Wine Tasting Tour in Slovakia

Itinerary

Slovakia, the land of wine. Have you heard this assertion before? If not, let's discover the most well-known Slovak wine regions - Small Carpathian Wine Region and Tokaj Wine Region.

Although Slovakia is not home to the legendary Mount Ararat, where Noah landed with his ark carrying a vine, its winegrowing heritage dates back to the times well before Christ.
Celts, Romans, and Slavs relished the wine on the Slovak territory in the past.
Modern Slovak wine has its roots set deep in the past.

Nowadays, Slovak winegrowing territory divides into six regions that further segment into forty winegrowing subregions and 603 winegrowing municipalities. Each of the areas has its specific natural conditions and unique history.

Slovakia is a country worth exploring with a wine glass in your hand.

1. Day 1 Arrival in Bratislava, Slovakia.

   - Arrival in Bratislava
   - Accommodation in 4* hotel
   - Free time

2. Day 2 Small Carpathian Wine Route - Bratislava, Cerveny Kamen, Trnava.

   - Breakfast
   - Meeting with private guide at the hotel
   - Bratislava Old Town sightseeing
   - Wine tasting in the Slovak National Collection of Wines
   - Cerveny Kamen castle visit
   - Transfer to Trnava, accommodation in a 4* hotel
   
   The Small Carpathian Wine Region is the vinicultural center of Western Slovakia.
   The whole region consists of 12 viticultural areas covering the administrative territory of 120 communes.
   Vineyards stretch on the slopes of the Small Carpathian mountains from Bratislava to the north to Horne Oresany village. From white varieties are most common Welschriesling, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner and Pinot Blanc. From blue varieties thrive Saint Lauren and Blaufrankisch.
   
   Bratislava Old town's top visited sites: St Martin's Cathedral, the Primates' Palace with historical Zrkadlova sien (The Hall of Mirrors) and precious tapestries, Michalska gate with the museum and a panoramic view of the Old town.
   
   Cerveny Kamen Museumis the most beautiful castle in the Small Carpathians, just 40 km from Bratislava. It is one of the best-preserved Slovak castles as well.
   Today, the Slovak National Museum administers the attraction. The premises exhibit the development of the housing culture of the nobility and bourgeoisie in Slovakia.

3. Day 3 Wine tasting in Trnava and Nitra. Car tansfer to Banska Stiavnica.

   - Breakfast
   - Wine tasting in Trnava
   - Wine tasting in Nitra
   - Transfer to Banska Stiavnica
   - Accommodation in a stylish guest house
   
   Trnava: the first privileged royal town in Slovakia.
   The historic town, also known as "Little Rome" combines famous history with modern life.
   
   Nitra - most well-known points of interest: the Nitra castle with St. Emmeram's Cathedral, the old town, and Zobor hill, overlooking the city, a Piarist church of St. Ladislaus, and the adjacent monastery.

4. Day 4 UNESCO sites: Banska Stiavnica, Hronsek, Vlkolinec.

   - Breakfast
   - Banska Stiavnica sightseeing, (UNESCO)
   - Hronsek wooden church visit (UNESCO)
   - Vlkolinec monument reserve of folk architecture (UNESCO)
   - Transfer to the High Tatras, accommodation in 4* hotel
   
   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.
   
   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. In early November 2000, Prince Charles from British Royal Family visited the church.
   
   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.

5. Day 5 High Tatra Mountains walking. Car Transfer to Kosice.

   - Breakfast
   - High Tatras easy walking (possible hiking)
   - Transfer to Kosice city; accommodation in a 4* hotel
   
   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.

6. Day 6 Kosice city tour. Wine tasting in Tokaj region.

   - Breakfast
   - Kosice city tour (2 hrs)
   - Wine tasting in Tokaj wine region
   - Return to Kosice
   
   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.
   
   Tokaj is one of the most precious wine-producing areas in the country. It is a part of the expansive Tokaj-Hegyalja region that runs through the southern and eastern fringes of the Zemplin Hills (across Slovakia and Hungary).

7. Day 7 Farewell.

   - Breakfast
   - End of the tour*
   
   * Possible to arrange train tickets from Kosice back to Bratislava or a private car tansfer.

Overview