DAY 1

Bratislava

We will wait for you at your desired meeting location (airport, train station, bus station, hotel) in Vienna, Bratislava or Budapest with a welcome drink and will bring you safely to the historical center of the capital city of Slovakia – Bratislava, where your hotel is located. Leave your baggage in the hotel room and walk with us in the streets of this beautiful city at your own pace – there’s plenty to explore!

The most iconic of all Bratislava’s highlights is undoubtedly the Bratislava Castle. Perched on a hill right above the Danube river, the castle dating from 9th century offers splendid views over the historical center. We continue our stroll in the former Jewish quarter, talk about the communist regime when admiring the UFO bridge and visit the St. Martin’s Cathedral, Bratislava’s largest church, which dominates the skyline of the old town. Wandering the cobbled streets you will not miss the Slovak National Theatre, St. Michael’s Gate, Old Town Hall, Presidential Palace and a number of unusual and bizarre statues that make you smile.

Enjoy your evening as you wish. Go for a drink in one of Bratislava’s famous pubs and fall in love with our tasty Slovak beer. You will not believe your eyes how cheap it is! We have prepared a special brochure for you listing recommended pubs, cafés, restaurants, and tips how to spend your time and enjoy the atmosphere of the city.

DAY 2

Banská Štiavnica (UNESCO), Hronsek (UNESCO) & Banská Bystrica

We leave Bratislava and drive to Banská Štiavnica – a completely preserved medieval town. Thanks to the characteristic architecture and a rich mining history typical for this region, the town of Banská Štiavnica has been included in UNESCO World Heritage list. We agree – it’s one of the most charming places you have ever seen. Today you have the option of exploring the town’s stunning range of attractions at your own pace. We take a walk around the Trinity square, visit the Gothic church of St. Catherine from the late 15th century or the Town Hall before we taste the real jewel of Slovak beers in a local brewery. Here you will be served many different varieties of beer with long tradition – Lager, Weizen, Special Dark or Beer distillate – all made with special care.

After lunch, we will visit the open-air mining museum, where we pick up helmets, cloaks, and lamps and enter the underground excursion in mines. Dressed up as real miners we will descend to one of its pits dated from the 17th century.

Our tour continues to the village of Hronsek, where a beautiful wooden church inscribed to UNESCO World Heritage List is located. This unique church was built only of wood, without using a single iron nail. Listen to the stories of the fights between the Catholics and Protestants and admire the fabulous interior. It can accommodate more than a thousand worshippers!

We finish the day in the city of Banská Bystrica. This city is surrounded by two beautiful mountain ranges, Great Fatra and Low Tatras. We will explore the historical center with its fantastic renaissance appearance and enjoy the meal in a local restaurant.

DAY 3

Orava Castle, Vlkolínec (UNESCO) & Ždiar

Do you remember Max Schreck in a role of Dracula (Count Orloy) welcoming his guest on an old abandoned castle with a nightmare-like atmosphere in a world-famous movie Nosferatu Symphony of Horror? Well, we are going to visit that castle! The Orava Castle. But no worries! It has nothing in common with a dark atmosphere of its movie role, but it offers breathtaking views on the region and nearby located White Tatras! Orava Castle, also called eagle nest because of its position on the top of the cliff, was owned by many aristocrats, county heads and noblemen, protecting important road to Poland and serving as an administrative and military center for the region. Take some pictures from the citadel on the top of the castle hill, your friends will not believe their eyes how huge this castle is!

We continue our tour to a typical Slovak village called Vlkolínec. It is a remarkably intact settlement of 45 buildings with the traditional features of a Slovak village located in the mountains. Vlkolinec was included in UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993 as being the best preserved and most comprehensive unit of its kind in the whole region. You will have a chance to hear stories about our crazy Slovak traditions.

We spend this night in Ždiar, a tiny and picturesque village, which is perfectly located in The National Park of High Tatras. You will be surrounded by the lofty peaks and marvelous wooden architecture typical of this beautiful mountain village.

