The Best of Slovakia: Culture, History, Architecture, Traditions
Overview
We will take you to the most noteworthy and interesting places in Slovakia: the Bratislava TV tower, which offers a birds’ eye view of the capital city, , the mining town of Banská Štiavnica which can pride itself on several unique characteristics, the village of Vlkolínec where time has stood still for 200 years, old Gothic churches, sometimes guarding their treasures in small villages in the middle of nowhere, fascinating natural landscape with high alpine-type mountains and deep valleys, mountain lakes and awe-inspiring caves, and small towns with a cosy atmosphere.
While listening to the melancholy sound of an authentic musical instrument - the shepherds' pipe called the "fujara", you can taste the most traditional Slovak dish: “bryndzové halušky” (gnocchi with sheep milk cheese).
Itinerary
- Arrival at Vienna airport
- Short transfer to the centre of Bratislava and sightseeing
Bratislava is one of the smallest and youngest capitals of Europe though there are written records of it dating back to the 13th century. During the city sightseeing we will walk through the cosy city centre to admire the Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral, Academia Istropolitana, the first university in the Kingdom of Hungary, the Opera House, the Main Square with its historical Roland fountain and the Primatial Palace, where the treaty with Napoleon was signed in 1805.
We will have our dinner in the restaurant of the TV tower while enjoying the views over Bratislava and its environs.
- Skalica sightseeing.
- .Traditional cake and a medieval restaurant
- .Wine tasting
The town of Skalica is one of the most beautiful and oldest in Slovakia. There are many interesting sights to admire: a Romanesque rotunda, a gothic church from the 14th century, the Jesuits' church and its catacombs, the town hall, the folk-art decorated House of Culture and the Pilarik brothers’ mill – an important industrial heritage monument.
The sightseeing includes a visit to a traditional "trdelník" bakery that serves and sells “trdelník”, a special spit-roasted cake that originated in Skalica. A boat trip on the Baťa canal, built in the beginning of the 20th century, will remind us of the famous shoe manufacturer BAŤA. We will have lunch in a medieval restaurant that serves the food and the beer made according to authentic medieval recipes.
The area is also a well-know wine region. Before tasting the best wines of the local wine producers we will make a short excursion to the vineyards.
- Optional spa treatment at Piešťany
- Trenčín and Trenčín castle sightseeing
Thermal water and its sulphuric mud have made Piešťany spa well-known far beyond the borders of Slovakia. The spa offers a wide range of procedures that you can sample during your visit to Piestany. Our next stop is the town of Trenčín. The view from Trenčín Castle is certainly worth a climb up the castle hill and the castle itself as well as the pretty town square make this town well worth a visit.
- Vlkolínec
- Easy walk in the mountains
The northern regions of Slovakia are famous for their natural beauty as well as many historical cultural sights. We will taste a typical sauerkraut pie in the picturesque village of Vlkolínec (“wolf village"), where we may feel as if time stopped 200 years ago. From here it is just an hour drive to the High Tatras, the smallest alpine-type mountains in the world. An easy walk around the mountain lake gives us a glimpse of the High Tatras peaks before we continue further east to have our dinner in the town of Levoča.
- Levoča sightseeing
- Spiš castle visit
- Traditional spirit tasting
Among the precious historical sights the city of Levoča and the Spiš region take the prime position. The Gothic church of St. James with the highest Gothic wooden altar in the world, Spiš Castle with the largest castle site in Central Europe and the early Gothic church in Žehra with its precious frescos cannot be left out of any visit to Slovakia. Moreover, while your staying in the Spiš region – you must sample a traditional spirit “Spišská borovička” and a traditional meal “bryndzové halušky” which taste you might find a bit odd as there are only a few countries in Europe where the special sheep milk cheese –“bryndza” is known.
- Aragonite cave in Ochtiná
- .Banská Štiavnica sightseeing
There are only a few aragonite caves in the world that are open to the public. One of them can be found in Slovakia - the Ochtiná Aragonite Cave is a unique natural phenomenon where a tour has been designed to highlight the richness and variety of aragonite structures, as well as the interesting evolution and development of cave spaces.
Returning to the surface from the cave, we continue the “underground” theme in Banská Štiavnica. This old mining town was once one of the most important silver-mining centres in the world. On this day, we will take just a short walk before dinner to get the feeling and the spirit of the city.
- Excursion to the mines
- Craft course
- Dinner with rich cultural program
Gold and silver mines, unique technical monuments, splendid folklore traditions, festivals and crafts – these are just some of the characteristics of this small town tucked away in the Štiavnické Vrchy Mountains. We will walk in the city and under the city – in the underground corridors that once led from the houses to the mines. In the afternoon, during a short craft course we can test our capabilities while trying some crafts with our own hands. After dinner, a rich and colourful cultural program will give us an idea of the rich mining and folklore traditions of the region.
