The Slovak Karst is a world of limestone plateaus and deep gorges in southern Slovakia, along the Hungarian border, and the Plešivec plateau is one of its great tablelands, a high, flat-topped block of rock rising steeply above the valleys of the Slaná and the Štítnik rivers. Its surface is a rolling steppe of grass and scrub, pitted with sinkholes, and beneath it lies a maze of caves and abysses, part of the UNESCO site of the Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst.
The plateau's steep edges are home to rare plants and animals, including species more typical of warmer regions, which thrive on the sunny limestone slopes. Below the surface, caves such as the nearby Gombasek cave, with its delicate straw stalactites, are open to visitors. The region also has a rich cultural heritage. Krásna Hôrka castle, on a hill near Rožňava, was one of the most impressive in Slovakia until a fire in 2012 destroyed its roofs, and restoration is ongoing. Betliar, nearby, has a beautiful manor house and park, once owned by the Andrássy family.
The riding around the plateau is excellent. The roads follow the valleys around its edges, with cliffs rising above you and the river beside, and climb into the surrounding hills with plenty of bends. The road through the Slovak Paradise and the Slovak Ore Mountains to the north offers some of the best riding in the country, with forested passes and quiet villages. Surfaces vary, with some potholes and patched sections, and traffic is light. Weather can be changeable; summer is warm, and autumn colours in the forests are spectacular.
Rožňava, nine kilometres away, is a town of nineteen thousand with fuel, shops and restaurants, and its central square, with a watchtower and a cathedral, is pleasant. The town grew rich from mining in the Middle Ages. Plešivec, a small town at the foot of the plateau, has basic services. Local food includes bryndzové halušky, potato dumplings with sheep's cheese, and hearty soups. On a clear day, standing on the edge of the plateau, you look out over a landscape of forests and valleys, and the silence is complete.