Grand Tour of Slovakia 2023

Itinerary

Our Grand tour of Slovakia is a great choice to experience the best Slovakia has to offer. Our stops are in the most adsorbing places in Slovakia:

Bratislava - the capital of the Slovak Republic, also referred to as the Beauty on the Danube. Banska Stiavnica - historical former mining town (UNESCO). Kosice - the second largest city in Slovakia and the European Capital of Culture of 2013. Levoca with the tallest wooden altar in the world (UNESCO). Kezmarok and Bardejov - old medieval towns, ranked among the most beautiful and charming historic towns in Slovakia.
You will visit two Slovak national Parks - Tatra National Park in the High Tatras and Pieniny National Park with Dunajec river canyon. Two beautiful castles - Spis castle (UNESCO) and fairy-tale Orava castle.
Vlkolinec (UNESCO) village represents Slovak folklore, being an extraordinary and remarkable oasis of folk architecture.

Besides, you will also taste local cuisine and explore the diversity of Slovak cultural heritage.
So, do not hesitate and join us to discover the heart of Europe!

1. Day 1 Arrival in Bratislava, Slovakia.

   - Arrival in Slovakia; Bratislava
   - Accommodation
   - Free time

2. Day 2 Bratislava city sightseeing: The old town and Bratislava castle.
   Afternoon options: Devin castle, Cerveny Kamen castle or Viticultural region of the Little Carpathians.

   - Breakfast
   - Bratislava Old town and castle sightseeing
   - Afternoon options: Devin castle, Cerveny Kamen castle, Viticultural region of the Little Carpathians
   - Return to Bratislava
   
   Bratislava castle dominates the center of Bratislava, and its four towers became the symbol of the city. The castle hill was inhabited from the neolithic Hallstadt and Roman eras. It reached its highest importance during the reign of Austro-Hungarian Queen Maria Theresa. In 1761 - 1766 the fortress was rebuilt into a typical royal residence. Today, after reconstruction, the castle shelters a historical part of the Slovak National Museum.
   
   Old town tour includes many monuments. The top visited sites are:
   St Martin's Cathedral, the Primates' Palace with historic Hall of Mirrors and the famous Bratislava tapestries, and Michalska Gate with a panoramic view of the Old town.
   
   Devin castle ruins tower over the confluence of the rivers Danube and Morava. The fortress, used as a watchtower by the Slavonic count Rastislav Dovina, was mentioned in the manuscripts as early as the 9th century AD. After the fall of the Great Moravian Empire of the ancient Slavs, the Devin fortress became an important strategic fortification of the Hungarian Kingdom. In 1809, advancing Napoleon's troops destroyed the castle. Since 1965 an archaeological research has been carried out in the castle area. The castle ruins have been partially reconstructed under the auspices of the Municipal Museum in Bratislava.
   
   Cerveny Kamen castle, the most beautiful castle in the Little Carpathians situated just 40 km from Bratislava, is one of the best-preserved Slovak castles. In the 16th century rebuilt into quite a large fortress with a fortification system that was one of the top military defensive systems of its time. Because of its unique charm, the castle has become the venue for the shooting of various films.
   
   Viticultural region of the Little Carpathians consists of twelve wine-growing areas. The territory covers 119 viticultural townships. The vineyards stretch from Bratislava city through Pezinok and further to Horne Oresany village. Its size and significance make it the viticultural center of Slovakia.

3. Day 3 Transfer to Banska Stiavnica town, UNESCO. Full day sightseeing.

   - Breakfast
   - Transfer to Banska Stiavnica
   - Banska Stiavnica sightseeing, UNESCO site
   - Accommodation
   
   Banska Stiavnica is a former mining town and lies amid the forests of the Stiavnicke mountains. Banska Stiavnica is one of the most beautiful and historically one of the most beautiful towns in Slovakia. The town is on the list of the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.
   Banska Stavnica progressively became the dominant mining center in the Habsburg Monarchy in the 18th century. Banska Stiavnica monument town reserve comprises as many as 360 structures. Together they present a unique set of high cultural and historical value, placed into the pleasant environment of the Stiavnicke mountains.

