Right in the heart of Europe, Slovakia is a land of castles and mountains, occasionally punctuated by industrial sprawl. More than a quarter-century after Czechoslovakia’s break-up, Slovakia has emerged as a self-assured, independent nation. Capital city Bratislava draws visitors to its resplendent old town and tankard-clanking drinking culture. But Slovakia shines brightest for lovers of the outdoors. Walking trails in the High Tatras wend through landscapes of unearthly beauty, with mirror-still glacier lakes backed by 2000m peaks.
We spent few lovely hours in Spania Dolina, this little picturesque village is situated 11 km north of Banska Bystrica, not far from Stare Hory, on the borderline of the Low Tatras and the Great Fatra, at an altitude of 728 m above sea level. It is an ancient copper mining village rich...
We got a sunny gap in bad weather during the visit to Banska Bystrica. The city lies in the Hron River valley, surrounded by mountains. It was an important mining center founded in the 13th century. There are some Gothic and 19th-century Renaissance-style buildings, including burghers’...
In rainy weather, we have arrived at a small village Hronsek with UNESCO listed Wooden articular Church. It is 8 meters high wooden structure built in the shape of a cross with arms 23 and 18 meters long. As there are many unusual motives from Scandinavian architecture, it is assumed that...
Today we spent a day and night in the Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica located in the mountains of Štiavnické Vrchy. This old medieval mining center grew into a town with Renaissance palaces, 16th-century churches, elegant squares, and castles. The urban center blends into the...
Our first stop on our testing trip was Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is set along the Danube River by the border with Austria and Hungary. It’s surrounded by vineyards and the Little Carpathian Mountains, crisscrossed with forested hiking and cycling trails. The pedestrian-only...