Prírodná rezervácia Červené skaly
Červené skaly is a locality in the territory of the Spišská Nová Ves district in the Košice Region, which has been declared a national nature reserve. It falls under the state nature conservation of the Slovenský raj. The reserve extends into the cadastral areas of the villages of Poráč, Olcnava, and Slovinky. The most beautiful part of the first-mentioned village's territory is precisely the Poráčska dolina, where you will also find a canyon up to 300 meters deep in places, featuring Červená skala. Despite its name, the latter is rather white from a distance. Červené skaly form the wall of the canyon of the Poráčsky potok, which is also the subject of protection. The canyon with a semi-karst character cuts through the Galmuská planina. This locality with rock, meadow, and forest communities is a typical representative of the biogeocenosis of the Slovenské rudohorie. It has an area of 390.5 ha and was declared a protected area back in 1981.
Protect nature, walk only on marked trails
The bedrock of the Poráčska dolina is formed predominantly by limestone, which, with the help of the Poráčsky jarok, enabled the formation of canyon-like valleys and numerous karst phenomena such as turrets, rock windows, waterfalls, and caves. Rising above the Poráčska dolina is the triple peak Slovinská skala. Due to the ruggedness of the relief, there are two areas in this territory that differ in their flora. In the north of the valley, beeches and thermophilic flowers mainly occur. In the southern part, fir-beech forests, spruce forests grow, and besides thermophilic vegetation, cold-loving mountain plants appear in the shadows. Dealpine pine bushes thrive on the rock ridges, and alder forests thrive in the floodplains of the Poráčsky potok. Among the protected species, one can find the Carpathian bellflower, the Moldavian monkshood, the alpine clematis, or the Slovak pasque flower. In the forests and meadows, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, lynx, fox, and especially in recent years, the wolf find their home.
The national natural monument Červené skaly is protected by the 5th and 4th levels of protection, therefore the territory can be visited only within marked hiking trails, cycling and cross-country skiing routes, and economic activity is prohibited here. The canyon of the Poráčsky potok is best accessible from the villages of Slovinky and Poráč. A foot crossing from one village to the other through the Poráčska dolina takes approximately two and a half hours and is an undemanding hike with an elevation gain of 319 m.
Make the most of your time spent in Červené skaly
In the vicinity of the nature reserve, there are many natural attractions such as the Šarkanova diera cave. For those who will have a taste for a bit of history after a walk in nature, the Markušovský hrad in Markušovce or the Banský skanzen in the village of Hnilčík are nearby. It is also not far to Spišská Nová Ves, which offers a zoological garden, or to Spišské Podhradie, where besides the Spišský hrad, there is also St. Martin's Cathedral (Katedrála sv. Martina).
Book your accommodation near the Červené skaly nature reserve and get to know this area more closely. You will be closest to the rocks if you stay in one of the cottages in Poráč. If these facilities are occupied, try browsing the offer of apartments in Spišské Vlachy or other accommodation in Jamník. A bit further away, in Spišské Podhradie, you will also find other quality accommodation options. Just choose a date and you can start looking forward to a wonderful trip.
