Slovakia – ZSSK

COMPANY INFORMATION

Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK), national carrier, is the largest passenger railway carrier in the Slovak Republic and provides a wide range of train services: regional, suburban as well as long-distance services. Railways connect people and their aims, we also try to interconnect various organizations, undertakings and state institutions to improve together the travel experience not only in Slovakia. Travellers may use Interrail and Eurail Passes without any additional costs as well as many other special offers and discounts of ZSSK.

We are continuously improving our services. Travel by train – effectively, comfortably and ecologically, because mobility is valuable, and it is our freedom.

TOURISTIC LINES

High Tatras The most popular tourist destination in Slovakia are High Tatras also known as the Smallest Alps of the World. The railway transport in the High Tatras includes:

  • 5 km long cog-rail (OŽ) Štrba-Štrbské Pleso – operating after reconstruction since 16th February 2022 with new two-car hybrid trains of GTW type from Stadler Rail with a special design.
  • 35 km long Tatra Electric Railway (TEŽ) connecting most popular resorts Štrbské Pleso – Starý Smokovec – Tatranská Lomnica with iconic Poprad-Tatry train station, where travellers can change to the main railway network with trains including InterCity (Vienna) – Bratislava – Košice and SuperCity Pendolino Prague – Košice or EuroNight train Humenné – Košice – Poprad-Tatry – Prague.

See a commercial video on Hight Tatras:

 

Train system in The High Tatras operates all-season and is mainly used by tourists to get to the resorts for skiing, hiking and wellness. All of these activities are reachable in walking distance from respective stations.

Attractions everywhere

Tunnels and viaducts are typical for the Central Slovakia thanks to its mountainous terrain. 22 of the total 76 Slovakian railway tunnels are on the route from Vrútky to Banská Bystrica with the longest tunnel called „Čremošniansky“ with the length of 4,7 km. The amazing views are very attractive during summer as well as winter. One of the greatest train rides is from Margecany to Banská Bystrica via valley of the river Hnilec and Horehronie offering wonderful views on Slovak Paradise protected nature reserve and The Low Tatras. Very popular is also the track Pohronská Polhora – Zbojská – Tisovec, part of which is equipped by cogs and historic trains with rack-locomotives which operate there usually during weekends in summer. Points of interests reachable by all-season ZSSK trains:

  • Cultural UNESCO properties: Bardejov Town conservation reserve, Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Danube Limes (Western Segment) in Rusovce, Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity, Vlkolínec (near Ružomberok), some of the Wooden Churches (Hronsek, Kežmarok, Tvrdošín)
  • Cities with historic centres like Banská Bystrica, Banská Štiavnica, Bardejov, Bratislava, Kežmarok, Košice, Kremnica, Liptovský Mikuláš, Nitra, Podolínec, Poprad and its part Spišská Sobota, Prešov, Rožňava, Skalica, Spišská Belá, Trenčín, Trnava, Žilina, etc.
  • Castles: Bojnice (near Prievidza), Bratislava, Budatín in Žilina, Bzovík cluster, Čachtice, Devín (near Devínska Nová Ves), Fiľakovo, Hričov (near Dolný Hričov), Kapušany pri Prešove, Kežmarok, Kremnica, Levice, Likava (near Ružomberok), Liptovský Hrádok, Markušovce, Nitra, Nová Baňa, Orava, Plaveč, Pustý hrad (near Zvolen), Sitno (near Banská Štiavnica), Slanec, Slovenská Ľupča, Smolenice, Stará Ľubovňa, Šariš (near Veľký Šariš), Trenčín, Veľká Skalka cluster (near Trenčín), Vígľaš, Zniev (near Kláštor pod Znievom), Zvolen and many others
  • National parks: High Tatras, Low Tatras, Malá Fatra, Poloniny, Slovak Karst, Slovak Paradise, Veľká Fatra
  • Museums and galleries: e.g. Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art Medzilaborce, Central Slovakia Museum Banská Bystrica, Eastern Slovakia Gallery Košice, Eastern Slovakia Museum Košice, expositions of Slovak National Museum (like Ethnography Museum in Martin, etc.), Fortress in Komárno, Gemer-Malohont Museum Rimavská Sobota, Museum of Považie in Žilina, Museum of Tatra Cinematography and Photography Starý Smokovec, Novohrad Museum and Galery Lučenec, Orava Museum of P. O. Hviezdoslav, Pohronské Museum Nová Baňa, Podtatranské Museum Poprad, Regional Museum Prešov, Slovak Agricultural Museum Nitra, Slovak Mining Museum Banská Štiavnica, Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and Speleology Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovak National Gallery Bratislava, Slovak Technical Museum Košice, Trenčín Museum, Vihorlat Museum Humenné, Western Slovakia Museum in Trnava, Zemplín Museum Michalovce
  • Open-air museums: Archeopark Nitriansky Hrádok (near Šurany), Archeoskanzen Nižná Myšľa, Banská Štiavnica, Humenné, Martin, Medieval Village of Falconers Oravský Podzámok, Myjava, Podbiel, Stará Ľubovňa, Šurany, Vlkolínec (near Ružomberok)
  • Thermal and climatic spas in Bardejovské kúpele, Bojnice (near Prievidza), Brusno, Číž, Dudince, Dudince, Horný Smokovec, Lučivná, Nimnica, Piešťany, Rajecké Teplice, Trenčianske Teplice (by TREŽ from Trenčianska Teplá), etc.
  • Aquaparks at Bešeňová (near Liptovská Teplá), Dolný Kubín, Dudince, Dunajská Streda, Lipany, Liptovský Mikuláš, Podhájska, Poprad, Senec, Trnava, Turčianske Teplice, Veľký Meder and many others
  • Smaller or larger ski resorts at: Dedinky, Dolný Smokovec – Pod lesom, Krompachy, Lučivná, Mlynky, Nálepkovo, Polomka, Ružomberok – Malinô Brdo, Starý Smokovec, Štrbské Pleso, Tatranská Lomnica, Telgárt, Zbojská, etc.
  • ZOOs in Bratislava, Bojnice (near Prievidza), Košice, Spišská Nová Ves, Interactive ZOO Liptovský Mikuláš
  • Botanical gardens: Bratislava, Košice, Tatranská Lomnica, Arboretum Borová hora (near Zvolen), Arboretum Liptovský Hrádok, City Arboretum Malacky, Arboretum Kysihýbel (near Banská Štiavnica), Arboretum Tesárske Mlyňany
  • EuroVelo cycle routes: EuroVelo 6 Atlantic – Black Sea (Danube Cycle Route), EuroVelo 11 (East Europe Route), EuroVelo 13 (Iron Curtain Trail)
  • Winery regions: Central Slovak, East Slovak, Little Carpathian, Nitra, South Slovak and Tokaj Vine Region
  • Chairlifts, cableways, funiculars operating during summer season, e.g.: High Tatras: funicular Starý Smokovec – Hrebienok (0,4 km from station Starý Smokovec)

