Slovakia or the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria to the west, the Czech Republic to the northwest, Hungary to the south, Poland to the north and Ukraine to the east.
Overview
Slovakia has nine national parks, which cover a relatively large portion of the country and feature the tallest part of the Carpathian Mountain Range, the High Tatras, which offer great opportunities for mountain and winter sports as well as great vistas. Geologically, a sizable part of Slovakia is made out of limestone, which in combination with many springs and rivers has resulted in formation of numerous caves (12 open to the public, several of which are UNESCO listed) and the beautiful rocky formations, canyons and waterfalls of the Slovak Paradise and Slovak Karst. Even outside these areas, there are some beautiful landscapes, and all of Slovakia is covered by thousands of well-marked hiking trails.
For history lovers, Slovakia has the highest number of castles and chateaux per capita in the world, ranging from simple ruins to well-preserved habitable castles with furnishings, so if you are a fan of medieval history, look no further. There are also numerous Gothic and Baroque cities and towns across Slovakia, including the capital. There are also well-preserved examples of wooden folk architecture, including churches made entirely out of wood and the tallest wooden altar in the world.
Trip Highlights
- Bratislava Castle
- Spiš Castle
- St Martin’s Cathedral
- Slovak Paradise National Park
- Grassalkovich Palace
- Aquapark Tatralandia
- Demänovská Cave Of Liberty
- Old Town Hall
- Devín Castle
- Bojnice Castle