Small country - great experience!
Slovakia is a multifaceted, exciting and at the same time affordable tourist destination: from "our" Uzhgorod to "their" Kosice is just a couple of hours on the highway. From there, another 5 hours to Bratislava. But is it worth the haste?
The neighboring country is still considered a place only for winter recreation (skiing! ), but we wanted to travel at the beginning of summer. Slowly, with pleasure. And after 2 weeks of “working on the topic”, we approved a weekly route under the conditional name “Slovakia in 4 dimensions”.
They chose a train as a means of transportation (according to the principle of a regular schedule / price / quality) and a car (I wanted to get into the remote corners of Slovakia, and arrange a photo shoot along the way).
We started from Kyiv, together. Along the way, our old friends joined us, and new acquaintances appeared in different areas.
During the week of our wandering around Slovakia and even a short visit to neighboring Austria (we went to Vienna for a day for coffee, cakes and an exhibition at the Leopold Museum), we managed to travel the country HORIZONTALLY - from east to west (if you drive non-stop, you can manage in 6 hours! ) and from north to south and VERTICALLY - up, to the cool streams and lakes of the high Tatras and underground, to the mines of Banska Stiavnica, where silver was once mined.
As a result, our tour turned out to be both active and sybaritic. Gourmet drinking with a view of the golf course at the foot of the Tatras (with thoughts “Why not seriously study the rules and try yourself in this game of aristocrats under a picturesque mountain range? ”), swimming in the mornings in mineral water pools in Pieš ť any, a leisurely breakfast on a terrace overlooking the Danube in Bratislava, and from there - a short "foray" into the center of Vienna, instilled in the soul a secret desire to return to these parts at the first opportunity.
Who / why should I go?
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+ Nice and cool
Picturesque forests an hour's drive from any of the cities, the purest mountain rivers and lakes, the slopes of Fatra covered with centuries-old fir trees and snow-capped Tatra peaks, an abundance of thermal springs (for real mineral water we went in the morning, like at home to a bakery for a baguette for breakfast! ) will please supporters of ECO-style rest.
++Interesting
To understand the intricacies of the colorful history of a small nation in the center of Europe will be interesting for inquisitive FANS OF OLD OLD. Romanesque warriors and medieval knights, eminent counts and dukes left their mark on the land of Slovakia, and emperors, eminent writers, composers and scientists came to hunting estates and to the waters in the spurs of the mountains.
Walks in such lovely towns as Levoca and Banska Stiavnica, with their unique temples and museums, or along the impregnable ramparts of the medieval fortress of Spissky Castle, or in the alleys of parks around the palaces of subjects of the Austrian crown, turned out to be no less fascinating than the fashionable routes of Western Europe.
+++ Modern & dynamic
Every now and then we were drawn into the cycle by some of the “events” of the Slovak festival summer (Slovaks have rich dance and song traditions! ), We were haunted by soulful cuisine, fragrant wines and good beer, the weather spoiled us.
… In a word, we liked the nearest neighbor Slovakia with a variety of places, availability of choice (transport, comfort level, speed of movement) and rich opportunities for improvisation. Didn't want to leave. Grieve too!
We realized that we can and should return here as soon as we find a few free days and a new topic for travel. Which one to choose has not yet been decided. And there are many temptations: autumn premieres at the Kosice Opera House, a golf course at the oldest club in Slovakia on the Black Stork course, master classes with potters in Spissky Grad, or a beauty and health course at the wellness center Brusno or Pieš ť any. . .
One thing is clear - all year round in Slovakia there is what you need for a good trip at an affordable price.