Family trip plan · UNESCO World Heritage no. 620
This is a plan for a trip to UNESCO monuments, so that we can get to know the beauty of Slovakia. From Prievidza by train and bus. Day one is Levoča, day two is Spiš Castle, and day three is Spišská Kapitula. We stay two nights at Hotel Arkada in Levoča. Breakfast is extra. There are three of us: two adults (my parents) and a 16-year-old (me).
Levoča, Spiš Castle and the monuments around them, Spišská Kapitula, Spišské Podhradie and Žehra, are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. They are among the most important historic treasures not only in Slovakia, but in the whole of Central Europe. 620 is this place’s number on that list. It is not a year or a score. The same UNESCO page also says “dossier 620bis”: that is the 2009 file, when Levoča was added to Spiš Castle and Spišská Kapitula, listed since 1993. On this trip we visit Levoča, the castle and Spišská Kapitula. We do not go to Žehra.
Day 1
Levoča is a preserved medieval royal town. We find a historic square, a Renaissance town hall, and town walls more than 2 kilometres long, with gates still standing. In the Basilica of St James is the late Gothic wooden altar by Master Paul of Levoča. At 18.62 metres it is the tallest Gothic wooden altar in the world. Above the town, Mariánska hora is a pilgrimage place that Pope John Paul II visited in 1995. We do not go up there on this trip.
Friday, from Prievidza to the square in Levoča. The train line follows the road through the stations on that railway. The bus line is the road between the stops, and the walk follows footpaths.
On Friday 20 November we leave Prievidza at 6:38 and reach Levoča bus station at 11:31. The journey takes 4 hours 53 minutes: a regional train to Vrútky, the Tatran express to Poprad, a short walk, then a bus to Levoča. From the bus station, Hotel Arkada is a 15-minute walk.
We arrive at the bus station at 11:31 and have lunch in Levoča before the basilica. Lunch for three is €30. It is an estimate based on current restaurant prices. We will choose the place according to what is available.
From lunch we walk to Master Paul's Square. Hotel Arkada is on this square, but check-in starts at 14:00, so we look around first. The square is lined with historic burgher houses, including the Thurzo House. At the town hall we see the Cage of Shame, made about 1600, and the paintings of five civic virtues on the south wall: temperance, caution, courage, patience and justice. The square, the houses and the cage are free.
This is a Gothic church from the 14th century. Inside is the tallest wooden Gothic altar in the world, 18.62 metres, made in the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča and finished in 1517. Visitors go in only at set times, and there is no tour during Mass, a baptism or a wedding. On Friday 20 November the listed entries run until 16:00. We arrive at 11:31, so the first entry we can use is 13:00. We do not climb the tower. The same page says the tower is closed from 7 September to 31 December 2026.
The museum is in the historical town hall on the same square. It tells the history of Levoča as a free royal town. The opening-hours page says it is open daily 8:00–16:00, last entry at 15:00. We go in after the basilica, before that last entry, and we check in at the hotel from 14:00 once we can leave the bags.
We sleep at Hotel Arkada and have dinner in Levoča. Dinner for three is €30. It is an estimate based on current restaurant prices. We will choose the place according to what is available. On Saturday morning, breakfast at the hotel is €12 × 3 = €36. It is not inside the room price.
Two adults pay €4 each. The 16-year-old pays €2 with an ISIC card. For three people: 2 × €4 + €2 = €10.
Source: chramsvjakuba.skHistorical town hall, price list from April 2026. Adult €7. A pupil aged 6 to 18 pays €4. For three people: 2 × €7 + €4 = €18.
Source: spisskemuzeum.comAdd photos to the folder photos/levoca. Name them 01.jpg, 02.jpg, 03.jpg, in order. JPG, PNG and WEBP work. Save iPhone photos as JPG, not HEIC.
Day 2
Spiš Castle is one of the largest castle ruins in Europe. The complex covers more than 4 hectares, about 41,426 square metres, and its silhouette stands on a travertine rock above the land around it. It is a well preserved set of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance buildings from the 13th to the 16th century. In the castle, the Spiš Museum shows medieval weapons, the history of the castle, and the torture chambers.
Saturday, out to the castle on the green waymarks, up the right-hand side. The walk down and bus 807 at 16:28 use this same line back to Levoča. In the evening we stay in the town and walk the streets and the town walls.
On Saturday 21 November, bus 702 leaves Levoča bus station at 9:25 and reaches Spišské Podhradie, square, at 9:52. SAD Poprad. The ride takes 27 minutes. The bus station is a 15-minute walk from Hotel Arkada, so we leave the hotel at 9:10. Before that we have Saturday breakfast at the hotel: €12 × 3 = €36. An adult pays €2.50 and a student €1.50, so the three of us pay €6.50.
