31/08/2026
Christmas in the private cabin: holiday in the Spiš region
03/08/2026
Christmas is meant to be the time you are finally all together. Instead, half the family ends up squeezed into a hotel room, you queue for Christmas dinner in a shared restaurant, and you share the tree with strangers.
There is another way. A whole Christmas cabin in Slovakia, just for your family - and around it the Spiš region, which knows how to surprise you over the holidays: a medieval square lit up, midnight mass beneath the world's tallest Gothic altar, and a Spiš Christmas Eve at your own table.
Chalet Martuška stands in the Levoča Valley, six kilometres from Levoča. In this article you'll find what's worth doing nearby over the holidays, and what Christmas looks like in a whole timber cabin that's yours alone.
No reception desk, no neighbour through the wall. Just your family, the tree, and the hush of a snowed-in valley - with a town full of lights within reach.
Advent on Master Paul's Square
Six kilometres from the cabin, one of the loveliest medieval squares in Slovakia comes to life. Levoča is on the UNESCO list, and through Advent it turns into a little Christmas town.
On Master Paul's Square stand a decorated tree and the town's Advent wreath, where another candle is lit each Advent Sunday to the sound of a brass band.
In early December St Nicholas comes and the tree is lit; there's a craft market and an ice rink. You'll catch the scent of mulled wine with cinnamon and cloves, fresh gingerbread, and smoke from grilled sausage, music in the lanes and children skating.
The exact dates change every year, so check the town's website before you travel.
A Spiš Christmas Eve
The best thing about the cabin is that you prepare the festive table yourselves, in a fully fitted kitchen, the whole family together. And if you like, give it a Spiš accent.
In the east, the meal begins with oblátka - a thin Christmas wafer with honey and a clove of garlic; honey for a sweet year, garlic for health. Then comes kapustnica, a hearty sauerkraut soup with dried mushrooms and sausage; carp; pirohy filled with potato; and potato salad. In Spiš, bobáľky are a must - small leavened dough balls poured with hot milk and sprinkled with poppy seeds and sugar, or savoury with cabbage in some homes. Add medovníky (gingerbread) and the sweet festive bakes locals here call kucheň.
The old customs are worth reviving too. There's usually one extra place at the table for an unexpected guest, no one gets up from the table during the meal, and an apple cut across at the end foretells health for the year ahead.
Midnight mass beneath the world's tallest Gothic altar
If midnight mass is part of your Christmas, here you'll experience it like nowhere else.
In the Basilica of St. James in Levoča stands the high altar by Master Paul of Levoča (Majster Pavol) - 18.6 metres tall, the tallest Gothic altar in the world. On Christmas Eve, midnight mass is held beneath it, by candlelight, with the scent of incense and the sound of the organ. An experience you won't find anywhere else.
And if you'd rather not go into town, mass is also held right in the Levoča Valley, a few minutes from the cabin, as early as ten in the evening. Times change from year to year, so check them for the current season.
The holidays outdoors: snow, slope and icefalls
When the snow falls, the valley calls you out.
The ski slope is two minutes away - for sledging or your first turns you only step past the yard; more in our blog about the cabin two minutes from the slope. Anyone who loves winter nature heads for Slovak Paradise, where waterfalls freeze in the gorges into blue-and-white icefalls, walked between in daylight with crampons on your boots. Snow-covered Spiš Castle, the largest in Central Europe, isn't skipped in winter - you simply admire it from outside, a white silhouette above the land.
And a peaceful Christmas walk leads up to Marian Hill, three quarters of an hour from Levoča, to the white basilica with its view.
And then back into the warmth. The whole cabin is yours alone - four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, so every family has its own corner, and yet you're all under one roof.
After Christmas Eve dinner you fire up the private sauna and let the day fall quiet; more about the wellness in our blog about the cabin with a sauna. The fireplace crackles, the hush of the snowed-in valley drifts outside, and the tree shines just for your family.
A Christmas that isn't about rushing, but about being together.
Chalet Martuška is a whole wooden cabin rented to a single group at a time - no reception, no neighbours through the wall. A sauna, a fireplace, bikes at the door, and the whole valley to yourselves. Levoča is 6 km away, the High Tatras a 45-minute drive, and four UNESCO sites are day trips you come home from each evening.
A whole log cabin with a sauna starts at 32 euros per person per night; the minimum stay is three nights. When you book directly with us, you get the best price and the entire place to yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do around the cabin at Christmas?
A Christmas cabin in Slovakia puts it all within reach: Advent on the square in Levoča with markets, mulled wine and an ice rink; midnight mass in the Basilica of St. James; skiing and sledging two minutes from the cabin; icefalls in Slovak Paradise; and a winter walk up Marian Hill.
Is there a midnight mass in Levoča?
Yes. On Christmas Eve, midnight mass is held in the Basilica of St. James beneath the world's tallest Gothic altar. Mass is also held right in the Levoča Valley, a few minutes from the cabin; check the times for the current year.
When are the Christmas markets in Levoča?
The little Christmas town and craft market are held during Advent, usually in December on Master Paul's Square. You'll find the exact dates on the town's website.
What is the typical Spiš food on Christmas Eve?
An oblátka wafer with honey and garlic, kapustnica (sauerkraut soup with mushrooms and sausage), carp, pirohy, and above all bobáľky - leavened dough balls with poppy seeds. Add medovníky gingerbread and the festive kucheň bakes.
Can you ski or sledge over the holidays?
Yes. The ski slope is a five-minute walk down the valley, good for sledging and first turns with children too. The bigger mountains, the High Tatras, are a day trip away.
When is the best time to visit?
The gorges are usually passable in winter and frozen waterfalls form icefalls. You'll want crampons on your boots, poles, and to be back before dark - night hiking is forbidden.
When is the best time to visit?
The castle interior is closed over winter. But the view from outside is beautiful - the white silhouette of the largest castle in Central Europe above a snow-covered Spiš.
When is the best time to visit?
As soon as you can. A Christmas cabin in Slovakia over the holidays and New Year books up already in October and November, and goes fast.
How many people fit in the cabin?
Eight adults and three children, eleven in all. Four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.
Can I bring a dog?
A small dog is welcome - unlike in most of the surroundings.
