The capital city of Bratislava is certainly one of the most popular tourist destinations in Slovakia, though you’ll be glad to know that you can do much more in Slovakia than visiting Bratislava Castle, the Blue Church and the Old Town of Bratislava. Below, I've rounded up a list of cool things you must do in Slovakia:
See the famous ice cave
There are dozens of caves you can visit in Slovakia, though none are more spectacular than the renowned Demanovska Ice Cave.
Demanovska Cave is located right in the heart of the Low Tatras national park and it’s without question, one of the most interesting caves you’ll ever tour in Europe because of the ice formations. The ice formations do melt slightly throughout the year but between May/June you can see the ice formations at their best.
After visiting the ice cave, you should also visit the Demanovska Cave of Liberty, which is located next to it. Demanovska Cave of Liberty also boasts interesting rock formations and stunning sinter waterfalls. You can take guided tours of both caves for around $12 and $6 respectively.
Spend a day at a spa
Slovakia is renowned for its mineral spring spas and one thing you definitely cannot miss doing in Slovakia is taking a treatment bath or enjoy a massage.
You can enjoy a spa session at the wellness and spa centers in Bratislava such as the Aulandia Aqua & Spa Paradise (inside the Aupark shopping center), and the wellness centers in “Hotel Marrols” and “Hotel Dukla”, and the in AquaCity (Propad) or in places
However, for the best spa day experience in Slovakia, you definitely want to head to either AquaCity (in Propad), or the spa resort town of Piestany and nearby Spa Island village. Saying this, Piestany and Spa Island are best because they're home to many spa houses, spa hotels and public baths where you can enjoy a 30-minute thermal bath and massage for as little as $32.
Go for a whitewater rafting trip along the Bela River
If you’re a fan of adventurous outdoor pursuits and are traveling to Slovakia during the spring you can’t miss the chance to go for a rafting trip on the Bela River. The spring is the best time to enjoy a rafting on the Bela because the snow is just melting in the High Tatra mountains creating great conditions for rafting and kayaking on the Bela River..
Companies offering rafting trips on the Bela River include “Rafting Adventure Liptovsky Mikulas”, “Mutton Rafting” and “Liptov Active”. You can expect to pay anything between $12 and $32 for 2 hours.
Take the cable car ride to Lomnicky Peak
You can’t travel to Slovakia and not explore the country’s most famous tourist attraction – The High Tatras. The Tatra Mountains actually span the borders of Slovakia and Poland and can be easily reached on the Slovakian side from the gateway town of Poprad.
Once you arrive at the town Propad you need to catch another train to Tatranska Lomnica, though you'll need to change trains in Stary Smokovec. Once in Tatranska Lomnica, you’ll be able to take a cable car ride up to Skalnate Pleso Lake and Lomnicky peak (second tallest peak in the Tatras). The ride to the summit of Lomnicky stit will be easily one of the coolest 7 things to do on a trip to Slovakia!
Enjoy a boat trip on a timber raft
April through October is a fantastic time to be in Slovakia because of the warm and pleasant weather. Summer is a particularly great time to enjoy s pleasant boat ride of some sort. The Vah River is the longest river in Slovakia and it’s also the most popular boating rivers in the country because it runs past beautiful scenery and charming towns and villages such as Strecno, Zilina and Bytca.
The village of Strecno is actually a popular tourist destination along the Vah River because it’s home to the stunning Strecno Castle. Besides visiting the castle, the village of Strecno is also a popular starting point for timber rafting. For around $10 you can hop on a wooden raft paddled by a local guide and enjoy marvelous views of Strecno Castle.
Climb to the summit of Mt. Rysy
Climbing Mount Rysy is something else you must do while visiting the Tatras region since Mt. Rysy is the highest peak of the High Tatras mountain range. The great thing about climbing Mt. Rysy from the Slovakian side is that the trail leading to the top is marked and it is much less arduous than the one on the Polish side.
The climb to the top of Mt Rysy is very rewarding and on a good day you’ll be able to see the High Tatras peaks in their entire splendor.
Explore Slovakia’s countryside by train
Train travel is a fantastic way to explore a country and since train travel in Slovakia is fairly inexpensive you should take every opportunity you get to hop on a train. If you’re based in Bratislava you should certainly plan for a few scenic train rides to the northern and eastern regions of Slovakia.
The most popular scenic train route in Slovakia, though, is from Bratislava to Stary Smokovec (which is right in the heart of the High Tatras). The train ride from Bratislava to Stary Smokovec takes around 4 hours on the InterCity train (though you need to change trains in Propad). A typical round-trip ticket will cost around $40.
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