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Slovakia Travel and Destination Guide
PLACES TO SEE
Trnava
Trnava is Slovakia's oldest town, the first to get a royal charter as a free borough from Hungary, in 1238. Though badly marred by modern development, its handsome walled old town, a legacy of almost three centuries as Hungary's religious centre, was spruced up for the town's 750th birthday in 1988.
Bratislava
Bratislava is Slovakia's largest city and has been the capital since 1969. Here the Carpathian Mountains, which begin at the Iron Gate of Romania, finally come to an end. If travelling by train, you'll see vineyards on the slopes of the Little Carpathians, where they meet the Danube River.
Malá Fatra National Park
Wave after wave of mountains rise to a crescendo in the peaks that encircle the Vratná Valley. Malá Fatra National Park was created in 1987 largely to protect this prime piece of real estate. Heavily forested summers are a symphony of green in the popular park. Trails, ski lifts and a cable car put you right among the scenery.
Museum of Jewish Culture
The excellent Museum of Jewish Culture (Múzeum Židovskej Kultúry) is in the grounds of Bratislava Castle. Displays on the history and culture of the region's much-persecuted Jews are in English and are deeply moving. Black-and-white photos show Bratislava's old Jewish ghetto and synagogue, which were demolished in the 1960s.
Čachtice Castle
In the 17th century a mad Hungarian countess named Alžbeta Báthory (known as Bloody Liz to her mates) tortured and murdered more than 600 peasant women at Čachtice Castle (Čachtice hrad), where she was eventually imprisoned.
Devín Castle
This castle, at the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, was the main Habsburg military bulwark. From here you can look across the river into Austria and south to Hungary just down the way. A small fort was built in the 13th century and a palace was added two centuries later.
Spiš Castle
The sprawling ruins of Spišský hrad are the largest in Slovakia, some claim in all of Central Europe. The fortress was first constructed in 1209, wrecked by the Tatars in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 15th century.
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