We get off at the square in Spišské Podhradie. The bus does not stop at the castle gate. From the square we follow the green tourist waymarks up the right-hand side of the castle. The walk takes about 35 minutes. Sturdy shoes are needed.
The upper castle (Spišský hrad) is under reconstruction, so the ticket is reduced and the upper courtyard is closed. In November it is open depending on the weather: daily 8:00–16:00, last entry at 15:00.
We have lunch in Spišské Podhradie. It is €30 for all three. It is an estimate based on current restaurant prices. We will choose the place according to what is available.
On Saturday 21 November we take bus 807 back. It leaves Spišské Podhradie, square, at 16:28 and reaches Levoča bus station at 16:50. SAD Poprad. The ride takes 22 minutes. The fare is the same as in the morning: two adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 = €6.50. From the bus station it is a 15-minute walk to Hotel Arkada, so we are there about 17:05.
After we arrive we walk through the town and along the town walls. Then we have dinner in the town. Dinner for three is €30. It is an estimate based on current restaurant prices. We will choose the place according to what is available.
Leave Hotel Arkada at 9:10. The bus station is a 15-minute walk. Two adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 = €6.50.
cp.sk, 21 November, bus 702, 9:25 Fare: IDS Východ calculatorWe get on at the square. Hotel Arkada is a 15-minute walk from Levoča bus station, so we are back about 17:05. Two adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 = €6.50.
cp.sk, 21 November, bus 807, 16:28 Fare: IDS Východ calculatorAdult €12, pupil aged 6 to 18 €6. For three people: 2 × €12 + €6 = €30. A family ticket for 2 adults and 1 child costs €25. We will use it only if the ticket desk counts a 16-year-old as a child. The total stays at €30 for now.
Source: spisskemuzeum.comAdd photos to the folder photos/castle. Name them 01.jpg, 02.jpg, 03.jpg, in order. JPG, PNG and WEBP work. Save iPhone photos as JPG, not HEIC.
Day 3
Spišská Kapitula is called the Slovak Vatican, because of its sacred atmosphere and its walls. It is the seat of a bishopric and it has kept its medieval character. We find St Martin's Cathedral there, and, after the cathedral, the Bishop's Garden and Spišský Jeruzalem.
Sunday morning to Kapitula, then the long ride home. The train line follows the road through the stations on that railway. The bus line is the road between the stops, and the walk follows footpaths.
On Sunday 22 November, after breakfast, we leave the bags at reception. Breakfast is €12 × 3 = €36. Bus 702 leaves Levoča bus station at 9:25 and we get off at Spišské Podhradie, Kapitula, at 9:50. SAD Poprad. The ride takes 25 minutes. The station is a 15-minute walk from Hotel Arkada, so we leave the hotel at 9:10. An adult pays €2.50 and a student €1.50, so the three of us pay €6.50.
Spišská Kapitula is a church town opposite the castle. St Martin's Cathedral is a Gothic church from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, with the Zápoľský Chapel of 1493–1499. It is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, and entry is about every 30 minutes. The basic circuit takes about 20 minutes, and longer with a guide. Tickets are sold at the Diocesan Museum.
Both are free. The Bishop's Garden is a park from 1741, laid out by the Spiš provost František Barkóci. The way in is through the clock tower. Spišský Jeruzalem is a group of small chapels from 1666–1675, built to recall the old city of Jerusalem. We walk there from the Kapitula stop and back the same way.
Source: kapitula.skBus 208 leaves the Kapitula stop at 13:10 and reaches Levoča bus station at 13:27. We get on at Kapitula. The fare is the same €6.50. From the station it is a 15-minute walk into town. We have lunch in the town, €30 for three. It is an estimate based on current restaurant prices. We will choose the place according to what is available. We stop at Hotel Arkada only to collect the bags from reception. We do not stay there. We leave for the station at 15:00.
This is the last connection home on Sunday 22 November. After lunch in town we collect the bags at Hotel Arkada and leave for the station at 15:00. The bus leaves Levoča at 15:30. The station is a 15-minute walk. We reach Prievidza at 20:09. The journey takes 4 hours 39 minutes. The fare is the same as on Friday: €11.75 for all three.
We get off at Spišské Podhradie, Kapitula. Leave Hotel Arkada at 9:10. Two adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 = €6.50.
cp.sk, 22 November, bus 702, 9:25 Fare: IDS Východ calculatorWe get on at the Kapitula stop. Then lunch in the town of Levoča. We stop at the hotel only to collect the bags, and we leave for the station at 15:00.
cp.sk, 22 November, bus 208, 13:10 Fare: IDS Východ calculatorWe collect the bags at Hotel Arkada and leave for the station at 15:00. The bus station is a 15-minute walk. The fare is the same as Friday: €11.75 for all three. cp.sk still labels that kind of sum a partial fare.
cp.sk, 22 November, 15:30An adult pays €2.50. A student pays €1.50. We use the family ticket: €6 for all three.
