Unknown Tornaľa: Discover the Sleeping Town Embraced by Caves and Educational Trails

Tornaľa is located in the Banská Bystrica region in the district of Revúca. It’s a small town with only about 7,000 inhabitants and its heyday is long gone. Nevertheless, it’s worth stopping by for a short trip. The surrounding area offers interesting tourist destinations, especially caves. The town center itself holds pleasant surprises – such as the beautiful Madeleine Cafe & Lounge in Parisian style or the city park with the forgotten ruins of a castle. So, what to see in Tornaľa and its surroundings?

Tornaľa Castle In Tornaľa, you won’t find tall steep ramparts proudly hosting a majestic castle. When we talk about Tornaľa Castle, we refer to a ruin located not far from the center, in the city park. However, it’s not just any ruin. The original castle likely perished in the 14th or 15th century, and the remnants you can see today in the park date back to the 19th century. Behind them stands Zoltán Tornallay, who transformed the area into an English park with a cave, a lake, and a newly built castle. Today, Tornaľa “Castle” is overgrown with vegetation, but along with the park, it serves as an easy walking destination. In the summer, cultural and sports events like Tornaľa Parkfest often take place here.

Tornallyay Manor Once a grand mansion, now a center for children and families. Tornallyay Manor is located on the edge of Zoltánka City Park. It’s a neoclassical building from the first half of the 19th century, forming an L-shaped layout. At first glance, its facades with eclectic modifications, arcades, and windows with decorative lintels catch the eye. Since it houses a center for families and children, it’s not accessible to the public; you can only admire it from the outside.

Reformed Church Another significant landmark in Tornaľa is the Reformed Church, originally a Gothic structure from the 15th century. It’s located within a fortified area with an entrance gate. Inside, you can admire a beautifully painted wooden coffered ceiling with plant motifs from 1786, a wooden Baroque pulpit with a pelican sculpture, and a masonry gallery. The church has been beautifully restored and is definitely worth a visit when in Tornaľa.

Tornaľa Beach Swimming Pool And thirdly, perhaps Tornaľa’s greatest pride – the swimming pool, operating since 1969 and filled with water from the “Warm Water” spring called Morské oko. The swimming pool covers an area of 15,000 m2 and offers a swimming pool and an artificially created water reservoir. The swimming pool complex includes a 50 m pool, playgrounds, dining facilities, autocamping, parking lots, and springs of mineral water locally called Šťavica. From 2019 to 2023, the entire complex was closed, but from 2024, it should be accessible to the public again in a more beautiful form after reconstruction.

Caves around Tornaľa If you love nature, the surroundings of Tornaľa offer several options. Within a distance of 20 km, there are 5 caves: Peško Cave, Domica Cave, Gombasecká Cave, Silická ľadnica, and Babská diera. The most famous are Domica Cave, where the famous fairy tale “Salt over Gold” was filmed in 1982, and where you can float on the Styx River, and Gombasecká Cave, which is exceptional mainly due to the occurrence of impressive sinter formations and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Educational Trails around Tornaľa If you crave another beautiful nature trip, we recommend, for example, the educational trail of the Muráň Canyon, the Kečovské škrapy nature reserve, the Drienčanský kras educational trail, or the remarkable local attraction – the sundial in Drienčany.

End your trip in style at a luxurious local café And after your walk, treat yourself to a good coffee and a dessert, for example, at the elegant Madeleine Café & Lounge in “Bourgeois” style – derived from the original style of the historic building. Its interior is incredible – emerald furniture, wooden floors, a wooden bar, adorned ceilings with a crystal chandelier… We bet a liqueur that this place will enchant you!