- Departure
Gallery
Starý Hostinec Svätý Anton, Banská Štiavnica, SK
The gueshouse, whose name means the "Old Inn" is located at a site where an inn has always stood since the earliest times. Besides accommodation there is also a traditional Slovak restaurant. Everything looks like from many years ago when travellers and sellers would spend the night here before continuing on their journey to the market in Banská Štiavnica. Around the guesthouse, you can also see many items used by farmers in the past.
The capacity of the Inn is 38 beds in 12 attic rooms in traditional style (double and triple with extra beds), each one in the style of the Slovakian region it is named after - Detva, Myjava, Liptov, Spiš, Hont, Prenčov, Hrušov, Viničné, Krnišov.
There is also a relax centre called “Dobrô Telo” (Fit Body), where are massages and a sauna available.
U Leva Levoča, SK
This hotel will satisfy your desire for a unique atmosphere, elegance and luxury at a reasonable price. Every room has its own character and colours. From the windows of this family hotel, you can see most of the beautiful square, which is dominated by the renaissance town hall, the bell-tower, cage of shame and the Gothic church of St. James, with its unique collection of medieval Gothic winged altars and the tallest Gothic altar in the world.
The bed capacity is 53 beds in 5 apartments, 16 double rooms and 2 single rooms. The hotel has fitness and sauna facilities and an excellent restaurant.
Hotel Sv. Michal *** Skalica, SK
The hotel offers a pleasant environment, full comfort, complete service, stylish furnishing and modern gastronomic standards.
There are 14 rooms with total capacity of 32 beds available for the hotel guests. Seven attic rooms are air-conditioned. The relaxation centre in the hotel’s attic the place where you can recharge your energy and bring relief not only to your body but also to your mind. There is a hydro massage tub, Finnish sauna, hydro massage cabin with a steam sauna, massage chair and solarium (vertical turbo).
In the hotel restaurant you can enjoy specialities of the traditional Slovak as well as European cuisine.
Guest House Pod Hradom *** Trenčín, SK
The guest house is located in the centre of the historic part of the town Trenčín, directly below the castle of Matúš Čák and about 100m from the hotel “Pod Hradom”. It is dedicated to meet the needs of Slovak tourists and also tourists from all around the world. In the guest house there are single- and double rooms and suites as well. The relaxation centre in the hotel offers you a chance to relax and spend pleasant stress free time while enjoying one of our wellness treatments. Indulge your self and relax in our sauna, where you can detoxify your body and forget about every day stress. After a hot sauna you can rest in the Jacuzzi hot tub. Regain new energy and the nice bubble bath will bring up a peaceful atmosphere. After the sauna and hot tub bath there are wooden benches ready for you in our relaxation room. Wrapped in a towel you can enjoy the silence and tranquility.
Austria Trend Hotel **** Bratislava, SK
The Austria Trend Hotel Bratislava is located at the beginning of the pedestrian area in the heart of the city centre and is an ideal base for business travellers or for those, who would like to indulge in sightseeing. The 199 Deluxe, Executive and Executive Deluxe rooms at the new Austria Trend Hotel Bratislava feature every conceivable modern comfort including room service from 6.30 am to 10.00 pm and complimentary high speed Wi-Fi in all rooms and public hotel areas. With the elegant Executive Club with its own lounge and the exclusive Executive rooms and Executive Deluxe rooms, the hotel meets even the highest demands. The hotel offers 161 Deluxe rooms, measuring 25 m², 26 Executive rooms, measuring 28 m² and 12 Executive Deluxe rooms.
Dates & Prices
| Dates | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| On Request |
on request
|
The price includes
- private bus transfer and English speaking tour guide for the entire trip (Swedish, Finnish speaking guides on request)
- accomodation as listed or similar
- full board
- entry fees to St. Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava, rotunda in Skalica, Trenčín castle, Vlkolínec open air museum + traditional cake, St. James' church in Levoča, castle Spišský hrad, church in Žehra, cave Ochtiná
- cruise through the Baťa Canal
- folklor program, craft course and sightseeing in Banská Štiavnica with underground tour
- sightseeing in Levoča
The price does not include
- air ticket or other transportation cost to Slovakia
- optional visa
- travel and health insurrance
- drinks
- spa treatments in Piešťany (price list will be sent on request).
All bookings are subject to availability and written confirmation. Dates and prices for private groups will be sent on request.