Staggering on the limestone trail in Tisovec

Itinerary

• Throughout the route, we follow the Hradová (Castle Hill) educational trail (Náučný chodník Hradová) and the S marking.

Detailed description of the route

The separated small valley

Tisovec, named after the yew trees, still recalls its industrial and mining past, as above its center, at the confluence of two valleys, a huge mined mountain rises, with a processing plant roaring at its base, higher than the town. In the worn small town center, there is a large church, and around the main square, restaurants can be found, so we can also have lunch at the end of our route before moving on.

The town located on the banks of the Rima is framed by steep slopes; north of it lies the vast wilderness of the Muránska planina National Park, but the protection zone stretches all the way to the western edge mountain. This is the Hradová (Castle Hill) massif, covered by a natural forest older than 150 years, protected by a reserve. Therefore, never leave the marked path anywhere; moving outside the trail is forbidden to protect the wildlife!

The S marking leads out of the town westward and, as it is an educational trail, panels (and a few benches) line it. Entering the forest, short serpentine bends begin, then up to the ridge, five longer straight sections and four switchback turns help overcome the noticeably steep elevation difference. The narrow, single-person trail zigzags through chaotic forest, but fallen trees are cleared from the tourist path, and thanks to the serpentine, the steepness is bearable. Limestone appears in places, where genuine pavements have been carved into the rock. The neighboring Sztolica (Stolické vrchy) and Vepor (Veporské vrchy) slate rocks narrowly wedge the Muránska Karst limestone area, so the small Hradová ridge stands out visibly as a foreign element from the rounded, typical mid-mountain landscape, with two massive limestone monoliths sitting on it.

Primeval forest serpentine

The long serpentine ends at the trail’s signboard station and a rocky outcrop: at the lookout decorated with a flag, we reach the break in the dolomite ridge of the mountain massif, which immediately welcomes us with a "powerful" panorama. Opposite, the Čremošná mountain’s huge open-pit mine yawns, and besides the large scar on the landscape, it’s difficult to notice anything else. It is worth searching to the right from it, in the background, the mountain range rising south of the Low Tatras, and the highest peak of the Gömör-Szepes Ore Mountains, Sztolica (1476 m). Above Tisovec is Tŕstie, known for its swamps and cozy bivouac hut. The closeness of the opposite mountains and the sudden drop of Hradová mountain is no accident: the rock block belonged to the Muránska Karst, and during its uplift, the rushing Rima cut it off.

In the next meters, we have to use our hands as well because the trail follows the ridge over rocky but still forested terrain. Slightly higher, it turns to the northern slope, briefly traverses, then leads steeply up near the summit. So far, there is no view from the primeval forest, but the terrain softens. The panorama opens directly before the 887-meter peak of Hradová, as we have unknowingly climbed onto the top of a vertical cliff, which drops to the northeast – finally, from the edge, we can also look in this direction. We see the edge of the Muránska planina and the short valley below it above Tisovec, and again on the right, the Sztolica appears in the back.

The trail then follows the ridge; no rocky section is yet visible. At a meadow, with a left detour, we can visit the ruins that reveal the origin of the name Castle Hill. The gate tower is small, but the massive wall remnants formed part of a 13th-century castle governed from the nearby Ajnácskő castle, later taken by Hussites, and ultimately destroyed by imperial troops at the end of the 17th century – by then already empty. At its prime, it was about 80 m long and probably very narrow due to the terrain conditions.

Rock ridge in the heart of the forest region

Continuing on the path, we soon reach the most exciting section of the route. We climb a smaller rocky staircase still in the forest to the almost hidden limestone ridge. The vegetation presses the rocks from both sides so tightly that we do not initially notice how high we are walking on a natural path exposed to the elements, and a few meters ahead, the view distracts us.

From here, the panorama is the most beautiful: one of the most forested parts of Slovakia surrounds the Hradová massif, with no settlements in sight. The vast part and highest peak of the Muránska Karst, covered by a continuous, spared forest over an extensive, deeply incised valley system, is revealed. Behind all this, the alpine main ridge of the Low Tatras gathers the clouds. On the left rises the dominating point of the area, the pine-covered sloping back of Vepor, which we can see more clearly by walking a bit further, behind which the ridges of Polyána line up. West of Tisovec, the shallow, broad U-shaped valley covered with rolling pastures breaks the monotony of the forested landscape.

It is easy to get lost in the idyllic and pleasant scenery, but the next section of the hiking trail does not leave much time for sightseeing: we reach the break of the ridge and suddenly have to climb down about 15-20 meters. On well-structured terrain equipped with handholds and some metal staples, it is easy to proceed to the last staircase, which is a roughly 6 m high narrow rock slit. A cable fixed on the slightly cracked limestone slab and a ladder made of metal staples help cross it, and underneath, the surface smooths out for a few meters. Opposite stands the mountain's characteristic formation, Okrúhla skala (Round Rock), an inaccessible bastion protected by cliff walls on all sides, towering over the gentle landscape.

A narrow rocky ridge extends to the cliff, behind which an exciting, technical section follows: we must balance on the limestone path divided into smaller pillars, but overall it is not difficult to advance, and steel staples and hand rails also help here. Using our hands, we can get from one small tower to another. The last challenge is a terrain ladder bridging the tilted rock surface, secured with staples and cable. After the descent, we continue walking on a forest trail. We do not ascend to the Round Rock; people from the Stone Age and later from the Middle Ages have done it for us, as the latter started castle building on the rock but eventually gave up the attempt. The cliff sides also hide caves, where prehistoric humans took shelter.

The one-kilometer brake path

Our route leads downwards, towards the biggest challenge of the hike: the S marking turns from a saddle and forces constant “femoral brake” on a sometimes particularly steep slope. During the uplift of the Hradová mountain, numerous springs emerged from the currently summit-level spring caves, and runoff streams have left valleys behind. The path winds through a surprisingly dense network of narrow, steep, and now dry little ditches, sometimes hindered by fallen trees. From a meadow with Alpine atmosphere below, we can still glance back at the cliffs of the ridge region, then walk comfortably on a trail into Tisovec. The limestone quarry “winks” at us again, and after reaching the main road, it is only a 10-minute walk to the main square, where restaurants can be found.