Source: kapitula.skAdd photos to the folder photos/kapitula. Name them 01.jpg, 02.jpg, 03.jpg, in order. JPG, PNG and WEBP work. Save iPhone photos as JPG, not HEIC.
Two nights
Námestie Majstra Pavla 26, 054 01 Levoča. Check-in is Friday 20 November 2026 from 14:00. Check-out is Sunday 22 November 2026 by 11:00. The bus station is a 15-minute walk from the hotel.
The booking is 2 nights, 1 room, 2 adults and 1 child aged 16. Booking.com shows a double room with an extra bed. The total on that page is €120.06 and it includes taxes and fees. Breakfast is not in the €120.06.
Breakfast is extra: €12 × 3 people × 2 nights = €72. The stay is €120.06 + €72 = €192.06.
Hotel Arkada on booking.com, 20–22 NovemberRoom €120.06. Breakfast €12 × 3 people × 2 nights = €72 is extra.
€192.06Taxes and fees are already inside the €120.06. They are not added again.
Open Hotel ArkadaCalculation
| Item | How we calculate it | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Basilica of St James Price list chramsvjakuba.sk | 2 adults × €4 + age 16 with ISIC × €2 | €10.00 |
| Spiš Museum, town hall Price list pupil aged 6–18 | 2 adults × €7 + age 16 × €4 | €18.00 |
| Spiš Castle Price list upper courtyard closed | 2 adults × €12 + age 16 × €6 | €30.00 |
| Spišská Kapitula Price list family ticket | Adult €2.50, student €1.50. We use the family ticket. | €6.00 |
| Tickets total | 10 + 18 + 30 + 6 | €64.00 |
| Prievidza → Levoča, 20 November cp.sk 2 adults + ISIC, age 16–17 | 2 adults + youth with ISIC | €11.75 |
| Levoča → Spišské Podhradie, 21 November cp.sk bus 702, 9:25–9:52 | 2 adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 | €6.50 |
| Spišské Podhradie → Levoča, 21 November cp.sk bus 807, 16:28–16:50 | 2 adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 | €6.50 |
| Levoča → Kapitula, 22 November cp.sk bus 702, 9:25–9:50 | 2 adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 | €6.50 |
| Kapitula → Levoča, 22 November cp.sk bus 208, 13:10–13:27 | 2 adults × €2.50 + student × €1.50 | €6.50 |
| Levoča → Prievidza, 22 November cp.sk 15:30–20:09, same fare as Friday | Same as the ride there, for all three | €11.75 |
| Buses and trains total | 11.75 + 6.50 + 6.50 + 6.50 + 6.50 + 11.75 | €49.50 |
| Hotel Arkada, room booking.com taxes and fees included | 2 nights, double room with an extra bed. Breakfast is not in this price. | €120.06 |
| Breakfast at Hotel Arkada €12 a person not in the room price | €12 × 3 people × 2 nights | €72.00 |
| Hotel Arkada total | 120.06 + 72 | €192.06 |
| Lunch in Levoča, Friday Estimate 3 people | One lunch after we arrive. An estimate from current restaurant prices. We choose by what is available. | €30.00 |
| Dinner in Levoča, Friday Estimate 3 people | One dinner on the first night. An estimate from current restaurant prices. We choose by what is available. | €30.00 |
| Lunch in Spišské Podhradie, Saturday Estimate 3 people | One lunch in Spišské Podhradie. An estimate from current restaurant prices. We choose by what is available. | €30.00 |
| Dinner in Levoča, Saturday Estimate 3 people | Dinner in the town, after a walk through the town and the walls. An estimate from current restaurant prices. We choose by what is available. | €30.00 |
| Lunch in Levoča, Sunday Estimate 3 people | Lunch in the town of Levoča, not at the hotel. An estimate from current restaurant prices. We choose by what is available. | €30.00 |
| Lunch and dinner | 5 × €30. An estimate from current restaurant prices. We choose by what is available. | €150.00 |
€64.00 tickets + €11.75 to Levoča + €13.00 on Saturday + €13.00 to Kapitula and back + €11.75 home + €192.06 at Hotel Arkada + €150 for lunch and dinner. Travel insurance is not included. Confirmed so far: €455.56.
Where the figures come from
Arrow keys change the photo. Escape closes it.