| Address | Kaluža 072 36, Slovakia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 48.7899, 22.0182 |
| Category | Attractions, Waterfront |
| Nearest city | Michalovce |
| Region | Kosice Region, Slovakia |
| Sources | geonames |
Zemplínska šírava Travel Guide
Zemplínska šírava is a reservoir in Kaluža, Slovakia. The nearest service base is Michalovce, roughly 8 km away.
Zemplínska šírava at a Glance
- What it is: reservoir (Attractions)
- Where it is: Kaluža 072 36, Slovakia — coordinates 48.7899, 22.0182
- Why it is listed: a source-verified entry in the CollabsTravel master database, matched against official gazetteer and geographic records before publication
- Time needed: two to three hours
- Best season: May to September
Quick Facts
| Place type | Reservoir |
| Primary category | Attractions |
| Also good for | Waterfront |
| County / region | Kaluža |
| Region / state | Kosice Region |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Postal address | Kaluža 072 36, Slovakia |
| Nearest city | Michalovce |
| Coordinates | 48.7899, 22.0182 |
| Nearest base town | Michalovce (8 km) |
Why Zemplínska šírava Is Worth Visiting
Zemplínska šírava earns its place in this guide for a simple reason: it is a verified attractions in Kosice Region, Slovakia,. Its position 8 km from Michalovce also makes it an easy add-on rather than a detour that costs half a day. Visitors book it for waterfront as much as for attractions. And unlike listicle recommendations, everything on this page - coordinates, category, sources - was checked against official records before publication.
About Zemplínska šírava
In plain terms, Zemplínska šírava is a reservoir in the Kaluža area of Kosice Region, Slovakia that travellers book around attractions trips. Beyond its main draw, the record tags it for waterfront too, so it rewards more than one kind of visit. Functionally it belongs to Michalovce - the town most maps and locals will reference when describing how to reach it. Everything stated on this page comes from that verified record; where background history is quoted, the source is named at the end of the section.
The Story of Zemplínska šírava: History & Background
Zemplínska šírava (sometimes called the "Slovak sea" (Slovak: Slovenské more, Hungarian: Széles-tó). is a reservoir in eastern Slovakia, near the town of Michalovce, wholly belonging to the Michalovce District. The name recalls the historical Zemplín region. The dam was built in 1961–1965, covers an area of 33 km2 (13 sq mi), has an average depth of 9.5 m (31 ft), with a maximum depth of 14 m (46 ft). Water from the dam flows into the Laborec river, which in turn flows into the Bodrog river. The area is primarily used for recreation. It also supplies cooling water for the Vojany Power Station.
Lead passage from the Wikipedia article "Zemplínska šírava", reused under CC BY-SA 4.0 with a coordinate-verified name match; the source article carries the full referenced history.
The Beauty of Zemplínska šírava
What people mean when they call Zemplínska šírava beautiful is usually the built and curated detail on site - exhibits, gardens and views arranged specifically to be enjoyed. The light does most of the work: mid-latitude light gives the place two looks: clean blue summer noon and a low amber angle in spring and autumn. The seasons restyle everything around it - each season repaints it - plan the visit around the colour you want in your photos. And the beauty compounds with context: with 8 other verified places nearby, the Kaluža area reads as one continuous landscape rather than a single viewpoint, which is worth more than any filter on the photos you take here.
Getting There
Zemplínska šírava sits at 48.7899, 22.0182 in Kaluža, Slovakia. Most visitors reach it by car, regional rail or local transit; pin the coordinates above rather than only the name - Zemplínska šírava names repeat across regions, and rural entries often lack street addresses.
Base yourself in Michalovce and make this a half-day trip; services, fuel and lodging are easiest there. The run from Michalovce is about 8 km (5 mi) each way, so allow Michalovce as your anchor for the day.
Best Time to Visit
Late spring to early autumn (May to September) brings the warmest and most reliable conditions across Slovakia. Shoulder months just before and after that window trade a little weather for noticeably lower prices and thinner crowds.
Zemplínska šírava Season by Season
- Summer (Jun-Aug) - peak season: the warmest, longest days and everything open, which also makes it the priciest and busiest window
- Autumn (Sep-Nov) - shoulder season: crowds drain away, the light turns photographic, and lodging rates typically fall
- Winter (Dec-Feb) - off-season: cheapest beds and empty viewpoints, but check for closures, snow or rain before committing
- Spring (Mar-May) - rebuild season: wildflowers, newborn wildlife and reopened facilities - the best balance if the weather holds
Things to Do
Planning what to actually do at Zemplínska šírava comes down to the setting it sits in:
- Arrive with the exact coordinates (48.7899, 22.0182) pinned in your maps app — rural place names repeat across states
- Give the site one unhurried hour before adding anything else to the day
- Pair it with the nearest named attraction on this page to make a full loop
- Chain the stop with what is nearby — see the list below before fixing your day route
None of this needs a rigid schedule - the honest pattern at Zemplínska šírava is one anchor at the nearest anchor town, one longer stop, and the rest of the time left for whatever looks better from the car window. That flexibility is what separates a good half-day from a rushed one.
A Perfect Day in Zemplínska šírava
Morning (start early). Have breakfast at Michalovce and roll out before mid-morning - the light is softer, parking is open, and Zemplínska šírava is at its quietest before the day-trippers arrive. Give the main stop its full due first rather than saving it for later.
Midday. From Zemplínska šírava, Grúň is only 4 km away - pair the two rather than driving home for lunch; a picnic beats a reservation near most of these spots.
