Slovakia may not be the first destination that comes to mind when planning your next trip to Europe, but it should definitely make the cut. The historic capital of Bratislava finds its home in a country of quaint towns and epic ski fields, and offers the bonus of accessibility to other interesting destinations like Vienna and Budapest, with plenty of options for combined tours to the landlocked country.
Tour comparison Slovakia offers snow bunny heaven and a historic capital
Tours of Slovakia start and end in Bratislava, Turchova and Zuberec, while Bratislava and the picturesque town of Banská Bystrica are also commonly featured on other mainland European tours travelling from nearby Vienna. Your Slovakia travel guide will ensure you make the most of Bratislava, leading tours providing valuable local insight, and leaving free time for travellers to explore the pedestrianised old town at leisure.
Slovakia is a popular winter travel destination, with numerous packages offering winter holidays, organised ski and snowboarding trips, and activities like dogsledding and snowshoeing included on many itineraries running during the colder months when snow blankets the country. There are also plenty of outdoor activities available if you travel to Slovakia in summer, with organised hiking trails and visits to thermal pools.
Itching to plan your trip? Take a look at our tour comparison Slovakia and find the right itinerary for you.
Want a taste of that insider Slovakia tourism knowledge we mentioned before? We have collected the best facts from real life tour guides. Impress them on tour with how much you already know.
- Bratislava is Slovakia’s biggest city, but is comparatively small with a population under half a million people. The entire old town can easily be explored on foot, with the bonus of pedestrianised streets in this area.
- Slovakia offers prime skiing and hiking destinations along the natural border with Poland in the Tatra Mountains, the highest range in the Carpathian Mountains.
- Slovakia is home to some fascinating caves, including the Demänovská Cave of Liberty and the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst.
- The Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst are comprised of 712 caves spread over 55,800 hectares. Two of the most celebrated are the Dobšinská Ice Cave, which is estimated to be around 250,000 years old and has persisted with glaciation despite a relatively low altitude of 950 metres, and the Ochtinská Aragonite Cave, renowned for being one of only three aragonite caves discovered in the world.
- The UNESCO World Heritage Listed town and surroundings of Banksá Štiavnica have been well preserved since the medieval era, with the town itself nestled in a caldera created by a collapsed volcano.
- Slovakia was formerly part of Czechoslovakia, which split peacefully to become Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993 after existing as a sovereign state since 1918.
- The political liberalisation of Czechoslovakia from the Soviet Union, known as the Prague Spring, began in 1968 when Alexander Dubcek was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. The resistance lasted an impressive eight months, but was ultimately halted by Warsaw Pact troops.
- Juraj Jánošík was Slovakia’s answer to Robin Hood, robbing from the rich to give to the poor from the late 17th into the early 18th centuries.
- Spectacular Malá Fatra National Park is home to mountains, expansive forests, waterfalls, the Jánošíkove diery system of canyons and gorges, and a couple of castles thrown in for good measure.
- Well-known Slovakian inventions include the spinning reel and the military parachute, the latter of which was created by Štefan Banič.
- Tennis’ Martina Hingis and ice hockey’s Miroslav Šatan are two of Slovakia’s most renowned sports figures.
- “Miss Wonderbra” Adriana Sklenaríková, who once held the Guinness World Record for the longest legs among models, is Slovakian.
- Slovakia is quite inaccurately represented in the films Eurotrip and Hostel, which depict it as a rundown, dangerous nation with a poor population – in fact, it has one of the highest standards of living in the world.
- Artist Andy Warhol was born in the US to Slovakian immigrant parents.
- Slovakia claims to the be the geographical midpoint of Europe.
- The viticulture centre of Slovakia lies in the Malé Karpaty mountain range, with 120 communes forming a continuous path ideal for wine lovers, with both white and red varieties produced here.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
