Located in the foothills of the Bukovec Mountains, Snina lies on the banks of the Cirocha River in Slovakia’s far east. It was first mentioned back in 1317 and was ruled until the late 17th century by the Drugeth family. Today, Snina serves as a gateway to the wildlife-filled meadows and old-growth forests of Poloniny National Park.
Things to do in Snina
Dominating Snina’s main square is the “Greeting of Peace” monument, which depicts a young woman waving a scarf. Nearby is the House of Culture, which features exterior walls that are decorated with a Cubist mural and a metal artwork titled “Music” created by Karol Paluš. In the Roman Catholic Exaltation of the Holy Cross Church, you’ll find paintings by M. Jordan and J. Koch.
Cross the Cirocha River to admire the Herrenhaus Snina, a Classicist-style manor house that was built in 1781 for Countess Terezia van Dernathova. In the post-World War II period, it housed a Ukrainian language school and an agricultural college. After being completely renovated, it now hosts changing art exhibitions and cultural events.
Sprawling east of Snina is Poloniny National Park, which forms part of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians UNESCO World Heritage Site. It encompasses the largest tract of old-growth forest in Slovenia, as well as alpine meadows inhabited by European bison and Eurasian lynx. You can hike or cross-country ski to the 18th-century wooden church in Topoľa or stay to stargaze in the Poloniny Dark-Sky Park.
Getting around Snina
Snina is around 1.5 hours' drive from Košice and Košice International Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Regular trains connect to the Snina Mesto railway station and the town centre is compact enough to explore on foot.