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Traveling with Atlas Obscura amid COVID-19 How We’re Adapting Our Trips Destination Requirements (via Embassy Pages)Slovakia is an Eastern European gem filled with riveting history, both ancient and modern (and lacking tourist crowds). The area has been shaped and sculpted by the rise and fall of mighty empires and ideologies, which we'll explore on this journey through the country's ever-evolving identity.
From the bustling capital in the west to mountain villages of the east, we'll discover Cold War relics, World War II secrets, and medieval castles worthy of movie sets. We'll trace mining innovations and social movements and find eerie reminders of the past along the way. Guided by practiced insiders, we'll get an uncensored look at life in Slovakia and return home with a broadened perspective that few foreigners hold.
You'll find the Slovakian capital is tucked amid vineyards in the country's southwest corner, just across the Danube from Austria and only a few miles from the Hungarian border. Here you'll find medieval walls, charming squares with lively cafés, and Baroque palaces, as well as Soviet-era buildings and barbed wire from the Cold War. The intriguing contrasts and complexities show a post-communist city in transformation. After you make your way to the hotel and settle in, we'll meet with our guides and fellow travelers for a welcome dinner.
Local Hotel, Bratislava
Welcome Dinner
Today we'll get to know the Bratislava of the turbulent 20th century. Including the vast communist-era housing estate of Petržalka, the first prefabricated apartment block in Czechoslovakia, and villas of former communist leaders. We'll also visit the World War II Slavín Memorial, hidden bunkers, the socialist realist Slovak Radio building, and the Most SNP ("Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising"), which honors the 1944 resistance against Nazi forces, and destroyed most of the Jewish district in its construction. Midday, we'll pause to sample local life by grabbing some food and drink at a retro spot in Old Town. Then the afternoon is yours to explore. We'll be happy to share tips and recommendations (such as the Devín Castle, fortified since the Bronze age).
Local Hotel, Bratislava
Breakfast, Lunch
Today we delve deeper into Slovakia's alliance with Nazi Germany at the Holocaust Museum in Sered', on the site of one of Slovakia's three forced labor camps. Afterward, we'll visit the Cold War and Socialism Museum in Alekšince, run by a local NGO and featuring a secret underground shelter. After lunch, we'll drive to Partizánske, a town created by a famous Czech shoemaker who had his shoe factory here. An expert from the local Fabrika umenia ("Art Factory") will show us how this "Ideal Industrial City" was created and point out work by the famous Baťa architect, Vladimír Karfík. Our next stop is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Banská Štiavnica, the oldest mining town in Slovakia. Here we'll learn about the extensive mining complex and socialist-minded communal work project the Railway of the Youth. The evening is yours to wander the picturesque center with cobbled streets, Gothic- and Renaissance-style houses, churches, palaces, and fortifications. We'd be happy to recommend a spot for dinner.
Local Hotel, Banská Štiavnica
Breakfast, Lunch
This morning we'll have a short drive to Vyhne and the Steiger Brewery, Slovakia's first brewery founded in 1473 (and making beer ever since)! After we'll investigate the ghost town of Horné Opatovce, removed from the map in 1960 after an aluminum plant poisoned local bees, cattle, trees, and people. We'll also get a look at the Maximilián Hell Planetarium and Observatory in the communist-era town Žiar nad Hronom. Lunch will be in the pretty mining town of Kremnica who hosts the International Show of Polite Humor each August. Later, we'll head to Horná Štubňa, where we'll embark on a 40-minute train ride through the beautifully wooded Carpathian Mountains, getting a taste of Veľká Fatra National Park. We'll hop off in the geographical center of Slovakia and the center of the resistance movement against the Nazis, Banska Bystrica. Spend the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps taking a walking tour of the communist-era landmarks and Museum of Slovak National Uprising.
Local Hotel, Banská Bystrica
Breakfast, Lunch
Another eerie ghost town lined up today! Korytnica, an abandoned spa village, has attracted visitors since the 16th century with its idyllic forest and healing thermal waters. Later, we'll join a local expert in Ružomberok to visit the mausoleum of Andrej Hlinka, a controversial nationalist hero whose remains continue to be missing. This afternoon soak up the breathtaking alpine scenery of Tatra National Park and Štrbské Pleso, favorite amongst hikers and skiers. Our focus? Communist-era hotels. Those that were deserted contrast sharply with those still in operation- any evidence of their communist past erased. Finally, we'll visit Spišská Kapitula, a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage site set on travertine hills overlooking the famous Spiš Castle. If you still have some energy before bed, we highly recommend a walk to St. Martin's Cathedral and it's ancient fortifications (a remarkable Romanesque monument).
