How wrong we were to only give a few days
in such a varied and amazing part of the world...
in such a varied and amazing part of the world...
Slovakia wasn’t a huge excitement out of our list of countries to visit. Bratislava is all we really knew - and like many people, assumed the country played second violin to the Czech Republic. The High Tatras are apparently a highlight - but our knowledge of the entire country was severely lacking.
Pete had actually been in Bratislava a few months earlier. Care of his London friends, he was dragged around the city on a booze-fuelled weekend like is the tradition for a soon-to-be-wedded man. Needless to say, his memories of the city were a little foggy. Aside from shooting guns and nearly vomiting into his go-kart somewhere around lap 6, surely Bratislava had more to offer this time around.
With Emma’s mum and dad, sister Jacinta, and Emma and Pete all jammed into the little Škoda, we arrived from nearby Vienna, a short 1 hour drive well after dark. The drive itself was actually rather scenic - there is heavy industrial development connecting the two cities, with animal-friendly ‘green’ bridges over the highway. But the first evening was pretty much just checking into the central AirBnB Apartment and having a relatively early night. With dinner brought over from Vienna (tasty cheese and cured meat platter, washed down with the finest Viennese Wine - a Jacinta speciality) - we plonked out to bed after a long day.
Pete had actually been in Bratislava a few months earlier. Care of his London friends, he was dragged around the city on a booze-fuelled weekend like is the tradition for a soon-to-be-wedded man. Needless to say, his memories of the city were a little foggy. Aside from shooting guns and nearly vomiting into his go-kart somewhere around lap 6, surely Bratislava had more to offer this time around.
With Emma’s mum and dad, sister Jacinta, and Emma and Pete all jammed into the little Škoda, we arrived from nearby Vienna, a short 1 hour drive well after dark. The drive itself was actually rather scenic - there is heavy industrial development connecting the two cities, with animal-friendly ‘green’ bridges over the highway. But the first evening was pretty much just checking into the central AirBnB Apartment and having a relatively early night. With dinner brought over from Vienna (tasty cheese and cured meat platter, washed down with the finest Viennese Wine - a Jacinta speciality) - we plonked out to bed after a long day.
Our first day had us wandering around Bratislava, taking in the winding streets. Prague this is not - the city feels more in common with nearby Vienna - it even has the Euro. The city is clean, the buildings are lovingly restored and there’s a fairytale charm in the meandering streets. But the central town is small - we wandered toward the Presidential Palace and just by leaving the central circle, the true colours of Bratislava were shown.
There’s still a lot of work to be done - cracked pavement, roads and pedestrian crossings which don’t align, neglected building facades, this is the typical Eastern European experience, and it’s here in spades when you leave the sanctity of the centre. Pete went off to meet some friends for a photo project, and mentioned the main street which was under heavy renovation (i.e. it was entirely dug up like a Roman excavation site). Yes - the road has been like this for months, and no, there’s no sign of it being finished.
There’s still a lot of work to be done - cracked pavement, roads and pedestrian crossings which don’t align, neglected building facades, this is the typical Eastern European experience, and it’s here in spades when you leave the sanctity of the centre. Pete went off to meet some friends for a photo project, and mentioned the main street which was under heavy renovation (i.e. it was entirely dug up like a Roman excavation site). Yes - the road has been like this for months, and no, there’s no sign of it being finished.
Emma and her family in the meantime wandered up around the Bratislava castle to admire the views over town. Bratislava isn’t overly pretty per se, but there are some unique buildings which make the city an interesting place to wander through for a day: a circular courtyard where six alleyways meet, a residential block resembling an AT-AT Walker from the movie, Star Wars, and the UFO-looking ‘Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising’.
We smashed down an excellent coffee from a bearded street-cart seller and headed up the highway toward the Tatra Mountains, stopping in the town of Banská Bystrica, home of a strange looking museum also dedicated to the Slovak National Uprising. It’s a big deal - the 1944 event claimed the lives of 30,000 Slovaks, but we didn’t spend long here - as the sun disappeared behind the scenic Low Tatras, we meandered through the winding scenery of the High Tatras to our accommodation near the town of Vysoké Tatry (literally, translated as High Tatras).
