Step out of a warm summer day into the Dobšinská Ice Cave and the temperature drops to just below freezing within a few metres. The cave, on the northern edge of the Slovak Paradise in eastern Slovakia, holds a vast mass of ice, tens of thousands of cubic metres, with frozen floors, walls and columns that have built up over thousands of years. It was explored in 1870 by Eugen Ruffinyi, opened to visitors soon after, and became one of the first caves in Europe to be lit by electricity. It is part of the UNESCO-listed Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst, shared with Hungary.
The tour takes visitors down wooden steps through halls of ice, and the effect is magical, with blue and white surfaces reflecting the light. Bring a warm jacket, even in July, and good shoes; the walk from the car park up to the entrance is a steep twenty minutes or so. Opening is seasonal, typically from late spring to early autumn, so check before you go.
The Slovak Paradise national park around the cave is a plateau of limestone cut by deep gorges, with ladders, chains and footbridges leading hikers up waterfalls and through narrow canyons. It is one of the most unusual hiking areas in Central Europe. For riders, the roads around Dobšiná and Stratená are narrow and twisty, winding through forests and along the Hnilec valley, with the Palcmanská Maša reservoir offering a quiet place to rest.
The area is quite remote, with limited services. Dobšiná, six kilometres away, has fuel and shops, and Spišská Nová Ves, a town of nearly forty thousand, has everything you could need. Further north lies Spiš, with its huge castle and the medieval town of Levoča, home to Master Paul's carved altar. Try bryndzové halušky, potato dumplings with sheep's cheese, Slovakia's national dish, and keep an eye out for bears in the forest at dusk.