14 Tourist Spots to Visit and Things to Do in Poprad, Slovakia

July 22, 2022 Mustafa Natalwala 6273 Views

Poprad is a city in Slovakia situated at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains. It is the biggest city in the Spis region and is also known as the starting point of the Tatra Electric Railway. It is also home to Poprad Tarty Airport, the highest placed airport in Europe. Some of the best things to do in Poprad, Slovakia include exploring history, culture, natural wonders, and adventure sports. The city is surrounded by several natural parks and nature preserves which are easily accessible by road. The best places to visit in Poprad city include churches, historical buildings, museums and galleries. The majority of these are situated in Spisska Sobota town. This town is considered the historical center of the district and is home to several Poprad tourist spots. The area is also worth visiting for houses and historical buildings in Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque styles of architecture.

We have listed some of the interesting places within and nearby the city in the section below. The Poprad tourist attractions outside the city are also not more than an hour’s drive away, so you can comfortably include them in your itinerary. Poprad attractions outside the city include mountains, forests, waterfalls, valleys, gorges and rivers. These environments allow for various adventure sports such as hiking, trekking, mountain climbing, cave exploration, skiing, river rafting, bicycle tours and more. The Dobinska Ice Cave in Slovak Paradise National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the biggest Poprad attractions among natural wonders around the city.

Another well-known UNESCO World Heritage Site close to the city is Spis Castle. This castle should be included in Poprad sightseeing. This 12th-century castle complex is massive and elaborate. It contains several sections featuring different types of architecture and defense systems.

People also visit Poprad for leisure and wellness. It is considered a resort city owing to water parks, ski resorts and thermal parks blooming in and around the city.

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Table of Contents

Top 14 Tourist Places to Visit in Poprad, Slovakia

1. Church of St. Egidius (Kostol svätého Egídia)

This church was built in the late 13th century. It is included among Poprad tourist attractions for its early gothic architecture and wall paintings. The bell tower attached to the church was built in the 16th century. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to explore this church.

2. Church of St. George

This church was also built in the 13th century, but it exhibits Romanesque architecture. It is known for the Gothic Alter inside the church created by Master Paul of Levoca. Both these churches and other historical Poprad attractions are situated in the Spisska Sobota area. You will need about 30 minutes to tour this church.

3. Podtatranske Museum Poprad (Podtatranské múzeum v Poprade)

This history and the archeological museum has a variety of exhibits concerning Neadrathals, Pre-History, Middle Ages, Celtic Culture and more. It is one of the most interesting places to visit in Poprad. You will need about an hour to tour this museum.

4. AquaCity Poprad

This water park has rides, slides, entertainment, dining, hot tubs, saunas and wellness centers. It is the place for fun things to do in Poprad. You can easily spend a couple of hours enjoying this park.

5. Sand Garden Zoo (Piesková ZOO)

This zoo does not have animals, rather it has beautiful sculptures of animals made from sand. It is among the most wonderful things to see in Poprad. You are likely to come across sculptures of lions, monkeys, elephants, tigers, crocodiles, zebra, snakes and so on. Though the sculptures are changed from time to time. You will need about an hour and a half to tour this place.

6. High Tatras National Park (Tatranský národný park)

This national park encompasses the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. The national park has hiking trails, trekking trails, safari, mountain climbing and more. The park has mountains, hills, forests, lakes, streams, waterfalls and caves in its geography. It is also well known for its plant and animal wildlife, especially the Tantra Chamois goat. You would need at least a day from Poprad sightseeing to explore the Tatras National Park.

I suggest you should book a tour of Day Hike at High Tatras National Park.

7. Scherfel House Museum (Scherfelov Dom)

Aurel Scherfel was a prominent scientist, chemist, pharmacist and humanitarian who lived in them during the late 1800s. This museum is dedicated to his life, work and contributions to society. It is not among the most well-known Poprad tourist spots but is still worth a visit. You will need about half an hour to tour this museum.

8. Orava Castle

This castle sits atop a hill on the banks of the Orava river. It was built in the 13th century when the region was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The castle is considered one of the best places to visit in Poprad travel. It is renowned for its gothic and romanesque architecture as well as for later renaissance and Neo-gothic modifications. The museum housed in the castle exhibits the history, politics, battles, culture, religion and ethnography of the region. The castle requires an hour’s journey by road to reach and you will need another 2 hours to tour the vast complex.

9. Pieniny National Park (Pieninský národný park)

This national park is again an hour’s journey away from Poprad by road. The park is most well known for Tri Koruny – Three Crowns mountain peak. The peak rises 982 meters above sea level. It is also quite popular for its hiking trails, bike trails, rafting and boat tours. You can easily take half a day to enjoy this national park when you visit Poprad.

10. Dobšiná Ice Cave (Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa)

This cave is part of the Western Carpathian Mountain and extends for about 1.5 km inside the rocks. You can only access the caves through a guided tour. It is a very unique natural wonder among Poprad tourist attractions. It is one of the largest ice caves in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will need an hour or so to tour this cave.

11. Slovak Paradise National Park (Národný park Slovenský raj)

This national park is relatively close to the city and is home to several wonderful trails, waterfalls, caves, gorges, valleys and wildlife. The national park also has several mountain slopes which are open for skiing during winters. You can enjoy some of the best things to do in Poprad like hiking, trekking, mountain climbing, skiing, rafting and so on in this national park. You will need at least half a day’s time to explore this place.