High Tatras: gondola lifts Tatranská Lomnica – Štart – Skalnaté Pleso (0,9 km from station Tatranská Lomnica) with chairlift Skalnaté Pleso – Lomnické sedlo and cable car Skalnaté Pleso – Lomnický štít

High Tatras: chairlift Štrbské Pleso – Solisko (1,4 km from station Štrbské Pleso) Malé Karpaty: chairlift Železná studnička – Kamzík (5 km km from station Bratislava hl.st. to the top station or 3,5 km from station Bratislava-Železná studienka to the valley station)

Oravská Magura: chairlifts at Kubínska hoľa (6 km from station Dolný Kubín)

Veľká Fatra: gondola lift Hrabovo – Malinô Brdo (3,4 km from station Ružomberok or 2,1 km from station Ružomberok-Rybárpole) with the chairlift at Malinô Brdo

Slovak paradise: chairlift Dedinky – Geravy (1,8 km from station Dedinky) re-opening after reconstruction planned 07/2022 Slovenské rudohorie (part Veporské vrchy): historical chairlift Chvatimech (0,5 km from station Chvatimech) is not operating, the mountain cottage Bernardín at the top station is open

Special tourist trains and offers

ZSSK also provides – in cooperation with its stakeholder Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic a wide range of special tourist trains operating seasonally, mostly during summer.

During the summer tourist season 2022, the ZSSK offers several summer touristic trains. The service will be provided on these routes:

  • Prešov – Margecany – Mlynky – Dedinky – Červená Skala and back
  • Košice – Margecany – Mlynky – Dedinky – Červená Skala – Chvatimech – Banská Bystrica and back
  • Zvolen os.st. – Banská Bystrica – Chvatimech – Červená Skala and back
  • Zvolen os.st. – Hronská Dúbrava – Banská Štiavnica and back
  • Zvolen os.st. – Dudince – Šahy – Čata – Štúrovo and back
  • Košice – Plešivec – Slavošovce and back
  • Košice – Plešivec – Muráň and back
  • Prešov – Kapušany pri Prešove – Bardejov and back
  • Prešov – Veľký Šariš – Lipany – Plaveč – Stará Ľubovňa and back
  • Prešov – Kapušany pri Prešove – Hanušovce nad Topľou – Strážske – Humenné – Snina – Stakčín and back Detailed information about days of operation, departures and train stops of summer touristic trains might be found at zssk.sk (the standard transport conditions apply, including the applicable tariffs)
 

We also operate summer touristic train Poprad-Tatry – Muszyna, seasonal train operating during weekends from High Tatras to Muszyna (Poland) popular for many natural and historical monuments in the valley of the river Poprad and Polish – Slovakian border area. Very popular is also seasonal train from Medzilaborce to Lupków (Poland).

In cooperation with Austrian Railways ÖBB we operate in the summer season a motorail train from Bratislava to the Adriatic coast in Croatia (Split).

The “Slovak ticket“ is our special seasonal offer – with one ticket travellers can use all of our trains during summer.

The Business and Special Transports Unit of ZSSK offers special trains for railway enthusiasts, teambuilding events, filming movie scenes, etc.

If you want to organize a press conference, presentation of your products, organize an event or even a party during your trip, the popular ZSSK open-space coach WGmeer will be the best choice for you.

HISTORICAL TRAINS

Slovakia is also popular for its narrow-gauge historical railways:

During the summer season very popular are also standard gauge Korýtko cyklotrain Ružomberok – Zápalkáreň in Liptov region and “Hanička” train Spišské Vlachy – Spišské Podhradie (The Castle of Spiš, the largest medieval castle compound in central Europe is 30 min. by walk).

Historical trains can be admired in the Museum of Liptov Village Pribylina, Museum of Transport and Railway Museum, both located in Bratislava.

Armoured train from 2nd World War is to be seen in Zvolen and in the external exposition of the Slovak National Uprising Museum Banská Bystrica. There are also several historical clubs in Slovakia with historic locomotives and cars.

COMMERCIAL CONTACT

ZSSK – Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s. Address: Rožňavská 1, 832 72 Bratislava, Slovakia Tel: 18 111, +421 24 48 58 188 Email: info@slovakrail.sk mimoriadneprepravy@slovakrail.sk Website: https://www.zssk.sk

Attached document

ZSSK Brochure

 

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