,,Videli ste už niekedy Sivú Bradu?" opýtal sa Kaško kamarátov, ktorí okamžite spustili ohromný smiech.
"Sure, even our grandfather has a grey beard," laughed Maxík until his stomach felt sore.
"And uncle Jaro, the bus driver," added Majka also laughing.
"I don't mean that kind of beard, but a geyser called the Grey Beard," Kaško tried to explain, but he knew very well that they would not stop laughing until he showed them the geyser."
Videli ste už rastúci kopec? Lepšie povedané rastúcu kopu, z ktorej vyviera gejzír? A dokonca s liečivou vodou! Sivá Brada s minerálnym prameňom vás očarí svojimi bublajúcimi tajomnými dierami v zemi, z ktorých počuť vychádzať prazvláštne zvuky. Rovnako vás prekvapia travertínové terasy, ktoré aj v lete vyzerajú ako sneh. Príďte sa pozrieť na túto záhadu! Pohltí vás pritom pohľad na neďaleký Spišský hrad a unesení budete aj z puklinových jaskýň, skalných útvarov, roklín a priepastí blízkeho Dreveníka.
Have you seen those mysterious Spiš holes, from the depths of which the sounds of underground water can be heard? Even though there is a road nearby, you can hear those unceasing sounds quite clearly. On the Sivá Brada mould, you can also find small travertine craters from which water does not spring, but carbon dioxide escapes from them, which can even kill small animals in case of massive inhalation. The gas leaks are particularly harmful to birds, whose carcasses can be seen here and there in the locality. A unique natural formation, the Sivá Brada mould, is a ten-thousand-year-old travertine mound that is still growing! How is this possible? The water in this spring is full of substances that, when boiled, settle on the edge of the pond as white travertine and, when hardened, go on to form a travertine mound. What a mystery, eh? But the most beautiful, according to many, is the geyser, which at certain intervals reaches a height of up to three metres, and at other times bubbles on the surface of the pond. The romantic Baroque Chapel of the Holy Cross, in the middle of which a spring once gushed, rises picturesquely on the top of the Sivá Brada mould.
Do you want to try and conquer the largest medieval castle? Perhaps it would be quite an adventure to walk to the main gate through the battlements, just as all the enemies have tried to get there in the past. Well, consider this... The Spiš Castle has never been conquered! Its inhabitants owed this mainly to the difficult terrain, because of which only a few enemies were able to get close to them. There they faced walls and skilful soldiers who kept their fortress intact. The original kitchen is one of the best-preserved parts of the Spiš Castle, which displays several ancient pieces of cooking equipment. During the tour, you will see the remains of the former chambers and the original torture chamber. There was once also a mill, which provided flour for all its residents, including the servants. Imagine that there was also a small cave, which was probably used as a hiding place by the gentry. Nowadays, you can see the courtyards, part of the walls, the chapel, the kitchen, the former chambers, and a large room displaying a large collection of weapons.
And now combine the rocky crevices and caves into your next trip - the largest travertine area in Slovakia attracts visitors with its crevice caves, rock formations, gorges, and even abysses. The most famous of these include the Peklo (hell) Gorge and Kamenný Raj (rock paradise). Kamenný Raj consists of rock formations resembling towers. The mound was formed from mineral water springs on a tectonic break. It was formed by the connection of several limestone-travertine piles (Pažie, Kozia, Ostrá Hura). If you are a fan of ancient history, you will certainly be attracted by the remains of an old Slavic hillfort. In addition to the three caves, there was also a peasant settlement from the early Stone Age on the Dreveník hill.
Prírodnou rezerváciou Dreveník vedie značený turistický chodník zo Spišského Podhradia a z obce Žehra. Dostanete sa tam však aj z parkoviska pod Spišským hradom, prípadne si obohaťte výlet zastávkou pri kaštieli Hodkovce, odkiaľ je to z parkoviska už len na skok. Gejzír Sivá Brada je rovnako dobre prístupný z parkoviska, ktoré sa nachádza len 5 minút autom od Spišského hradu.
