The best trips in eastern Slovakia

Eastern Slovakia offers not only a number of UNESCO monuments, such as castles, chateaux, open-air museums, caves, but also a number of natural phenomena, national parks, waterfalls and lookout towers.

Our team of experts has prepared for you a few tips for trips around eastern Slovakia, which you should definitely not miss.

Bachledka – Walk through the treetops

A path through the treetops in the Bachledova valley can be found near the village of Ždiar. You can take the cable car to the top of the valley or take a short walk. A part of this modern attraction is also a lookout tower or a water slide, after which you can go down. Your children will find many attractions in the area of ​​Bachledova dolina, such as playgrounds, trampolines, swings, a children’s carousel or a summer bobsleigh track with an elevation of 111 meters.

The Krásna Hôrka Castle

After a massive fire broke out in the castle, we all know very well that the castle is no longer what it used to be, but it is still worth talking about it. The Krásna Hôrka Castle was founded in the 14^th century and is located above the village of Krásnohorské Podhradie, near the town of Rožňava. This castle was once one of the best preserved castles and it was a pleasure to look at it. Since 2012, the castle has been constantly reconstructed, so in two or three years it should shine in its full beauty.

The High Tatras

The smallest mountains in the world – the High Tatras – are inseparable from the most beautiful gems of eastern Slovakia. With its highest peak in Slovakia, clean lakes, picturesque valleys and original fauna and flora, they are definitely the best place to relax. The most popular places are Tatranská Lomnica, Starý Smokovec and Štrbské Pleso.

Tatranská Lomnica is a popular destination mainly due to its most famous attraction – the second highest peak in the High Tatras – Lomnický štít, where you can get by cable car. At the same time, it is the place with the highest ski slope in Slovakia.

Štrbské Pleso, which is of glacial origin, offers its visitors the opportunity for boating, hiking or relaxation in the summer. In winter, you can try cross-country skiing around the lake, and in the past during winter, Štrbské Pleso was one of the resorts where world championships were held.

A popular place in the High Tatras is also Popradské Pleso with a cycling route, where you can fly on a hang glider or Zelené Pleso, which is one of the most easily accessible lakes in the High and Belianske Tatras. The only accessible stalactic cave in the Tatra National Park is the Belianska Cave, which can be found near the village of Tatranská Kotlina.

Waterfalls

Did you know that we also have waterfalls in Slovakia? In The Mala Studena Dolina valley near Zamkovského chata you will find Obrovský waterfall about 20 meters high, which is one of the largest waterfalls in the High Tatras. The highest waterfall in Slovakia is Kmeťov waterfall located in Kôprova dolina valley. It is created by the Nefcerský river and is 80 meters high. You can get to the Skok waterfall from Mlynická dolina valley with its starting point in Štrbské pleso. It is approximately 30 meters high and falls from a rocky threshold at a height of up to 1,789 m above sea level.

Open-air museum at Bardejov spa

The Museum of Folk Architecture originally consisted of only 5 houses, including a church. After the spa doctor Mikuláš Atlasz decided to save these buildings and move the church from the village of Mikulášová to the spa area, the number of buildings in 2009 increased to 30 buildings, which include family houses, granaries, barns, 2 churches with bell towers or Bardejov drilling plant for the production of water pipes.

The Ľubovňa Castle

The border castle Ľubovňa was an important crossroads of trade routes, a hiding place for Polish coronation jewels and the imprisonment of the King of Madagascar – Móric Beňovský. In 1412, the Hungarian King Sigismund of Luxembourg and the Polish King Vladislav II met at the Ľubovňa Castle, thanks to which the castle became part of the deposit of Polish kings and was included in the list of 16 Spiš towns. The Ľubovňa Castle offers a number of expositions, which also include a folk exposition in the Ľubovňa open-air museum, which is located under castle.

Košice

Košice, the capital of eastern Slovakia, is the second largest city in Slovakia and offers a number of cultural and historical monuments. Visitors to Košice can see the East Slovak Museum, the Aviation Museum, the Slovak Technical Museum, the East Slovak Gallery and the Kunsthalle.

There is the Dome of St. Elizabeth in the middle of the square which has a typical lenticular shape. Other Gothic monuments of the city are the Church of St. Michael and Urban’s tower on the other side of the Dome of St. Elizabeth, which surrounds a park with a singing fountain. During the night, the fountain not only makes sounds, but shines with different colors, creating the impression that it is dancing and allows a beautiful view of the State Theater building.