Stay : Discovering Slovakia
This route from west to east allows you to go deeper and more typical into Slovakia. It is organized around major sites listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites. This route offers the possibility to see the greatest historical, cultural and natural wealth of the country.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
13 days
€ - Good and cheap
Where to stay - Bratislava ?
The map of your stay - Slovaquie
Detail of the stay : Discovering Slovakia - 13 days
Day 1: Bratislava
Steps: Bratislava
Capital and gateway to the country, Bratislava, with around 455,000 inhabitants, is Slovakia's largest city. Stroll through the old town, where all the most beautiful sites and museums are concentrated, St. Martin's Cathedral, the main square with the presidential palace, then the castle overlooking the city and the Danube. The historic center is small, but offers the chance to let yourself be carried away by the charm of its typical architecture. For a breathtaking view of the capital, climb to the top of Slavin Hill, where a Red Army monument has been erected in memory of the soldiers who liberated Slovakia.
CATHÉDRALE SAINT-MARTIN (DÓM SV. MARTINA)
Day 2: Around Bratislava
Steps: Bratislava, Devín
Possibility of visiting the ruined castle of Devin, about 25 minutes away by bus, line 29, departing from the new bridge. The castle is strategically located at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers. The Danubiana Museum of Contemporary Art, located on a small peninsula to the south of Bratislava, is also an excursion of choice. In addition to permanent exhibitions, works by major international names are on temporary display.
Round trip distance for each tour approx. 50 km.
Day 3: Trencin
130 kilometers from Bratislava, the small town of Trencin welcomes you in a relaxed atmosphere. Stroll along its narrow medieval streets to the rock-side castle, beautifully lit at night. At the end of the day, take a seat on one of the many terraces in the town center and watch the life of this charming village unfold before your eyes.
The magnificent Beckov Castle, a few kilometers from Trencin, is one of Slovakia's medieval wonders.
CHÂTEAU DE BECKOV (BECKOVSKÝ HRAD)
Day 4: High Tatras
Steps: Tatranská Lomnica
We could recommend that you spend your entire holiday in the Tatras, this paradise for hikers. A natural park made up of three mountain ranges, the Tatras offer magnificent mountain peaks, azure lakes and a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna. The Tatras can be fully appreciated from some very pleasant back bases: Tatranska Lomnica, Stary Smokovec or Zdiar for a stay in a beautifully restored village of traditional wooden houses.
Day 5: Dunajec Gorge
On the border between Slovakia and Poland, the Dunajec River is the perfect base from which to experience the joys of whitewater sports. In this picturesque setting, the river flows through dizzyingly high canyons. From April to October, you can paddle down the Dunajec on traditional wooden rafts run by locals between the towns of Cerveny Klastor and Lesnica. Ideal for an authentic experience off the beaten track.
Day 6: Levoca and Spis Castle
Steps: Žehra, Košice, Levoča, Bardejov
Levoca lies right in the heart of the country, along the E50 road between Bratislava and Kosice. This magnificent little town is perfectly preserved in its medieval architecture. The town center is packed with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Soak up the town's special atmosphere on the impressive Namestie Majstra Pavla main square and its beautiful town hall. Don't miss the Cage of Infamy, where women responsible for minor crimes were put on public display.
On the way to Bardejov, stop off at the magnificent Spis Castle overlooking the surrounding valley. A monumental complex, the fortress belonged to the wealthy Saxons who populated the Spis territories in the Middle Ages.
CHÂTEAU DE SPIŠ (SPIŠSKÝ HRAD)
Day 7: Slovak Paradise
Steps: Stratená, Slovensky Raj
One of the most beautiful regions of the country, a paradise for hikers. No wonder this nature park was given the name of slovensky raj (Slovak paradise). Numerous well-marked trails take you on Indiana Jones-like hikes through deep forests, through impressive gorges and over dizzying wooden ladders and bridges.
The Dobsinska Ladova Jaskyna ice cave, in the same nature park, reveals magical interiors of unforgettable ice and rock formations.
GROTTE DE GLACE (DOBŠINSKÁ L'ADOVÁ JASKYŇA)
Day 8: Bardejov and the wooden churches
One of Slovakia's best-preserved medieval towns, Bardejov boasts a breathtaking central square: 40 small, perfectly arranged Gothic houses surrounding thetown hall at its center. Start your visit at the Basilica of St. Giles and climb the steps to its tower for a magnificent view of the town and surrounding countryside. You can also visit the Museum of Icons on the opposite side of the square, for a fascinating collection of art objects. The names on the walls of the Memorial to the Deportation of Jews during the Second World War show just how important the Jewish community was in Bardejov before the war. Today, there are none left, but history buffs who want younger generations to remember this tragedy are working hard to renovate the 200-year-old synagogue and adjacent buildings.
Around Bardejov and Svidník are some of the most beautiful wooden churches in the entire region. Often nestled in small, isolated villages, they are examples of folk architecture, built entirely of wood without the use of a single nail!
Day 9: Poloniny Park
Steps: Medzilaborce
On the borders of Slovakia, Ukraine and Poland lies one of the continent's most remote and unspoilt parks, Poloniny National Park. Planted with primary beech forests, it's brimming with traditional wooden churches built over the centuries. Ask for the key to one of these architectural wonders at a nearby house. At 1,221 metres, Mount Kremenec dominates the Nature Park. At the summit you'll be right on the border between the three countries.
It's also the ideal place to discover Slovakia's mysterious Ruthenian minority and its most illustrious representative, Andy Warhol, from the village of Medzilaborce, where a somewhat eccentric museum is dedicated to him.
Day 10: Kosice
Steps: Košice
The country's second-largest city, Kosice sits on the eastern border of the European Union. Still marked by the years of Communism and its ultra-concrete suburbs, the city center has been embellished by successive renovations. In the purest French Gothic style, Kosice's cathedral, Sainte-Elisabeth, is a must-see. Built in 1380, it is marked by Protestant and Catholic influences and has undergone several successive renovations. Stroll through the charming Hlavna Square, brimming with restaurants, cafés and boutiques. A city at the crossroads, Kosice cultivates its multiculturalism with large Hungarian, German and Roma minorities.
CATHÉDRALE STE-ÉLISABETH (DÓM SVÄTEJ ALŽBETY)
Day 11: Presov
Steps: Prešov
On the road, the town of Presov, whose downtown is very well preserved, is worth a detour.
Day 12: The Slovak Karst
Steps: Zádiel, Jaskyňa Domica, Ochtiná
This last stage takes you into the heart of nature in the Slovak Karst, whose many caves are listed by Unesco. From Košice, around 45 minutes away, a small country road leads for 2 km through the Zadielska canyon. This is a superb area, and can be the starting point for a number of hikes. Then, about 45 minutes from this canyon, the Domica cave is the largest in the Slovak Karst. Carved out by the underground river Styx, it straddles the border between Slovakia and Hungary. When the water flow is sufficient, you can take a boat trip to admire its unique stalactites and stalagmites. An hour's drive from Zadiel, the Ochtinska aragonite cave is simply exceptional. It is one of the three most beautiful aragonite caves in the world. It is 230 m long. You can admire crystallizations reminiscent of coral and sea anemones.
CANYON DE ZÁDIEL (ZÁDIELSKA TIESŇAVA) / GROTTE DE DOMICA (JASKYŇA DOMICA) / GROTTE D'ARAGONITE (OCHTINSKÁ JASKYŇA)
Day 13: Roznava
Steps: Rožňava
Roznava makes a good back-up base, a quiet little town with a pleasant central square, in the heart of a region with a large Hungarian minority.
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