Afternoon. Keep going to Michalovce (8 km) if the group still has legs; it is the standard second half of this loop.
Golden hour. End at the main viewpoint, waterfront or main street as the light drops; this is the hour Zemplínska šírava is genuinely famous for locally, and it costs nothing.
Evening. Sleep at Michalovce unless the road out is long - leaving at dusk is the one mistake that can flatten an otherwise perfect day.
Know Before You Go to Zemplínska šírava
- Save the pin (48.7899, 22.0182) offline - reception in Kaluža is exactly as good as it needs to be and no better
- Check the official source listed at the bottom of this page for current hours, fees and closures before driving out
- Visit on weekdays: at most verified spots weekends triple the local traffic
- Bring the basics - water, layers, power bank - because facilities at this kind of place are self-service
Nearby Places Worth Combining
Zemplínska šírava does not sit in isolation - these verified places are all within a short hop and combine into a full loop:
- Grúň — hiking, about 4 km (2 mi) away
- Michalovce — city, about 8 km (5 mi) away
- Hiriač — hiking, about 8 km (5 mi) away
- Hrádok — hiking, about 9 km (6 mi) away
- Sobrance — city, about 13 km (8 mi) away
- Múr — hiking, about 15 km (9 mi) away
- Lysák — hiking, about 16 km (10 mi) away
- Strážske — city, about 16 km (10 mi) away
Planning More of Your Trip
See everything in Slovakia on the Slovakia country hub, browse the full Attractions Slovakia collection, or take in the whole Kosice Region region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zemplínska šírava worth visiting?+
Yes, if you are in the area for more than a single day. Zemplínska šírava is a verified reservoir in Kosice Region, Slovakia that most drive-by lists miss, and the official-record provenance behind this page means the location, name and access facts are checked rather than guessed. Give it two to three hours.
Where exactly is Zemplínska šírava?+
Zemplínska šírava sits at Kaluža 072 36, Slovakia, coordinates 48.7899, 22.0182. The postal locality is Kaluža - use the coordinates rather than the name alone, because place names repeat across regions and a map pin beats a keyword search.
How far is Zemplínska šírava from the nearest city?+
Zemplínska šírava is about 8 km (5 mi) from Michalovce, which is an easy out-and-back day trip - most visitors base themselves in Michalovce and make the run in well under an hour each way.
What is the best time to visit Zemplínska šírava?+
May to September. Book the shoulder months either side of that window for the same scenery at lower prices, and check seasonal closures before fixing dates.
How long do you need at Zemplínska šírava?+
Plan on two to three hours for a first visit - the highlights at a normal pace without rushing. Add another half day if you want to combine it with the nearby places listed above.
Is Zemplínska šírava good for families with kids?+
It works with kids who have patience for the setting; judge it by your shortest-attention traveller and keep the visit to the first highlight.
Does Zemplínska šírava cost anything to visit?+
Most public places like this have no entry fee, but parking, guided programs and seasonal shuttles are the usual small costs. Confirm current fees with the official source cited on this page - they change more often than guidebooks do.
What is near Zemplínska šírava?+
The closest verified neighbour is Grúň; the nearby list above has the full set with distances, and combining two or three of them is the standard way to fill a day around Zemplínska šírava.
Is Zemplínska šírava open to visitors, and do you need a permit?+
Public places listed here are visitable by default; the permit exceptions are usually specific activities (backcountry camping, drones, commercial photography) rather than the visit itself. Check the cited official source for anything activity-based.
Should you visit Zemplínska šírava in bad weather?+
Rain reshapes rather than ruins the day - viewpoints become cloud-scapes and trails get muddy. Keep Zemplínska šírava as a fair-weather item on your trip and swap in the covered alternatives from the regional list when the forecast turns.
What makes Zemplínska šírava different from other places like it?+
Its exact combination: a reservoir in Kosice Region, Slovakia with verified coordinates and, where listed, an official designation. The difference is usually the setting and the access pattern rather than the category label - the facts table on this page shows that specifically.
Can you visit Zemplínska šírava as a day trip?+
Yes - at two to three hours on site, a day loop is realistic: morning at Zemplínska šírava, one nearby stop, and home by evening. The Perfect Day section above has the hour-by-hour version.
What is Zemplínska šírava known for?+
In the wider record, reservoir-class place: Zemplínska šírava (sometimes called the "Slovak sea" (Slovak: Slovenské more, Hungarian: Széles-tó). This guide adds the practical layer - verified coordinates, access, seasonality and what to combine it with.
What is the most beautiful thing about Zemplínska šírava?+
The honest short answer is in The Beauty of Zemplínska šírava section above, but distilled: what people mean when they call zemplínska šírava beautiful is usually the built and curated detail on site - exhibits, gardens and views arranged specifically to be enjoyed. Come for the light and the setting rather than a single checklist object.
Is Zemplínska šírava crowded?+
Zemplínska šírava sits below the headline-name tier in its region, so crowding is an event-and-weekend problem rather than a standing one. Weekday mornings in the shoulder season are the quietest version of the visit.
What is the history of Zemplínska šírava?+
The sourced background above places documented events for Zemplínska šírava around 1961 at the earliest point its article dates; for the full timeline with references, the linked Wikipedia article is the primary trail and this guide keeps the practical travel layer on top of it. ## Source Verification This guide's facts come from official public datasets: [Geonames record 723069](https://www.geonames.org/723069). Location data is reviewed in per-state batches before publication.
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