4. Day 4 Transfer to Kosice city. Stopover in a UNESCO cave or Betliar manor house.

   - Breakfast
   - Ochtinska Aragonite cave or Dobsinska Ice cave visit, both UNESCO sites
   - Betliar manor house visit
   - Transfer to Kosice city
   - Accommodation
   
   Ochtinska Aragonite cave is a world rarity and unique natural phenomenon. It is interesting for the variety and abundance of aragonite formations and a rare development of underground space. Thanks to its significance and unique ornamentation, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
   
   Dobsinska Ice cave is one of the largest ice caves in Europe. Thanks to its significance and unique ornamentation, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
   
   Betliar manor house is a noble hunting residence, a fairytale-like two-storied building surrounded by a charming English park with romantic structures, including an artificial cave and waterfall.
   One of the most remarkable premises of the manor house is the main library, established in 1790. The library holds more than 14 thousand volumes of mainly theological, historical, geographical, and philosophical literature from the 15th to 19th century written in 6 different languages.

5. Day 5 Sightseeing: Kosice city (St. Elisabeth Cathedral, historic center). Transfer to Bardejov town with stopover in Hervartov village with wooden church.

   - Breakfast
   - Kosice city sightseeing
   - Wooden church in Hervartov visit
   - Transfer to Bardejov town
   - Accommodation
   
   Kosice city, as the first in Slovakia, gained the prestigious title of European Capital of Culture. Kosice is known for its rich history and interesting cultural life.
   Almost all city monuments concentrate in historic town center making it the largest Town Monument Reserve of Slovakia.
   Dominant of the main square and the city itself is the monumental Gothic Cathedral of St Elisabeth, the largest church in Slovakia and the easternmost situated Gothic cathedral of western type in Europe.
   
   Hervartov village has the oldest and best-preserved wooden church in Slovakia. The Gothic pictures and wall paintings from 1655 and 1805 are the most valuable parts of its interior.

6. Day 6 Sightseeing of Bardejov historic town, UNESCO. Transfer to Kezmarok. Possible to make stopover in Pieniny National Park and raft down the river Dunajec on traditional wooden rafts.

   - Breakfast
   - Bardejov town sightseeing
   - Possibility of rafting down the river Dunajec in Peniny National Park
   - Transfer to Kezmarok
   - Accommodation
   
   Bardejov town, one of the oldest Slovak towns, rightly awarded the European award, the gold medal of ICOMOS Foundation of UNESCO in 1986.
   The buildings in the historic center create the Town Monument Reserve (UNESCO). Bardejov is known as the Most Gothic town in Slovakia. Its center consists of historical buildings arranged in the area limited by a belt of town fortifications.
   The most significant monument of the square is the Roman-Catholic Basilica of St Egidius from the 15th century, located in its northern section.
   
   Option: Possible to stop in Pieniny National Park and raft down the river Dunajec on wooden rafts.

7. Day 7 Kezmarok historic town visit.
   UNESCO sights: Levoca town, Spis castle, Spisska Kapitula church.

   - Breakfast
   - Kezmarok town sightseeing
   - UNESCO sites visit: Levoca town, Zehra church, Spis castle, Spisska Kapitula
   - Return to Kezmarok
   
   Kezmarok is a town with a long and famous history. Its position under the Tatra peaks makes it one of the centers of summer and winter holidays. Summer is the season when it becomes very lively due to the European Festival of Popular Trades.
   The buildings in the historic center are the parts of the Town Monument Reserve. The pride of Kezmarok is the Protestant wooden articled church. This church originates in 1717, built next to an older sacral stone building from 1593, which is a sacristy today. This unique wooden building is of yew and red spruce wood without using a single metal component. The Baroque interior of the church and the organ are also of wood.
   
