“Slovakia, you say? That name sounds familiar…” Of course it does: independent since 1993, this Central European country—bordering Hungary, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria (Vienna is less than an hour from Bratislava, a great idea for a day trip!)—was for decades one half of Czechoslovakia. But make no mistake: although this EU member state is only about thirty years old, its past stretches back more than a thousand years.
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Slovak
As a result, Slovaks enjoy a remarkable heritage shaped during the time of Great Moravia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. You can visit centuries-old villages such as Pribylina, Čičmany, Vlkolínec or Svätý Kríž to discover traditional wooden houses and churches. You can explore the fortresses of Spiš, Devín and Orava, just as many knights once did. And you can dream of princesses and fairy tales in the gardens of Bojnice, the most romantic of all Slovak castles.
A Slovak road trip
What else can you do in Slovakia? Travel across the country from city to city—it’s the best way to experience its nature. Take the road or the train and connect the two largest Slovak cities: Bratislava, the capital, and Košice, the country’s vibrant memory with its Gothic monuments, charming colorful façades typical of the Romantic era, and its street art.
Stop along the way to visit Trnava, nicknamed the “Little Rome of Slovakia” because of its many churches, or Banská Bystrica, a bourgeois gem full of charm. And above all, between two stops, immerse yourself in nature in the Tatra Mountains, the country’s local mountain range. Slovakia is a green land, rich in vast primary forests and nine national parks that cover nearly a quarter of its territory. One of these natural gems even has an evocative name: Slovak Paradise National Park. A promise in itself.