12. Demanovska Cave of Liberty (Demänovská jaskyňa slobody)

This cave is part of the largest cave system in Slovakia. The cave goes on for 1.8 km and culminates in a huge chamber. The network and sights inside the cave are among the most fascinating things to see in Poprad. You will need about an hour for the tour. There are also longer and shorter tours available to explore the cave.

13. Bešeňová Thermal Park

This water park is built upon a natural hot spring. There are several pools, baths and wellness treatments available at this park. It is situated in the town of Besenova, which is about 45 minutes road journey away. You can easily spend a couple of hours relaxing and enjoying at this place after Poprad sightseeing.

14. Spis Castle (Spišský hrad)

This castle is included among UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is one of the largest castles in central Europe. The castle was built in the 12th century on the site of an existing castle under the Kingdom of Hungary. It is known for its elaborate defenses and complex architecture. You will need at least 2 to 3 hours to tour this castle during Poprad travel.

If you are looking to explore more Poprad tourist spots, check out the sections below. We have put together an elaborate list of attractions in and around the city.

Things to do in Poprad

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Poprad

Church of St Egidius
Church of St. George
Podtranske Museum
Scherfel House Museum
Orava Castle
Spis Castle
Klastorisko Monatery Ruins
Tatra Gallery
Pavel Balaz Carriage Museum
Ganovske Travertiny Archeological Site
Cathedral of Our Lady of Sparrows
St. Heleny Church
Kaplnka Vzkriesenia Chapel
Natural Mineral Water Spring
Tricklandia Art Gallery
Poliankovo Art Gallery

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Poprad

Slovak Paradise National Park
High Tatras National Park
Pieniny National Park
Dobsinska Ice Cave
Demanovska Cave of Liberty
Sucha Bela Gorge
Zavojovy Waterfall
Havrania Skala Mountain Peak
Studeny Potok Forest
Kvetnica Nature Trail
Baba Nature Trail
Hozelec Geyzer
Strbske Pleso Lake
Janosikove Diery

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Poprad

Aqua City Waterpark
Besenova Thermal Park
Vernar Ski Resort
Woodrock Rock Climbing
Sand Garden Zoo
Ganovce Aqua Spa
Termy Hot Spring
Besenova Thermal Park
Aplend Adventure Gold
Tatralandia Aquapark
Tarty Dinopark
Aquafun Amusement Park

Shopping in Poprad

Forum Shopping Mall
Tarty Shopping Center
Alfa Shopping Center
Max Mall

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure Activities to Do in Poprad

Hiking
Trekking
Mountain Climbing
Bicycle tours
Boat Tours
Wildlife Safari
Camping
River Rafting
Kayaking
Skiing

Sightseeing in Poprad

Spisska Sobota
Velka
Zamcisko View Point
St. Egid Square

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Poprad

Rumanka Restaurant
Vino & Tapas
Prezo
Restart Burger
Pension
Dobre Casy
Lujza

Where to Stay in Poprad?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-Range and Budget Hotels in Poprad. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Poprad.

Luxurious Hotels

Mid-Range Hotels

Budget Hotels

Custom Tours Package in Poprad

How to Reach Poprad?

By Air

Poprad Tarty Airport is the closest airport to Poprad city and it is the highest placed airport in Europe. You can get direct flights to Poprad from London and Riga. The airlines are operational only periodically. The airport is connected to the city by buses and cabs.

The next closest airport to reach Poprad is Kosice International Airport. You will need to get in a bus or a cab to get to Kosice city and take a train from there to visit Poprad. You can also get a rental car, intercity cabs and buses to reach Poprad from Kosice city. This entire journey will take 2 to 3 hours. This airport receives direct flights from Vienna, Dusseldorf, Antalya, Dublin, Warsaw, Liverpool, Prague, London, Burgas, Heraklion, Rhodes and Larnaca.

By Road

You can get direct trains through Tarta Electric Railway for Poprad travel from Prague, Vienna, Kosice, Zilina and Bratislava. You can also get trains from major cities and towns in Slovakia.

The bus network also connects several cities, towns and villages in Slovakia to Poprad. International bus routes to reach Poprad connect to Bratislava, Zilina, Banska Bystrica, Zakopane and Krakow.

If you are planning to get to Poprad by road, you should head for routes E50, 66 or 18.

By Water

There are no direct water routes to visit Poprad.

Image Reference

Church of St. Egidius (Kostol svätého Egídia) – petrOlly / Flickr
Church of St. George – G Travels / Flickr
Podtatranske Museum Poprad (Podtatranské múzeum v Poprade) – Ladislav Luppa / Wikimedia Commons
Aqua City Poprad – canyonero / Flickr
Sand Garden Zoo (Piesková ZOO) –
High Tatras National Park (Tatranský národný park) – Govisity / Tip na Trip / kosice.guide / Flickr
Scherfel House Museum (Scherfelov Dom) –
Orava Castle (Oravský hrad) – Menahem Yaniv / PixaBay
Pieniny National Park (Pieninský národný park) – magro_kr / Flickr
Dobšiná Ice Cave (Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa) – Jan Helebrant / Flickr
Slovak Paradise National Park (Národný park Slovenský raj) – Govisity / Tip na Trip / kosice.guide / Flickr
Demanovska Cave of Liberty (Demänovská jaskyňa slobody) – petrOlly / Flickr
Bešeňová Thermal Park – Thermal park Bešeňová / Wikimedia Commons
Spis Castle (Spišský hrad) – Albert Hovorka / PixaBay