Štrba - Rožňava

This route was completed in May 2021 and in the end it is not as challenging as we feared. The only major climb is between Poprad and Telgárt over the Kopanec pass, but even that is quite gradual, so we were surprised that it can be managed quite swiftly with a minimum of dismounting from the bike. The route starts at the station in Štrba, from where after an hour of descent you reach along the river Poprad to the town of Poprad. Here we had accommodation due to the later arrival of the train, and the next day we continued on a route of over 50 km through the Slovak Paradise National Park to Telgárt. From Poprad, the route runs alongside the railway line and in our case through a waterlogged terrain of the cycle path up to the main road before Spišský Štiavnik, across the field towards Vydrník and finally to Hrabušice, which is the last village before crossing the Slovak Paradise. The climb over the Kopanec pass is all on a wide asphalt road in good condition with minimal car traffic (higher up, access for cars is completely prohibited). At the top of Kopanec, there is a gazebo for descanso, and then it's a fast descent to the intersection of the main road near the Dobšiná Ice Cave. So we turned right towards Telgárt and in the mentioned area of the Dobšiná Ice Cave we replenished our strength in a local restaurant with very friendly service, who helped us dry our sweat-soaked clothes by the fireplace (it was an extremely cold May). We continue to Telgárt with a few more climbs and almost at the finish we stop to view the Hron spring and the Chmaroš viaduct. We spend the night in Telgárt and the next day we return along the same route back to the turnoff after the Dobšiná Ice Cave. This time, however, we continued on the main road toward the Stratenský tunnel, around which the beautiful Stratenský canyon winds. During the week there was not a soul in sight. Further through small villages up to the last small climb around the mountain Skala until reaching Dobšinská Maša, from where we descend to Dedinky.