We smashed down an excellent coffee from a bearded street-cart seller and headed up the highway toward the Tatra Mountains, stopping in the town of Banská Bystrica, home of a strange looking museum also dedicated to the Slovak National Uprising. It’s a big deal - the 1944 event claimed the lives of 30,000 Slovaks, but we didn’t spend long here - as the sun disappeared behind the scenic Low Tatras, we meandered through the winding scenery of the High Tatras to our accommodation near the town of Vysoké Tatry (literally, translated as High Tatras).
Our place felt like a mountain cottage, complete with a wood-fired central heater. With all the brochures left on the table, it was clear the Tatras had weeks of entertainment to offer. We only had two nights here, and were eager to make the most of it.
The morning had Emma and Pete up early for a morning jog up a slow, inclining road under blue skies and snow-capped mountains, passing the famous Slovakian wooden churches, while Emma’s parents wandered into town to see our breakfast options (the lady insisting they tried a home-made salami). Fuelled and ready for the day, everyone drove up to the town of Vysoké Tatry and attempted to find some information on hikes - and somewhere to park. Easier said than done.
The region is a bit of an enigma on the Internet. There is a lot of information on the High Tatras themselves, but very little on actual hikes, on where to go, what to see and how long it takes. We weren’t sure what to expect - was this going to be a Swiss-alps style ski resort, or a sleepy little township? The realty is somewhere in-between - there is an excellent information centre with passionate guides (we bought a map for the region and they highlighted a walk we’d be able to do), and there are a tonne of cafe’s and restaurants, but it was clearly off-season, so a lot of things were closed. Hiking in the region is extremely well-marked, and it’s a surprise there isn’t more information online which helps the foreign visitor.
The morning had Emma and Pete up early for a morning jog up a slow, inclining road under blue skies and snow-capped mountains, passing the famous Slovakian wooden churches, while Emma’s parents wandered into town to see our breakfast options (the lady insisting they tried a home-made salami). Fuelled and ready for the day, everyone drove up to the town of Vysoké Tatry and attempted to find some information on hikes - and somewhere to park. Easier said than done.
The region is a bit of an enigma on the Internet. There is a lot of information on the High Tatras themselves, but very little on actual hikes, on where to go, what to see and how long it takes. We weren’t sure what to expect - was this going to be a Swiss-alps style ski resort, or a sleepy little township? The realty is somewhere in-between - there is an excellent information centre with passionate guides (we bought a map for the region and they highlighted a walk we’d be able to do), and there are a tonne of cafe’s and restaurants, but it was clearly off-season, so a lot of things were closed. Hiking in the region is extremely well-marked, and it’s a surprise there isn’t more information online which helps the foreign visitor.
We took a funicular a short way up the mountain, and followed mountain paths which led toward Slavkovsky štit (2,452m) - a snow-covered peak we couldn’t approach, but were assured the valley walk toward a mountain lake was spectacular. And it delivered - lush greens and dark pinnacles, this is a landscape that inspires the overuse of cliche’s. We took photos like crazy as we ascended, pausing to catch our breath as the clouds rolled overhead - bathing us in sun one moment, bringing the threat of rain the next.
We met our first snow crossing - here we left Emma’s parents, who returned to a nearby hut, and continued up. Our map had the path squiggling back and forth and we now realised why - the path was barely recognisable as it rose steeply across loose rocks. We had to choose out foot placement wisely, and it was tough going, but looking back across the valley was breathtaking.
Meandering up and up, we met a group coming down who assured us it was ‘only a little further’, and eventually arrived at Studené Doliny - a mountain lake which looked nothing like the photos. Mainly because it was frozen over and covered in snow! We found a nook, sheltered from the wind and munched down on our packed sandwiches, care of Emma’s parents, thankfully always thinking about the next meal for their kids.
We met our first snow crossing - here we left Emma’s parents, who returned to a nearby hut, and continued up. Our map had the path squiggling back and forth and we now realised why - the path was barely recognisable as it rose steeply across loose rocks. We had to choose out foot placement wisely, and it was tough going, but looking back across the valley was breathtaking.
Meandering up and up, we met a group coming down who assured us it was ‘only a little further’, and eventually arrived at Studené Doliny - a mountain lake which looked nothing like the photos. Mainly because it was frozen over and covered in snow! We found a nook, sheltered from the wind and munched down on our packed sandwiches, care of Emma’s parents, thankfully always thinking about the next meal for their kids.
