Nature trail

The village of Liptovský Ján is blessed with not only beautiful nature, but also its spring area rich in thermal and mineral springs. The cold springs have been called “medokyš” by locals since ancient times.

The nature trail leads to the sought-after “Medokýš” spring – to the spring with refreshing mineral water with a high iron content, located near the border with the village of Podtureň. This trail starts on the outskirts of the village, at the “Kaďa” thermal spring, just 2.3 km from the Alexandra Wellness Hotel. It leads along the foot of “Kameničná” hill to the “Medokýš” mineral spring and continues along the Váh river to Liptovská Porúbka village. It is 5.5 km long with an elevation gain of 250 m and 6 stops equipped with information panels. The panels provide information about local biodiversity, the history of the surrounding villages, the origin of the “Medokýš” mineral spring, the care of the surrounding forests, and about the history of wood-rafting in the Liptov region. The route is two-way, easy, suitable for both pedestrians and cyclists. You can walk it in one direction in approximately 2 hours.

The surface of this nature trail is sometimes concrete, sometimes covered with small stones, and sometimes resembles a forest path. For this reason, but also because of the steeper elevations in several places, this trail is only partially accessible for people in wheelchairs. For walkers with limited mobility who can walk this distance or at least part of it, this track is manageable. Even a short walk through this beautiful region is definitely worth taking the time to do. You will have something to admire on it.

Given the mobility level of our “test team”, we decided to personally explore only the exit from the “Kaďa” thermal spring area and its immediate surroundings. The nature trail begins right behind this area, after crossing the footbridge over the “Štiavnica” stream. It runs for several dozen meters along the stream, where its surface is reinforced with concrete and every wheelchair can pass through it without any problems. However, these ideal conditions for the immobile end as soon as the trail leaves the stream bank and enters the forest. It then rises slightly and its surface consists of small stones. Here our electric wheelchairs gave up and turned back. Only the small group of walkers continued through the forest – 3 people with limited mobility (those walk with, but also those walk without assistive devices) and 2 assistants without mobility restrictions. We also had a mechanical wheelchair with us in case of need. We pushed it empty through the problematic terrain, but it was useful to us in places. We followed the nature trail until the first fork in the road. Here we turned right and along the narrow forest path, which are leading at the foothills above the “Štiavnica” stream to the local cemetery and to the location under the Svätojánska Lookout Tower, we set off back towards the “Kaďa” thermal spring. Below the lookout tower, just a few meters above the destination of our walk, we discovered the small outdoor sports field in the middle of nature and the information board with the “Audio Pexeso” memory game caled “Voices of the Forest”. From there, we took the trail down the slope (“on our own feet” and with the empty wheelchair) without much difficulty to the “Štiavnica” stream, back to the “Kaďa” thermal spring area – to the same place where we had started our just over half a kilometer long “test” circuit less than an hour earlier.

Distance from the hotel (beginning of this Nature trail):  2,3 km (4 min. by car to the village of Liptovský Ján, direction Podtureň / on foot 2 approx. 30 min – route ideal for electric wheelchairs and wheelchairs with additional electric drive)
Length of the entire trail (in one direction):  5,5 km
Height difference:  250 m on the 5,5 km route
Trail surface:  sections reinforced with concrete, sprinkled with small stones or with the surface of a forest hiking trail

Accessibility for people with limited mobility:

•  partially wheelchair accessible (1st stage from the village of Liptovský Ján, otherwise at your own discretion),
• who walk with, but also who walk without assistive devices (rutches, walker, etc.) according to your own abilities and fitness, we recommend accompaniment of a healthy assistant, if necessary, a mechanical wheelchair can also be used on some sections