   The historic Levoca lies in the east of the Spis region. The town represents a true cultural and historic jewel among the Slovak towns compounding numerous historical architectural monuments. The dominant part of Levoca is a large rectangular square with the Roman-Catholic St James church from the 14th century, one of the most important sacral buildings in Slovakia.
   The late Gothic wooden main altar of St James with 18.6 m is the tallest of its kind in the world. It was made of lime wood in 1507 - 1517 in the workshop of Master Paul of Levoca.
   
   Spis Castle is the largest medieval castle in Central Europe located on a travertine rock hill. The castle hill was populated as early as the 5th century BC; it is one the most unique archaeological and historical gems of Central Europe and is under UNESCO protection.
   
   Spisska Kapitula is sometimes also referred to as the Slovak Vatican. Church life not only in Spisska Kapitula (Spis Chapter) was organized from here by the bishops, provosts, and canonists.
   The most important building of Spisska Kapitula is the Late-Romanesque St Martin cathedral from the 13th century.
   
   Zehra village is known for its precious Roman-Catholic Holy Spirit church (UNESCO). Unique medieval wall paintings were created gradually from the 13th century till the end of the 15th century.

8. Day 8 High Tatra Mountains with optional program: Walking around glacial lakes, cable car to Lomnicky peak, Belianska cave visit, short hike.

   - Breakfast
   - Tatra National Park visit
   - Activities according to choice
   - Return to Kezmarok
   
   The High Tatras are the highest mountain range of Slovakia and the most popular tourist center for the summer and winter holidays.
   There are about 35 valleys, 110 mountain lakes, but the most amazing is the Tatra peaks. There are more than 500 peaks in the High Tatras, out of which ten peaks are above 2,600 meters high.
   The silence of the valleys, mountain lakes, silky sheen of the waterfalls, and simultaneously monumental touches with the heights of the peaks - all of that is the magical world of Tatra National Park.
   
   Options:
   1. Walking aroud Popradske pleso lake and Strbske pleso lake. The landscape is of glacial origin formed by glaciers that created glacier valleys with mountain lakes.
   2. Trip to Lommnicky peak by cable car. It is among the most attractive adventures for tourists in the High Tatras. It reaches a differential height of 1,700 m carrying tourists to an altitude of 2,634 m above sea level in only a few minutes.
   3. Belianska cave - the only one accessible to the public in the High Tatras. It is among the first European caves with electricity installed.
   4. Short hiking in the mountains.

9. Day 9 Transfer to Banska Bystrica. Stopover to visit Orava castle and Vlkolinec village (UNESCO).

   - Breakfast
   - Orava castle visit
   - Vlkolinec UNESCO site
   - Transfer to Banska Bystrica town
   - Accommodation
   
   Orava castle lies on a high rock above the Orava river near Oravsky Podzamok village. In 1370 it became the seat of the Orava county and the Castle estate, administrating almost the whole region of Orava.
   
   Vlkolinec village - Monument Reserve of Folk Architecture is the extraordinary and remarkable oasis of folk architecture and on the UNESCO list since 1993.
   The first written record of the community is from 1376. Originally it was the settlement of loggers, shepherds, and farmers. Its unique compound of original folk buildings remains untouched by modern construction.
   ICOMOS (International Council for Monuments and Settlements) classified it as the best-reserved settlement of this time within the Carpathian Arch.

10. Day 10 Visit the wooden church in Hronsek village (UNESCO). Transfer to Bratislava.

    - Breakfast
    - Hronsek wooden church visit
    - Transfer to Bratislava city
    - Accommodation
    
    Wooden articled church in Hronsek is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. The wooden church and wooden belfry originate from 1726. The capacity of the church is 1,100 chairs.

11. Day 11 Farewell.

    - Breakfast
    - End of the tour

Overview