Crossing Slovakia in 5 Days
Our route through Slovakia was a dictated by a route from Vienna to Kraków. The obvious first stop was the capital city of Bratislava, just across the Austrian border. Like many Central European main cities, a castle sits on a hill overlooking the old town centre. In Bratislava, the castle also overlooks the Danube River and the bridges connecting south to north. The most notable is the Nový Most bridge, often identified by the "UFO" that sits atop it. This bridge is the longest cable-supported suspension bridge of its kind and the first asymmetrical bridge ever built.
The old town of Bratislava is full of charms and a mix of architectural styles- from the Gothic style of the Old Town Hall to the Baroque features of the Trinitarian Church of Bratislava. Another favourite is the bronze Man At Work sculpture of a man poking out of a manhole in the street. While we wandered through the main square, a children's choir competition was in full swing. We also stopped for some frites at Orbis Street Food (technically Belgian, but with 10 sauce choices you can't go wrong).
Another stand out building to visit, slightly outside the old town, is the Blue Church, or the Church of St. Elizabeth. Completed in 1913, the blue church was built in Hungarian Art Nouveau style, but slightly resembles a very festive children's birthday cake. |
Our next stop was two hours east of Bratislava- the town of Banská Štiavnica. Situated in the Štiavnica Mountains, the town sits in the middle of a caldera created by the collapse of an ancient volcano. Banská Štiavnica is a completely preserved medieval town, castle included, and a proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site. Evidence of mining activities are obvious around the town, including the Slovak Mining Museum.
Another unusual attraction is the Love Bank- claiming to be the only love safe in the world. Love Boxes (decorated with the verses of MARÍNA- the world's longest love poem, written in 1846) are filled with tokens of peoples' love and stored in the love safe.
Another unusual attraction is the Love Bank- claiming to be the only love safe in the world. Love Boxes (decorated with the verses of MARÍNA- the world's longest love poem, written in 1846) are filled with tokens of peoples' love and stored in the love safe.
We travelled another 2 hours northeast, to the small town of Poprad, near the southern Polish border. From there we took the local bus to Spišské Podhradie for a day exploring the countryside and Spiš Castle. We seemed to miss the actual road, and aimlessly wandered through a large, green field trying to reach the castle in the distance. The current castle was built in the 12th century, on top the site of an earlier castle. It is one of the largest castle sites in Europe. The views of the Slovakian countryside from the top of the castle are phenomenal.
After a long day of wandering through fields and castle corridors, we returned for our final night in Poprad. The town itself offers one main street with restaurants and shops- as well as a "fill your own bottle" milk vending machine. To our delight, there was a small craft brewery, Egidius Brewery, on the main street about 100m from our AirBnb.
From Poprad, we crossed the Southern border of Poland to Kraków. With more time, we would have travelled further east to the fortified medieval town of Bardejov, to Nitra Castle in the west and the traditional houses of Čičmanyin the northwest. Next time, I suppose!
From Poprad, we crossed the Southern border of Poland to Kraków. With more time, we would have travelled further east to the fortified medieval town of Bardejov, to Nitra Castle in the west and the traditional houses of Čičmanyin the northwest. Next time, I suppose!
Questions about travelling in Slovakia? Email us and we will be happy to help!