If you ever plan to visit Kláštorisko, we definitely recommend a hike through the Kláštorská gorge. Despite the fact that it is one of the shorter gorges of the Slovak Paradise, you will find several ladders and waterfalls, the most beautiful of which is definitely the Dúhový waterfall.

The beginning of the Kláštorská gorge is located in the Prielom Hornádu between the Hrdlo Hornádu and Letanovský mlyn. From both places you can reach the beginning of the gorge in about the same time - one hour.

The nearest starting point for the route from the direction of Letanovský mlyn is the crossroads Pri Starej horárni, which is less than 2 km from the train station in Letanovce. There is also a free parking area where you can leave your vehicle. From here you can reach the beginning of the Kláštorská gorge in the direction Pri Starej Horárni > Trstený potok > Letanovský mlyn > Kláštorská roklina, ústie.

The next starting point is Podlesok, from which you can reach the beginning of the Kláštorská gorge by following the blue hiking trail in the direction Podlesok > Hrdlo Hornádu > Kláštorská gorge, ústie.

Kláštorská gorge is accessible all year round. The conditions in the gorge can change depending on the season or the weather. We therefore recommend a suitable selection of hiking clothing and equipment (sturdy shoes, spare socks, etc.). In the winter months, the ladders can be covered with ice, so we recommend bringing crampons.

You will also need to pay a visitor's fee when entering the gorge.

Parking

For parking you can use the paid parking lot in Podlesok. For more detailed information, please see parking lots and parking fees.

If your starting point will be Letanovce or the crossroads Pri Starej Horárni, you can use the free parking area directly at this crossroads. This parking area can be reached by passing through the village of Letanovce, at the end of which you pass through the train underpass and continue for less than two kilometres to the car park.

Crossing the gorge

The Kláštorská gorge is marked by a green hiking trail and is passable only in one direction - upstream of the stream that flows from Kláštorisko. The gorge is 1 km long with a gradient of about 220 m and a crossing time of about 1 hour.

There are three waterfalls in the gorge - Strakov waterfall, Machový waterfall and Dúhový waterfall. Each of these waterfalls has its own charm that distinguishes it from the others. At the end of the gorge you will have the opportunity to see the carthusian monastery, which is already located directly on Kláštorisko.

At Kláštorisko, you can relax and recharge your batteries at the local restaurant (with draught menu), or you can visit the historic carthusian monastery, where admission is free. However, you can make a voluntary contribution of any amount to the development and repair of the monastery.

As the Kláštorisko is the main tourist crossroads in the Slovak Paradise, it is up to you whether you want to return to the starting point or decide to continue the passage through other gorges (Veľký Kyseľ, Malý Kyseľ, Ferrata HZS Kyseľ, Sokolia dolina) or to the Tomášovský view or the tourist centre Čingov.

Bicycle rental

If you want to make your trip back to Podlesok more pleasant, you can rent a bike from Cyklo Tour Spiš. You can rent a bike at the end of Sucha Bela or also at Kláštorisko. The price for the descent to Podlesok is 7,50 €.

History

The Kláštorská gorge, which takes its name from the monastery located on Kláštorisko, was already known before its official opening in 1960. The first known activities date back to 1927, when a group of scouts tried to cross the gorge from the top downwards, but without the necessary climbing equipment this crossing was unsuccessful.

As the Kláštorská gorge flows into the Prielom Hornádu, its accessibility is closely connected with the accessibility of this canyon-like section of the Hornád River with the characteristic name of the Prielom Hornádu.

The activity of the founding member of the Mountain Rescue Service, Andrej Hric, helped to start the access to these locations of the Slovak Paradise. He initiated the 1st winter crossing through the gorges of the Slovak Paradise in 1959. The condition for obtaining the badge was also the crossing of the then still inaccessible Prielom Hornádu, which, however, due to favourable conditions could be crossed on the frozen surface.

The views of the tourist public on this beauty were an important impetus for this picturesque corner of the Slovak Paradise. In the summer of 1959, the first technical facility in the inaccessible part of the Prielom Hornádu was the construction of a rope bridge at the mouth of the Kláštorská gorge. In this year, the installation of ladders in the Kláštorská gorge also begins and in parallel, a connecting trail from the Ihrík ridge to the ropeway is being dug.

In order to provide access to the gorge for hikers heading from Kláštorisko, the descent trail, which we know today as the yellow trail, was also dug in 1959.