Early October I ventured to Slovakia, and departed to Bratislava to get a feel for what is going on in Central Europe. I did not have high expectations but was open to new and exciting experiences. I did not realize that Slovakia is in fact bang in the middle of Europe, between East and West and North/South Europe. To go to Slovakia, you can also fly to Vienna, which is a distance of 50 km/ approx. 35 miles to Bratislava.
After arriving in Bratislava, Tomas and his driver picked me up and we went on a tour of the city. What a surprise! Such a lovely city with breathtaking architecture, many buildings renovated to a very high quality, lovely narrow streets, tempting cafes to explore and lots of sights to catch the eye.
The classic round tour by foot through the Old Town of Bratislava, which is the former union of Kronstadt queens and kings. Behind the imposing Bratislava Castle is one thousand years of the Slovak history. Other attractions include the Cathedral of Saint Martin, where the coronation of 11 queens and kings tool place, the Old Town Hall, Maximillian’s Fontana, The Palace, Michal `s Tower, a Franciscan Church and Monastery, Mirbachstrasse’s Palace, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Grassalkovich’s Rococo Palace & Gardens and the ruins of Devin Burgess ( Devin Castle ); just to mention a few of the highlights of this tour.
Bratislava also taught me that the Danish folk hero and author of fairytales like ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Ugly Duckling’, Hans Christian Andersen, was so loved in Slovakia and Bratislava that there has been a large statue raised in front of the well-known restaurant El Gaucho in his honor.
After Bratislava we drove to a Wine tasting in Pezinok. Slovakian wine is comparable with the best of French wines, but as you might expect, Slovakian wine is not exported: the Slovakians drink it themselves. Several of the wines I tested had medals from Wine Expo’s in France.
Following the wine tasting, it was time to rest and I transferred in a 2 hour journey to the Spa Resort of Turcianske Teplice. After a good rest, I toured the Spa Resort itself, Kupele Turcianska Teplice, and was introduced to the team running this medical rehabilitation spa. It rests in very tranquil surroundings and really brings you into a relaxed state of mind.
My trip thereafter continued to the lovely town of Martin. After a guided tour walking in Martin, including the beautiful  Cathedral. After catching a lot of fresh air in Martin, I traveled to Kremnica and my hotel Golfer before the next day’s trip to the Mint, a factory for Slovakian EUR coins, and a walk around in Kremnica. Just outside the town of Kremnica I visited a former Goldmine, before we arrived to my favourite part of the trip, namely Banska Stiavnica. Banske Stiavnica is such a beautiful town, and also part of the UNESCO heritage list, with amazing architecture, sights, churches; simply enjoyable with it’s rich history and culture. This town is really worth a visit, I was amazed by the beauty of this Slovakian town, so well preserved, beautiful and with so much atmosphere. After returning to my hotel, the Golfer, I enjoyed a good rest before departing to the modern airport of Slovakia.
Also look out for our Facebook photo album from Slovakia on www.facebook.com/baltictravelcompany
Slovakia is close to Vienna and Budapest and we will be able to offer three capital trips in 2014. Why not expand your horizon and look into this different part of the world for a cultural experience? Remember to have your camera fully loaded to be able to take lots of photos. I took over 400 photos, as I was simply so impressed with Slovakia and its attractions and sights.
All images by Birthe Nielsen
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2014 at 12:01 am; on the subject of Eastern Europe, Slovakia.