Best places to see in Slovakia – Your travel guide

The country is situated within the boundaries of Europe. It has many beautiful cities, castles, forests, palaces and is rich in history. It comes from the list of the smallest countries in Europe. Slovakia holds wonderful nature from among the world. This country has a lot of natural water reserves, protected zones, and monuments. Slovakia holds about nine National Parks & around six thousand caves. Slovakia is rich in beauty and many places can be visited but for the convenience of tourists deciding to visit the country, we have listed down the best places to see in Slovakia.

10 Best places to see in Slovakia

• Bratislava

Around the city, you can find River Danube that flows through Bratislava, further along, you will get to see the lovely view of villages, greenery of fields and farms. Bratislava is the largest and the capital city. It is one of the cities that can be explored for it has different sides to it. On the top of the hill right in the center of the city, you will get to see a castle, old buildings, and extravagant and ornamented palaces. You will find some modern and old-style types of restaurants here. Moreover, the city neither lacks in having stylish café’s and modern style boutiques and thus is among one of the best places to see in Slovakia

• High Tatras

It’s the best place for someone who loves hiking and climbing the mountains, as the High Tatras have the largest mountains in Slovakia. Further, during winters it becomes a wonderful place for skiing as there are a lot of steep slopes. Mountains having high peaks provide a wonderful sight of the city from the top. It will be not wrong if we consider Tatras as a nationalistic symbol, the Krivan Mountain has the most unique peak among the range of mountains. You can enjoy many outdoor activities on these mountain ranges such as hiking, ski along, or even can cycle. Undoubtedly the views here are breathtaking and give a scenic view of meadows and lakes located under the Tatras

• Banska Stiavnica

It is an appealing city which you can explore and thus it’s on the list of best places to see in Slovakia. The wealth of the city depends on the deposits of minerals that come from the grounds of the town. The city also has historic beauty and lots of palaces, historic museums, and churches. For the tourist, a tour of the deep underground mining towns is worth it as you can experience how mining takes place. Further, around the city numerous landmarks and a glimpse of historic beauty.

• Spis Castle

It is considered to be among one of the largest complexes of castles in Europe as it covers a vast area of land. It covers the boundaries of the area. The Spis Castle has many towers, fortifications, and ensures a wonderful experience. Moreover, it is an amazing view to have a look around this huge scale of land. The castle also holds a museum where the details of the history of the castle are displayed. The Spis Castle is one of the best places to see in Slovakia as it has now become the famous tourist spot of Slovakia.

• Levoca

This city is situated in East Slovakia and has the superior Old Towns of the country. It’s one of the best places for people if you are interested in architecture and history.  Levoca has amazing landmarks and sights of history to have a look around. It has a Gothic church in the main square of Levoca along with townhouses and a town hall at its center. Due to the architecture spread along the town Levoca is considered among the best places to see in Slovakia

• Kosice

Kosice was governed by Turks & Hungarians. There are amazing statues, wonderful monuments, and eye-catchy landmarks for you to explore. It is the 2nd largest Slovakia city and has art galleries, theaters, and museums along with shops, modern restaurants, and bars for you to enjoy. The old town is rich in architecture and amazing sights which are a must-visit in Kosice. Further, it has an amazing culture and art scenes to explore. Not only this but the numerous palaces and churches are must have a look around while in Kosice.

• Slovak Paradise National Park

The park comprises huge rugged and wild areas of land. It is an amazing experience exploring this wonderful park where the river flows through the forest. There are valleys and canyons which enhances the beauty of the location. The running waterfall and the cave of ice are the attractions for the tourists. Due to the natural scenic beauty of this park, the Slovak Paradise Park is considered among the best places to see in Slovakia. You will also experience walking on bridges and high stairs that lead you towards the peak face. The hike can be somewhat challenging for some of you but the attraction and the views make it worth it.

• Bardejov

The Bardejov is located in the northeast of Slovakia under the Beskyd Mountains. You can enjoy having an experience of several activities while in the town. The town holds one of the preserved and oldest churches of Slovakia. Despite being small in area size, the town is still rich in its history and cultural values. Jewish people and the buildings where they reside can also be found in the town. The town is also famous for its holding town-hall and Central Square which represents the history of the fourteenth century.

• Vlkolinec

It is the only village in Central Europe where people are residents and has classical log houses and an old tower. It is a very quiet and pleasant place to see. This small village is a spot with fields and hills, along with the mountains that can be seen far away. Further, there are many hiking opportunities in the surrounding of the village. Not only Vlkolinec has this but the village also has attractive architecture and a peaceful environment.

