The attractions of Slovakia: what to see in Slovakia

Slovakia is a small country but it has interesting natural and artistic attractions inside. The country has clearly Habsburg-style towns, castles, mountains, lakes, caves and karst phenomena, ancient medieval villages with wonderful wooden architecture.

Among the cities of Slovakia, the capital, Bratislava, which stands along the Danube and is dominated by a medieval fortress has interesting Renaissance and Baroque buildings. This city represents the starting point of any itinerary to discover Slovakia.

The attractions of Slovakia include beautiful historic cities. Among these are Bardejov which has an intact medieval center. Banská Bystrica, historic city with a wonderful square and tourist center of the Low Tatras. Nitra, dominated by a castle and with beautiful churches. While Košice, located in the eastern part of the country, has a well-preserved historical center. Other beautiful towns are Banská Štiavnica, Levoča and Trnava.

THE HIGH TATRAS

The High Tatras are, after Bratislava, the most popular attraction for tourists visiting Slovakia. These sharp mountains, rich in woods and with crystal clear lakes, are now protected by a national park, and are a paradise for hikers and winter sports enthusiasts. The Vysoké Tatry ski area is the main winter sports center in the country.

WONDERFUL CASTLES AND WOODEN CHURCHES

Spiš Castle (Spišský Hrad) is one of the largest medieval castle complexes in central Europe and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fairytale Bojnice Castle, in one of Slovakia’s oldest spa towns, is another magical place, as is Oravský Podzámok Castle located near the Polish border and considered to be the most beautiful castle in the country. In Slovakia there are valuable wooden architectures such as those found in the village of Vlkolínec and in the wooden churches of the Carpathians, which UNESCO has included among the World Heritage sites.

THERMAL TOURISM

Thermal tourism is another important item of the country’s tourism industry. The thermal spas of Rajecké Teplice and Turčianske Teplice are located in the north-central part of the country, near the beautiful town of Žilina. Not far from the border with the Czech Republic is the Trenčianske Teplice spa. Close to the beautiful historic city of Banská Bystrica are the spa resorts of Sliač and Sklené Teplice. Slovakia’s most important spa is located just north-east of the capital Bratislava and is the small town of Piešťany. Other major spas are Bojnice, Dudince and Bardejovské Kúpele, near Bardejov.

The Slovak Karst area (Slovenský kras) forms the largest karst area in Central Europe. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is made up of over a thousand karst caves. The accessible caves are those of Domica, Jasovská, Gombasecká and Krásnohorská.

The climate of Slovakia.