New hiking trail opens in Bratislava Forest Park

The path bypasses a busy cycle lane and winds through a birch grove, wetlands, Douglas fir trees and a lake

A new tourist route has been created in the Bratislava Forest Park between Sparísk and Biely kríž. The forest path leads visitors through the picturesque nooks of the city forest, bypassing a busy asphalt cycle lane.

Avoiding damage to the forest environment

The new red-and-white marked trail is part of the Cesty hrdinov SNP (Heroes' Trail), which stretches from the Dukliansky Pass to Devín. The recently opened section measures a total of 5 km and was built in an eco-friendly way without ground cover interventions or tree logging. More than 100 volunteers, hiking and running enthusiasts helped with the work on the new path.

Describing the new hiking trail, Matej Dobšovič, director of Municipal Forests Bratislava, said, as quoted by the city website:

"The new route is a nicer alternative to the original asphalt road. You avoid cyclists; it is not demanding on fitness and at the same time leads visitors through the attractive nooks of the city forests. Varied forests alternate with open, sunny areas here. Visitors will also see a birch grove with wetlands, massive Douglas fir trees originating from North America and a horseshoe lake with a 150-year-old beech."

Off-limits to cyclists

The route is freely accessible only to hikers and joggers, and the forest management asks cyclists to respect this fact and use the network of marked bike paths in the area. The new route is part of Municipal Forests Bratislava’s effort to separate a number of hiking and biking trails so that walkers and cyclists can have their own space without interfering with each other’s activities.

The new section can be crossed at a leisurely pace in about an hour, and the fastest way to reach the route is from the Horáreň Krasňany recreational area, at the end of Pekná cesta.

About Municipal Forests Bratislava

The municipal enterprise manages more than 3,000 hectares of forest, owned by the Capital City of the Slovak Republic. These include popular places such as Partizánska lúka, Železná studnička, Kačín, Kamzík, and Horáreň Krasňany. In addition to creating suitable conditions for recreational activities, the company also focuses on nature protection, eco-education for children and sustainable forestry.