Stories of people who mysteriously disappeared while strolling through the Tribeč mountains, not far from Nitra, have been passed down for generations. They earned the area the nickname “the Slovak Bermuda Triangle” and also inspired a film, Trhlina (The Crack), based on a novel of the same name.
Now, the local tourism organisation has decided to capitalise on the myth by opening a new attraction: the Mysterious Trail through Tribeč (Tajomný chodník Tribečom in Slovak). The route combines hiking, history, and the eerie legends linked to the region.
“Tribeč is steeped in legends about mysterious disappearances and unexplained phenomena,” said Marta Hároniková, head of the Nitra Tourism Organisation, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
The trail offers several routes for hikers and cyclists, an audio guide and even a cipher game. Visitors can choose, as organisers put it, “how deep they dive into the mysterious world of Tribeč”.
Getting to know Tribeč
Several routes are available for visitors taking the new trail through Tribeč. (source: Visitnitra.eu)
The trail begins in the village of Zlatno, in the Zlaté Moravce district. An information board there lists six routes — three for hikers and three for cyclists — ranging from easy, family-friendly paths to more demanding trails. QR codes allow visitors to download the audio guide and the cipher game.
Hiking:
Basic mysterious trail: 6.5 km, elevation gain: 260 m
K jarmočnému krížu: 13.2 km, elevation gain: 360 m
Trail for the brave: 18.3 km, elevation gain: 721 m
Cycling:
K jarmočnému krížu: 15 km, elevation gain: 346 m
Mysterious cycling trail: 15.5 km, elevation gain: 400 m
Pod pyramídu Zobor: 35 km, elevation gain: 800 m
The audio guide recounts a range of stories about the area — its history, legends and mysteries. It operates through the Audioguide CZ app, which should be downloaded before entering the forest. As there is no mobile signal, the app functions offline.
The cipher game, titled Lost in Tribeč, follows the story of a scientist studying the area’s mysteries who vanished during an expedition. He left behind codes, cryptic notes and unsettling messages along the route, and each riddle solved reveals another piece of the puzzle.
The trail itself is not demanding — it runs about 6.5 kilometres and can be completed in roughly two to two and a half hours. The game operates through an app, which should be downloaded before entering the forest, as there is no mobile signal along the way.
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