• Orava Castle

This castle is situated on the top of the hill covered around with forest. The castle looks pretty impressive as it’s covered with hills further an Orava River flows down its cliff. This is one of the best places to see in Slovakia. It is considered the most fascinating castle in Slovakia. Moreover, it was built during the thirteenth century. It is a castle that had never been conquered due to the walls, defenses, and many gates surrounding it. The castle has a museum that displays its history of it.  It is one of the great tourist spots to visit in Slovakia.

• Zilina

The 4th largest city of Slovakia is situated along the River Vah in the northwest of Slovakia. It lies near the territory of the Czech Republic and Poland. This city has a museum of art that an art lover would enjoy exploring. It is famous among people who want to visit the urban area of Slovakia. Multiple outdoor activities can be performed while in Zilina such as skating, walking, cycling, etc.

• Bojnice

It is located in the center of Slovakia by the Nitra River. Alos, itis among one of the best places to see in Slovakia. It is a small town famous for the zoo that is considered as the oldest one and a castle that is most popular in Slovakia, named Bojnice Castle. Due to the nature view here the place is said to be a romantic spot of Slovakia. Further, it also has a few famous tourist spots in Slovakia. There is also a Spa whose water is considered to have curing properties. The spa is said to have a capacity to serve around five hundred customers at once. If someone visits Slovakia they should surely visit Bojnice.

• Trencin

It is the city of Slovakia found in the west of the country and is a superb place for exploring castles. It is also considered among the best places to see in Slovakia. The central square here gives a fantastic view of the castle of Trencin. There is a lot to explore here in this city. The old town here and the castle walls, Elizabeth hotel’s architecture, and much more places are there to be explored. Here the atmosphere is soothing and calm. A spa at a distance of 15 minutes is famous for its healing water and thus tourists visiting Trencin mostly also visit the spa.

• Piestany

This place is also called the town of the spa. The spa here is said to have Sulphur mud and medicated water that is thought of as a cure to various illnesses. The spa offers multiple bathe and treatments to the customer or tourists by using the water from the mountains around its surroundings and is said to have properties that can cure a person. Further, there are water fountains, statues, and social centers for the guest who do not want to have a visit to the spa.

5 best dishes to try in Slovakia

• Bryndzove halusky

This is the national dish of Slovakia. It’s made with dumplings of potato, cheese from sheep, bacon, and sour cream. This is the dish that you will find mostly at any restaurant you go to in Slovakia. It’s the best dish to have while exploring the best places to see in Slovakia.

• Kapustnica

This is the name given to the cabbage soup in Slovakia which is served differently here with sausage, mushrooms, bread, and red paprika seasoning. There are no fixed combinations for the servings of soup as each person liked it with different servings. It will be found on every restaurant’s menu during the winter season.

• Vyprazany syr

It’s a block of cheese that is deep-fried and then served with french fries or potatoes and tartar sauce. It’s not considered a healthy dish but tastes amazing and thus should be tried at least once. This is the dish that is mostly not served in fancy restaurants. You will need to leave the city and go to either the village or small towns of Slovakia and find an old restaurant that would be serving Vyprazany syr.

• Loksa

Loksa is a dish which have pancake made with potatoes and flour. There are two versions of this dish that is sweet and salty. The sweet one is served along with poppy seeds, butter, marmalade, and powdered sugar, while the salty loksa is served along with either meat or cabbage. It is also a seasonal dish and is available mostly in all restaurants during the winter and autumn season

• Buchty na pare

This dish has dumplings steamed and has fillings of either chocolate, jam with powdered sugar, melted butter, and cacao as the toppings on the dumpling. Many tourists and people think of this dish as a dessert but the locals there consider it as a main course. This dish can also be found in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. It’s a kind of street food with a traditional taste. This dish is very famous among the tourists as well as locals.

Best time to visit Slovakia

The climate Slovakia experiences is continental and thus it has short but hot summers, and chilled winter season. The best time to visit Slovakia can be considered spring as during this the days are usually warm and the weather during May in Slovakia is mostly mild, neither too hot nor too cold. Autumn can also be considered as the best time to visit Slovakia as during September and October the country usually have clear weather and as Slovakia is mostly forested the views during autumn will be a pleasant one. While for Bratislava if you are a snow lover winters would be a great time to visit as during these days the city is covered with snow but other parts of the country don’t have much during winters. So consider winters to visit only if you are a deep lover of snow.