Suchá Belá Trail in Slovensky Raj (Slovak Paradise)

One of the most popular trails in Slovensky Raj for good reason as it's one of the most beautiful! Full of waterfalls, streams, and thick forest, you'll be climbing & hiking over wooden and steel ladders throughout the gorge until the ascent to the top of the hill. This trail is technical as you'll have to climb several 5+ meter steel ladders and walk over a number of wooden ladders and steel steps, so it's important you wear proper hiking boots with good grip and aren't scared of heights!

A beautiful, adventurous hike that will take ~3.5 - 4.5 hours to complete. If you can, it's better to start earlier in the day as this trail can get crowded later on! Bring plenty of water and snacks as there aren't any food stops along this trail.

The first part of the trail is easy to find from the parking lot (3 euros/day) as it's clearly marked with various signs & green arrows. From there, you'll start your hike through the gorge and follow the green arrows. It begins fairly level and then begins with a slight incline, at which point you'll reach your first sets of wooden ladders and steel footsteps to climb over. 

As you continue through the gorge you'll come to your first waterfall with an impressive set of ladders to climb! If it has rained recently, the ladders may be a bit slippery, so use caution when climbing them.

There are then various steel & wooden ladders + steel steps with cables as you continue to climb up through the gorge. Once the ascent starts to get steeper, you will have completed your last set of ladders & steps. From here, you'll traverse a dirt path all the way to the top. At the top, there are a number of picnic tables to take a well-deserved rest and some portable toilets as well.

You'll have several options to return back to the parking lot (Podlesok) and in this case, I chose the red-marked route. It's a fairly simple descent as you'll follow a car-width trail almost the entire way back. Along the way, you'll see several smaller trails marked with a red line that takes you off the wide trail and will connect you back onto it shortly after. They're interesting shortcuts if you choose to take them!

After 1 - 1.5 hours, you'll have reached your starting point! In the area are a number of lodges where you can get something to eat and drink.