DAY 4

Spiš Castle (UNESCO), The medieval town of Levoča (UNESCO) & Rafting on traditional wooden rafts in Pieniny

Today we drive east to visit the biggest medieval castle in the Central Europe – Spiš Castle. Keep your eyes open while the road leads us through the beautiful scenery of the High Tatras, the mountains we are proud of. As the Greeks have their Olympus and the Japanese their Fuji, the Slovaks also have their holy mountain – Kriváň – the peak in a shape you recognize instantly. In a few minutes, you will be overwhelmed by the incredible size of Spiš Castle. It has become the number one Slovak location for movies set in medieval times, such as The Last Legion and Dragonheart. Thanks to its turbulent history and fascinating architecture, it’s no wonder the castle was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.

Just a few minutes from Spiš Castle is a town of Levoča. In medieval times, the town of Levoča belonged to the prominent European towns. It is still almost completely surrounded by medieval walls and the town is included in the UNESCO List in its entirety. The St. James church is a home of the highest wooden altar in the world. It was built of lime wood without the use of a single iron nail.

After a short drive to the village of Červený Kláštor, we hop on wooden rafts and drift down the river surrounded by the peaks of Pieniny mountains. The tour on the raft is 14 km long and takes around 2 hours. Once you get into the raft you get welcomed by the tour guide who will direct the raft and also explain and describe what you see. These guys are locals who have rafting in their genes. They all wear old local clothes and black hats decorated with little white shells. The shells have special meaning, every shell stands for one voyage to the north and to the see. Raftsmen dressed in traditional goral costumes talk during a raft ride about local history, rare fauna and flora, as well as legends and tales connected with surrounding rocks.

DAY 5

Bardejov (UNESCO), Wooden churches in Hervartov (UNESCO), Krive & Lukov

Today we explore the area around the town of Bardejov. Bardejov is a small town but with exceptionally complete and well-preserved fortified medieval center included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. We visit the majestic gothic basilica of St. Egidius (UNESCO), the Renaissance City Hall with late-gothic artistic and architectural details included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and a Jewish quarter around a fine 18th-century synagogue.

Each part of Slovakia has hidden jewels, which are characteristic for that area and are incomparable with others. Wooden churches and belfries are such jewels of Eastern Slovakia, as they are unique and typical especially for this territory. During our trip today we visit wooden churches in Hervartov (UNESCO), Lukov and Krive.

The churches were built between the 16th and 18th centuries. The most of them are located in small isolated villages. Wood is the main construction material. The wooden churches represent traditional construction techniques. Interiors of the churches are decorated with wall and ceiling paintings and works of art that enrich the cultural significance of the properties.

DAY 6

The High Tatras, Demänovska Cave of Liberty & Nitra

After breakfast, we drive to Štrbské Pleso, the highest located mountain settlement in the High Tatras. Here you are free to explore – walk around the Štrbské Pleso lake, hire a boat, visit Lakes of Love, take a chair lift to the upper parts of the mountains or drink a coffee in restaurants and cafés with panoramic views.

Afterwards, we travel to the National Park of Low Tatras to visit the unique Demänovská Cave of Liberty. Don’t forget to take some warm clothes because the average temperature in the cave is close to only 7 °C. Thanks to its spectacular dripstone decorations this cave belongs to the most beautiful caves in Europe. A rich complex of stalactites and stalagmites together with little karst lakes creates an ideal environment for bats. Be patient, you will perhaps spot one of them hanging upside down!

It’s time to return back to the Western Slovakia. We make a stop in the oldest town in Slovakia – Nitra. Explore thousands of years of history. Have you heard about the oldest church in Slovakia? Do you know the legend of Corgoň? Listen to the stories of famous people who visited Nitra and enjoy the stunning views over the city from the Nitra castle. A visit to the cathedral on the top of the castle hill provides an opportunity to step back in time and gain an insight into its history of people who have worshipped here over the centuries and treasures you can still find there.

DAY 7

Museum of Holocaust in Sereď

Not many people in the world know that Slovakia was also a location of three concentration camps during the WWII. Today we visit the only remaining one in Sered. This museum of holocaust charts the dark history of Jewish transports from Slovakia during the WWII. It is one of the best museums for history lovers to be found in our lovely country.

Our Highlights of Slovakia tour ends at your desired drop-off point (airport, station, hotel) in Bratislava, Vienna or Budapest. Enjoy your return home with great memories from your journey in Slovakia!