The Slovak Republic is another of eastern Europe's 'hidden jewels' waiting to be discovered by independent travellers.
It has dramatic mountains - the Tatras - with excellent ski resorts, loads of castles and medieval towns, dozens of spas, nine national parks, five UNESCO heritage sites, and three international airports (Bratislava, the second city Kosice in the east and Poprad, in the northern High Tatras) all within a couple of hours flying time from London.
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Tourist Office
Slovakia National Tourist Office (SACR) opened its first office in the UK in Sept 08, (0844 700 5100).
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What to do/Where to go
- City stays in Bratislava. The Slovak capital, built on the banks of the Danube, has plenty of historic attractions including St. Martin’s Cathedral, the Bratislava Castle, the 14th century old town hall, the Slovak National Theatre and numerous museums.
- Mountain trekking, biking & skiing in the Tatras.
- Sightseeing visits to medieval towns, churches and especially, castles throughout the country.
- Spa breaks.
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Why go?
Well here's a good reason... the Slovaks!
Lucy Mallows, author of the Bradt Travelguide to Slovakia describes them as:
"...neither gloomy like their Hungarian neighbours nor uptight like the Austrians over the river. Slovaks welcome visitors with open arms, and usually an open bottle. Then there's the legendary razor-cheekboned beauty of Slovak females, deriving from a fascinatingly exotic gene pool. Many top models are from Slovakia."
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What's new, cool or unusual
 A new 5-star Kempinski hotel opens in the High Tatras Mountains in October 2008.
And, here's something very cool, literally...
- AquaCity Resort, in the spa town of Poprad in northern Slovakia, has a cryochamber where you can experience (wearing only a t-shirt & shorts) temperatures of -120c! as part of a CryoTherapy treatment programme.
The innovation doesn't stop there. In June 2007 the resort opened Relax' which they claim is the world's first solar powered, emission free, geothermal swimming pool complex.
The new pool centre is housed in a 12m high, architect designed steel, glass and wood structure, powered by electricity generated by photo-cells in the facade, with heating, pool water and showers supplied by geothermal water. It has two full sized geothermal outdoor pools, a Mayan Pyramid summer water park, a complex of indoor, mineral rich, geothermal pools, a full size Olympic swimming pool and a range of children's pools and play areas.
AquaCity, was named the world's leading green resort in the 2007 World Travel Awards.
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