Mountainous country in Central Europe with great outdoor sport facilities, cities filled with historical sights and reasonably priced shopping facilities, as well as beautiful castles and exciting caves, Slovakia provides lovely travel destinations not yet fully discovered. Whether you visit Slovakia for winter sports, architectural sights, hiking, nightlife, or traditional village life, there is much to be experienced!
Nature and sports. In addition to the cities, Slovakia attracts with its excellent facilities for outdoor sports, which are best available at the northern part of the country, where Slovakia's most popular national park, the High Tatras shines with its natural attractions located on the slopes of 2,500 meters high mountains. Apart from the views, the best side of this mountainous area is that it is covered with excellent network of trails, which make the High Tatras an outdoor paradise suitable not only to adventure-minded outdoor sport enthusiasts, but also to those who want to admire the views and take the most out of comfortable tourist services such as the spas of the area. The spa town of Rajecké Teplice and the Slovak Paradise National Park are also well worth a visit while travelling in Slovakia.
The main airport of Slovakia is located in Bratislava, and receives flights to Slovakia from most major European airports. If you want a wider selection of flights, you can also fly to Vienna (Austria), which is located only 60 kilometers away from Bratislava. In addition to airways, Slovakia is also reachable by train from Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine. For moving around in the country, Slovakia has a good network of railways covering most parts of the country.
Land of mountain scenery, historical cities and outdoor sports - Slovakia
Slovakia's most popular travel destination is its charming capital Bratislava, a beautiful city located in the southwestern part of Slovakia where Tatra Mountains turn into hills, and where Donau River flows between the vineyards. Bratislava is an attractive historical city with more palaces, castles and religious monuments to be admired than most of us are able to absorb in a couple of days. Finalizing the appeal, the Slovakian capital is also filled with outstanding facilities for culture and sports. If you want to combine city life with historic attractions and outdoor sports, you can try also other Slovakian cities, such as Banska Bystrica, Košice or Žilina.Nature and sports. In addition to the cities, Slovakia attracts with its excellent facilities for outdoor sports, which are best available at the northern part of the country, where Slovakia's most popular national park, the High Tatras shines with its natural attractions located on the slopes of 2,500 meters high mountains. Apart from the views, the best side of this mountainous area is that it is covered with excellent network of trails, which make the High Tatras an outdoor paradise suitable not only to adventure-minded outdoor sport enthusiasts, but also to those who want to admire the views and take the most out of comfortable tourist services such as the spas of the area. The spa town of Rajecké Teplice and the Slovak Paradise National Park are also well worth a visit while travelling in Slovakia.
Reasonably priced and comfortable European destination
Weather in Slovakia is changeable with cool winters and warm summers. During the summertime average monthly high temperatures in Slovakia stay above 20°C for five months (May-September), which form the best time to travel to Slovakia. Unless of course you are planning to test Slovakian winter activities, which are best available between December and March when the mercury sometimes drops to below zero temperatures, or even much lower if you go up the mountains.The main airport of Slovakia is located in Bratislava, and receives flights to Slovakia from most major European airports. If you want a wider selection of flights, you can also fly to Vienna (Austria), which is located only 60 kilometers away from Bratislava. In addition to airways, Slovakia is also reachable by train from Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine. For moving around in the country, Slovakia has a good network of railways covering most parts of the country.
Photo: jmenard48, used under Creative Commons License (By SA 2.0)
Train tickets are available at a reasonable price, which makes railways the best alternative available for traveling public between the main cities of Slovakia. For local transportation in Slovakian cities, the best way is by bus. Rental cars are also widely available in Slovakia.
Tourist services in Slovakia are quite good, with comfortable hotels found in most cities of the country. Nightlife and shopping facilities are best available in Bratislava, but generally, all Slovakian cities host lively nightlife and proper alternatives for shopping. Most big Slovak cities also host 24 hours a day open mega markets that provide you with a chance to buy almost anything you might need except for maybe some luxury items and designer fashion. Slovakia is a quite safe country as violent attacks targeted to tourists are very rare. However, pick-pocketing does happen in cities. Remember also that weather in high mountain regions of Slovakia changes fast.
Eastern and western influences: History of Slovakia in brief
Once ruled by the Moravian and Austro-Hungarian Empires, and later a part of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia has during its long history had ties to both Western and Eastern European cultures. This influence is visible in the modern day Slovakia, which has maintained much of its communist era constructions, but which ever since the peaceful splitting of Czechoslovakia in 1993 has walked along its own independent path. Although close to their neighbors the Czechs, the Slavic Slovaks are proud of their own culture and language. Today, Slovakia is a member of the European Union and part of the Euro currency zone.hint See also these nearby destinations: Banska Bystrica, Zakopane (Tatra mountains), High Tatras (Poprad), Budapest
