from Vernár. Facilities include free parking, a ski school, ski equipment rental, basic ski servicing, storage and a buffet.

During the mountain experiences with tricycles, a lift takes riders to the top of a 300-metre-long descent with a slight gradient. Persons under 15 can ride together with an adult.

Mountainland trails

The educational trail from Vernár towards the Low Tatras is approximately 13 kilometres long, takes about five hours and has an elevation difference of 1,168 metres. The Vernár–Kráľova Hoľa educational trail is self-guided, can be walked in both directions and can be used in summer and winter. Along this linear educational trail are ten information boards with natural history and historical information about the region. A large part of the trail runs through open mountain pastureland and offers views of the surrounding mountain ranges.

Nature

At Vernárska tiesňava, species-rich mountain meadows stretch around distinctive rocky cliffs. There is also an information board at Vernárska tiesňava at locations where important military operations took place during the Second World War.

The Kopanecké meadows in the cadastral area of Vernár are home to up to 54 species of higher plants on half a square metre. They are maintained once a year through traditional manual mowing and hand-raking.

The Vernársky karst features karst formations such as springs and caves. The boundary between Slovak Paradise National Park and Low Tatras National Park runs through the cadastral area of Vernár.

Blajzloch, a small reservoir with an island accessible via a small bridge, is located in the vicinity of Vernár. Blajzloch can be reached by car or bicycle via a paved road.

A hill above Vernár lies at an elevation of 1,013 metres and features a limestone massif with numerous heat-loving and cold-loving plant species typical of limestone cliffs.

History and culture

The Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vernár is a Classicist building constructed in 1824 and restored in 1899. The Tesnina Memorial is a natural formation at the entrance to Vernár from the direction of Poprad and was the site of fighting during the Second World War.

The Partizánsky bunker educational site on Hronkova consists of a restored bunker and a preserved remnant of a fortification from the Second World War. Two information boards provide information about the construction of partisan bunkers and the course of the Slovak National Uprising in Vernár and its surroundings.

The Memorial House in Vernár is a former school building from 1930 that served as an uprising headquarters of the Slovak National Uprising during the Second World War.

Customs and events

The Vernár folklore group presents original songs, dances and customs from Vernár at various events in Slovakia and abroad. Horehronský viachlasný spev, performed by the Vernár folklore ensemble, has been included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2017.

The Vernár Folklore Festival featured demonstrations of traditional woodcraft as well as the sewing and embroidery of folk costumes by the local craftswoman Milá dielnička. Folklore ensembles also performed; folk costumes, bonnets, flowers and hunting trophies were exhibited. The stalls offered refreshments, food, drinks, goulash and local Vernár specialities.

Other places

The Ranč pod Ostrou skalou agritourism facility is located in the southern cadastral area of Vernár and offers accommodation and meals. The swing at the Vernár viewpoint is located on the hill above Hotel Studničky and offers a view of Kráľova hoľa. The viewpoint can be reached from Hotel Studničky after a recommended walk of approximately 30 to 40 minutes; the car should be parked at the hotel.

Other places: Poprad, Velký Slavkov, Nová Lesná, Vysoké Tatry, Stola, Lucivna, Strba, Batizovce

To the higher-level travel overview: Poprad District.