SLOVAKIA TOUR / Hiking and Culture (Slovakia from Vienna)

• Arrival at Vienna Airport
• Transfer to Bratislava with a visit to Carnuntum on the way.

Carnuntum is an amazing sight where we can travel centuries back in time to the Roman empire of the 3rd and 4th century. Carnuntum was one of the most important Roman cities built on Limes Romanus – the border of the empire. Nowadays the open-air museum hosts a unique attraction – Roman houses and baths reconstructed using the rediscovered techniques of Roman builders.

After a short city sightseeing in Bratislava in the evening we will end the day with a fancy dinner at the TV tower. Here we can enjoy not only delicious food but also spectacular views of Bratislava and its surroundings.

ACCOMMODATION: 4* Hotel Bratislava or similar

• Easy walking in Bratislava area.

We will start the day at Sandberg, which is an important paleontological location – remains of the Tertiary sea. From here we will take an easy walk to the Schlosshof castle in Austria. It was not not so long ago when the border was a Europe’s “iron curtain” and defended by barbed wire. These days a pedestrian bridge links Slovakia and Austria.

We will walk across the bridge to the Schlosshof castle – a stately home that once belonged to Prince Eugene of Savoy – one of the most important generals of the Habsburg army. Despite his short and ungainly physical appearance, he was one of the greatest military commanders of the 17th and 18th centuries and made perhaps the greatest contribution to driving the Ottoman Turks out of central Europe.

ACCOMMODATION: 4* Hotel Bratislava or similar 

• Transfer to Banská Štiavnica
• Sightseeing
• Easy hiking

Banská Štiavnica (UNESCO site) is one of the most interesting historical towns in Slovakia with a mining history dating back to the 13th century. After the tour of the city we will take an easy walk in the woods around the city and admire the views (in good weather you can see as far as the peaks of the Low Tatra Mountains). In the evening we will enjoy a show presenting the region’s rich folklore and mining traditions.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* Hotel Kachelman (the original building was built in the 16th century) or similar

• Transfer to Levoča (UNESCO)
• Spiš Castle (UNESCO), Spišská Kapitula
• Traditional dinner

Levoča – another ancient town, which recieved the priviledges of a royal free town in the 14^th century The centre has numerous Renaissance and Baroque houses but the true jewel is the late Gothic church of St. James with the tallest wooden altar in the world.

Apart from Levoča, we will also visit another famous UNESCO sites – Spiš Castle, the castle with the largest area in central Europe and we will take a walk to the smallest town in Slovakia –Spišská Kapitula, which consists of a single street. It is sometimes called the “Slovak Vatican” because it is the seat of the local bishop.

Traditional Slovak dinner at the Spiš salaš (shepherd's cottage). This is a great place to try the Slovak speciality “bryndza” – a soft cheese made from sheep’s milk. You can find it only in Slovakia and Romania from where the shepherding culture spread through the Carpathian Mountains range to Slovakia centuries ago.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* Hotel U Leva (hotel located in the centre is a  historical building, the oldest parts of which are from the 14th century) or similar

• Transfer to the High Tatras
• Easy hike 

Though the highest peak of the High Tatras tower above 2,500 m, we will take an easy hike to see the most beautiful waterfalls in the High Tatras – the waterfalls on Studený potok (meaning Cold stream). Then we will walk around the largest lake in the High Tatras enjoying the views of the apline summits towering above us. 

ACCOMMODATION: 3* Hotel Strachanovka/Koliba Gréta or similar

• Easy hiking
• Sightseeing

This day will start with an easy ahort hiking along the Kvačianska valley to see watermills built at the beginning of the 20^th century.

In the afternoon we will visit a beautiful Protestant wooden church – a rare part of our historic heritage. The church was built in the 18^th century entirely from wood (even the nails were wooden!). Another interesting fact is that the church was originally built in a different village, which was flooded to create a reservoir. Thus the church had to be moved to another place during 1974-1982.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* Hotel Strachanovka/Koliba Gréta or similar

• Easy walk 
• Trenčín and its castle

We will do an easy walk in the morning and then move south to the city of Trečín. It is another of Slovakia’s historic towns with a dominant castle.  During the 13^th and beginning of the 14^th century the castle belonged to Máté Csák of Trenčín, the powerfull lord called the „Lord of the Váh river and the Tatras". The castle was also the setting for one of Slovakia’s most romantic historical love stories.

On the castle rock we can also see an ancient inscprition left by Roman legions in 179 AD.

or

• Piešťany any optional spa treatment

Instead of Trenčín we can continue to the city of  Piešťany which is the most famous spa in Slovakia and also well know far beyond the Slovak borders.

Piešťany was already well-known in the 17^th century thanks to its medicinal thermal waters and mud. The spa is famous for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders.

ACCOMMODATION: 3*/4*  Hotel Pod Hradom (Trenčín)/ Hotel Park (Piešťany)

• Transfer to the airport and departure home, sweet home.