Muránska Planina National Park is one of Slovakia's best-kept secrets — a vast limestone plateau in the heart of the country, riddled with caves, sinkholes and dramatic karst formations that stretch for some 25 kilometres. It is one of the youngest national parks in Slovakia, yet it shelters a richness of nature that few places can match. If you are after wild, unspoilt mountain scenery without the crowds, this is your place.

The landscape shifts beautifully with the seasons. Spring brings rare wildflowers to the meadows, summer reveals the full drama of the sun-bleached limestone cliffs, and autumn turns the forests — which cover roughly 86% of the park — into a blaze of gold and amber. The terrain ranges from gentle valleys to open plateau ridges with sweeping views. The highest peak within the park, Fabová hoľa (1,439 m), rewards hikers with a wonderful panorama, while Stolica (1,476 m) rises in the buffer zone nearby. The atmosphere throughout is wild and peaceful — the silence broken only by wind and birdsong.

• From Muráň village — main gateway to the park's trail network, various difficulties and distances depending on your chosen route.
• From Závadka nad Hronom — a good alternative starting point for the western part of the park, easily reached by road from Brezno.

• The park contains more than 250 caves, none of which are open to the general public.
• Stick to the marked trails — strict protection zones apply across much of the park.
• Around 300 km of marked hiking trails and educational routes are available.

Keep an eye out for Daphne arbuscula — the Muráň daphne — a Tertiary botanical relic and local endemic that has been growing here for millions of years, and one of the most remarkable plant curiosities in all of Central Europe.