The filtered light from the patchy clouds danced along the snowy peaks. We thought how amazing it must be to do a 7-day hike across the entire High Tatras, staying in mountain huts. Everyone knows about the Swiss Alps, but this little pocket of the world is very much off the radar of people from far-away lands. Exploring this beautiful part of the world should be high on every Slovakian itinerary.
In fact, looking at a map made us realise how close we were to Krakow, in Poland, where we were only 2 months earlier - it’s only 100km’s away!
We descended the mountain quickly, attempting to make the last funicular - Emma’s parents had already left the hut, and we raced through the valley, watching the landscape change from desolate, rocky bleakness to lush forest - but we missed it by only a few minutes. Consigning ourselves to a well-deserved cold beer, we waited for the last one, 30 minutes later, and met Emma’s parents at the car.
Dinner was in a local restaurant near our small town - a hearty three course meal worked out to be around 5 Euro per person. But we didn’t have much left in us - a warm meal and beer after our long day had us ready for bed in no time.
In fact, looking at a map made us realise how close we were to Krakow, in Poland, where we were only 2 months earlier - it’s only 100km’s away!
We descended the mountain quickly, attempting to make the last funicular - Emma’s parents had already left the hut, and we raced through the valley, watching the landscape change from desolate, rocky bleakness to lush forest - but we missed it by only a few minutes. Consigning ourselves to a well-deserved cold beer, we waited for the last one, 30 minutes later, and met Emma’s parents at the car.
Dinner was in a local restaurant near our small town - a hearty three course meal worked out to be around 5 Euro per person. But we didn’t have much left in us - a warm meal and beer after our long day had us ready for bed in no time.
The next morning was our final one in Slovakia - we meandered from the High Tatras to the largest castle in central Europe - the incredible Spišsky Hrad, (Spis Castle), a behemoth of UNESCO goodness, with a commanding view over valleys in all directions. If there’s one castle to take your breath away, this is it. As we were short on time, we didn’t go inside, but found a small hill next to it, covered in wildflowers and admired the sensational view.
With morning coffee time looming, we stumbled across the town of Levoča - an absolute gem of (yet more UNESCO listed) beauty. We didn’t know what to expect, but driving through the city walls had us in a fairy land of restored squares, manicured gardens and painterly buildings. For something we randomly stopped at, Levoča had our jaws on the ground - a beautiful town, with possibly the worlds cheapest ice-cream (25 cents?)
The last part of our Slovakia trip had us winding for hours through the mountains toward what should have been a highlight of Slovakia - the Octinska Aragonite Caves, home to a unique mineral formation looking like something from an alien planet. But it wasn’t to be - there are very specific hours for visiting, which must be done in an organised tour. When we arrived, everything was shut and no one was around - a real kick in the teeth considering its remote location. But at least we got to stretch our legs from the constant winding mountain roads.
With morning coffee time looming, we stumbled across the town of Levoča - an absolute gem of (yet more UNESCO listed) beauty. We didn’t know what to expect, but driving through the city walls had us in a fairy land of restored squares, manicured gardens and painterly buildings. For something we randomly stopped at, Levoča had our jaws on the ground - a beautiful town, with possibly the worlds cheapest ice-cream (25 cents?)
The last part of our Slovakia trip had us winding for hours through the mountains toward what should have been a highlight of Slovakia - the Octinska Aragonite Caves, home to a unique mineral formation looking like something from an alien planet. But it wasn’t to be - there are very specific hours for visiting, which must be done in an organised tour. When we arrived, everything was shut and no one was around - a real kick in the teeth considering its remote location. But at least we got to stretch our legs from the constant winding mountain roads.
As the hills opened out into the agricultural plains of Central Europe, we made for the Hungarian border. Emma’s dad kept pointing out poppies dotting the landscape, and we soon stopped at a huge field full of thousands upon thousands of them. It made for a spectacular photos in the low afternoon sun.
Our nighttime arrival into Budapest was upon us in no time - the Hungarian highways whisked us into central Budapest before we knew it. Stay tuned for the next instalment...
Our nighttime arrival into Budapest was upon us in no time - the Hungarian highways whisked us into central Budapest before we knew it. Stay tuned for the next instalment...
That's all for Slovakia. Thanks for reading!