Penzión St. Martin, Spišská Kapitula
Breakfast, Dinner
You might recognize the UNESCO-acclaimed Spiš (or Spišský) Castle from DragonHeart (1996) or The Last Legion (2007). Built in the 12th century, it's one of the world's largest castle complexes and offers incredible views. We'll look around, see old torture devices, and hear theories about the fire that destroyed it in the 1700s. The nearby UNESCO Žehra church is next on our list. This 13th-century church boasts an onion dome, unusual for this area, and stunning medieval murals. After lunch in Spišské Podhradie, we'll head to Spišský Hrhov, a village known for its unusually well-integrated Roma population. Across Europe, the Roma have a history of being persecuted and shunned. However, here, the local mayor hired the unemployed Roma to work alongside the remaining Slovak residents on construction projects in an effort to repopulate the village. Today, the quality of life has dramatically improved for many of the Roma people. After visiting with the community, you have the option of immersing yourself in a forest sauna before we return to Spišská Kapitula for dinner. Note: There is also the option to hike and/or relax today.
Penzión St. Martin, Spišská Kapitula
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Bid farewell to the Spiš Region as we drive two hours to the awe-inspiring, 13th-century Orava Castle, which overlooks the Orava River. The stunning exterior set the scene for the 1922 Dracula-inspired silent film, Nosferatu. As the castle grew in power, it also grew in size, including palaces, defensive walls, towers, and underground passages. You'll note Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architectural elements. We'll stop in Terchová, the birthplace of the legendary Juraj Jánošík, the Slovak Robin Hood and enjoy a traditional lunch. After, we'll take in the fascinating rock formations, waterfalls, and views of Tiesňavy Gorge in Malá Fatra National Park. In the afternoon, we'll return to Bratislava and settle into our last hotel of the trip before our final farewell dinner with our new friends.
Local Hotel, Bratislava
Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner
After breakfast, we say our farewells and take you to the airport for your flights home.
Breakfast
The listed price of this trip is per person based on double occupancy and includes airport transfer to and from either Vienna or Bratislava.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room (subject to the latest Covid-19 guidelines): You'll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $350. After booking your trip, please request a private room when you fill out your traveler information form and we’ll add the option to your booking and final balance. The capacity for private rooms is limited and will be granted on a first come, first serve basis.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking two to four miles over the course of each day, spending time in nature, remaining on their feet for long periods of time, and sometimes walking on uneven terrain. There is one longer hike near Spiš Castle (9 kms, or about 5.6 miles) which can be shortened for those who prefer.
This trip includes airport transfer to/from either Vienna (a 1.5-hour drive) or Bratislava. Once you have purchased your flight, you can let us know where you prefer to be picked up.
Our trip begins with a welcome dinner in Bratislava on Day 1. We recommend you arrive in Bratislava by 6 PM that day so you can settle into your accommodations. You’ll meet your guide in the lobby before making your way to your first group dinner.
Our trip concludes in the morning on Day 8. If leaving Bratislava directly after our tour, you can depart any time after 8 AM breakfast that day. Vienna is also an easy departure point (a 1.5-hour drive from Bratislava) and a departure airport transfer is included.
We’ll be staying at four-star hotels, boutique lodgings, and guest houses throughout this trip. Please note that, due to the nature of the trip and the number of locations we’ll visit, we will be staying only one night in several places. Any hotel with more than two floors will have elevator access. All hotels have Wi-Fi access.
May and September are great months to travel in Slovakia. During these months, Bratislava generally sees partly sunny skies, a little rain, and temperatures with highs in the mid-70s and lows in the mid-50s. The hilly regions in central and eastern Slovakia are a bit cooler, hitting highs in the mid-60s and lows in the low 40s for May and September. As a general rule, May can be a bit more unpredictable than September so definitely plan to layer up!
In addition to contributing to local economies in under-touristed areas, your trip helps preserve an important part of the region’s artistic and cultural heritage: the remarkable spomeniks that form the center of our itinerary. Slovakia’s communist-era architecture and memorials will be a particular focus for us, and the photos and conversations we share after the trip will help to raise the profile of these heritage sites worldwide and save them from ruin.
We will also be visiting and supporting an ongoing project of integration of the Roma community in Spišský Hrho.
Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, though in most cases ingredients can't be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.