“Spišský Hrad” is Slovakia’s most photographed castle ruin. The bus transit is very difficult to decipher and nothing is marked, nor do they announce the stops. You really can’t miss this one, however, as the gigantic castle looms out of nowhere.

Slovakia’s most photographed castle ruin

The “rundown” town of Podradie is a crumbling, soot-covered, cobblestone square, surrounded by decrepit old stone buildings, now inhabited by gypsies. It was very old and dusty, with broken windows, and crumbled walls. No trash however, clean streets except for the dustiness surrounding everything. We managed our way, with our “light” backpacks, up a small hill to the cemetery in the back of “town.”

There it was sunny and peaceful, with a super view of the old sprawling Burg (fortress). We ate our cheese and bread. An old Babushka woman passed us by and said “Dobrú chuť! (güten appetite)! Very cute of her. Also a gypsy family came to a huge grave massively covered in fresh flowers.

We checked “the book”, then found a little-used grass trail to climb up the 2 kilometer hill to the ruins. It was surrounded by trees, birds, and a large field. Also some cow patties (Mist). Quite a nice peaceful climb, and impressive. Even with the packs we wore. See photos.

 

 

After we came back down, as it was closed to entrance, we saw the inside of the village church, and then took the next bus to Levoča.

 

This is an excerpt from my Kosice Journal, documenting my exodus from a (relatively happy) bustling life in beautiful San Diego, to (voluntarily) take a post teaching English in the newly independent eastern capital of Slovakia  during a very cold winter 1999.