Epic Slovakia Road Trip Guide – Beyond Bratislava and The Tatras!

When you say Slovakia most people think about Bratislava and the High Tatras mountains, OK these are beautiful but there are lots more beautiful places to discover in Slovakia. In this road trip guide I discuss some of the nicest places to visit all the way from East-Slovakia to West-Slovakia. I did this road trip completely solo and I felt safe at all times. If you are planning a road trip in Slovakia, rental car or all the way from your home country, make sure to read the whole post!

SOME GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SLOVAKIA

• Capital: Bratislava
• Currency: Euro
• Population: 5,5 million (2021)
• Language: Slovakian (Except for the larger cities, English is not widely spoken)
• Roads were very good in Slovakia, lots of highways are being constructed but of course as Slovakia is full of mountains this isn’t an easy job and takes time. In general to most larger cities there are highways and if not the secundary roads are pretty well maintained.

PAVČINA LEHOTA IN THE LOW TATRAS (NEXT TO THE CITY LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS)

The first stop of my road trip through Slovakia was Pavčina Lehota. This is a small village that consists of mostly holiday homes and hotels, there are some cool attractions and nature around and that’s the reason that I chose this as my hub to discover different places within that region.

WHERE to stay in Pavčina Lehota?

• ABC Apartmany.sk: Single room with a small kitchenette and private bathroom
  • Price: 35 EUR / night
  • Location: Pavčina Lehota 121, 031 01 Pavčina Lehota, Slovakia
  • Contact info: http://www.booking.com/Share-9pFLZy
  • This apartment was very small and because it was right under the roof it got pretty hot there! Price was very good though!

WHAT to do IN Pavčina Lehota?

Visit the Havránok openair museum

Entrance: 2 EUR
Duration: +/- 1,5 – 2h

Havránok is an open air museum that lies next to the Liptovská Mara reservoir in the Low Tatras. It contains a Celtic hill fort that was an important religious, economic, and political center of the Púchov culture (300 BCE – 180 CE). Also there is a medieval wooden castle that existed near the remnants of the ancient hill fort from the 11th to 15th century CE.

Because the dam was built in the 60’s the Celtic hill fort and medieval wooden castle were partially moved/rebuilt.

It was my first time visiting a Celtic museum, seeing these wooden structures how they were built centuries ago was very interesting. Also as the museum lies on top of a hill the views are spectacular.

Explore around the Liptovská Mara reservoir

Liptovská Mara is a reservoir that was created by damming the Váh river near Liptovský Mikuláš, in the Liptov region. The purpose of the dam is to prevent floods but also to generate electricity. During construction, nine villages were inundated, the name comes from one of the nine villages.

Lots of watersport and leisure activities take place around the lake during summer such as swimming, paddle boarding, boating, etc. As Slovakia is landlocked this lake was very popular when I was there in July. Most beaches were crowded by locals who wanted to get some refreshment during the hot 30°C+ temperatures.

I’m sure there are some beautiful places to discover around this lake that are less crowded but my time there was limited so I didn’t go out exploring much around there.

Hike Veľký Choč mountain in the Low Tatras

Besides the capital city of Bratislava, Slovakia is very famous for its mountains: The Tatra mountains. This mountain range is divided into the Low and the High Tatras, in Slovak these are called Nízke Tatry and Vysoké Tatry respectively. My base at this first road trip stop was located in the Low Tatras.

Hiking trails are very well marked in Slovakia and this sport is highly popular with the locals. Brown bears are very common in Slovakia so always inform yourself about possible difficulties or dangerous wildlife before starting a hike.

I chose to hike the Veľký Choč mountain (altitude 1611m):

• Parking fee: 2EUR
• Duration: 5 – 6h
• Distance: +/- 9km (out and back trail)
  
  There are different trails that lead to this peak but I started in the small village Valaská Dubová. There’s a paid parking close to the church for 2 euro / day. Tickets can be bought at the tourism office a 5 minute walk away. You basically fill in your name, license plate and country and your covered for the day.
  
  From Valaská Dubová (649m altitude) you need to follow the blue signs for about 1h45 until you reach Stredna Polana (1248m altitude) which is a central massif where you can take a break before continuing to the peak itself. You will need this break because the ascend from the village to the massif is very steep, you’re gaining an altitude of about 600m in +/- 1h45.
  
  From Stredna Polana you follow the green signs up to the peak of Veľký Choč (1611m altitude). It will take about an hour to get there but I’m sure you will want to take some breaks to enjoy the stunning views. Once you reach the top you will have 360° panoramic views. I had my lunch there which was very enjoyable with such a view.
  
  The way back is exactly the same and it will take you about 2h to get to the village.
  
  While hiking back down I noticed a lot of people hiking up with camping gear. Apparently Stredna Polana is a popular spot for camping so you can enjoy the sunrise on top of the Veľký Choč mountain. I would advise to inform yourself about this with a local because there are plenty of brown bears in the area which makes it obviously more dangerous.
  
  If you want to see me struggle make sure to watch my youtube video about this hike.

Visit the UNESCO protected village Vlkolínec

Entrance: 3 EUR
Duration: +/- 1,5h

Vlkolínec is about 35 minutes driving from Liptovský Mikuláš and is a perfect afternoon getaway. The village is protected by UNESCO and is surrounded by beautiful lush nature. Next to museums and a few restaurants the village is still inhabited by locals. It is especially known for its beautiful colorful wooden houses built in traditional style from the 19th century.

I wandered around the folk village for about 45 minutes and then chilled a bit just above the village where there were some benches with a beautiful view over the valley. Afterwards I had a delicious lunch at one of the local restaurants. I tried my first traditional Slovak dish there called Bryndzové pirohy which is made of dumplings covered in sheep cheese and bacon. It was very delicious and the price for the whole meal + a large beer was only 7,8 EUR.

After my visit to this beautiful Slovak UNESCO protected folklore village I drove down to Lučanský vodopád (see below).

Swim at the Lučanský vodopád waterfall

Lucansky Vodopad is a 12m high waterfall in the middle of the town. It is accessible from the bottom and the top which gives some cool photo opportunities. It is also possible to swim but be prepared because it can get pretty crowded there!

KOŠICE in eastern-slovakia

The second stop on my road trip in Slovakia was Košice. This is the 2nd largest city in Slovakia and is located in the East of the country. It was one of my favorite cities, in comparison with Bratislava, Košice felt much more authentic. Road trip wise this might look like I made a huge jump Eastwards after my previous stop but I drove all the way there so I could slowly make my way back East as that was closer to Belgium and it would save me a few hours for the drive back to Belgium in the end.

WHERE to stay IN KOŠICE?

• Barber Studio Airbnb: complete apartment (double bed) – Right in the center
  • Price: 45 EUR/night (parking in the street had to be paid = 7EUR/day except on Sundays)
  • Location: Hlavná 33/60, byt, Košice, Košický kraj 040 01, Slovakia
  • Contact info: https://www.airbnb.be/rooms/27305309?s=67&unique_share_id=844aeaaf-9fc9-4d6e-abc4-9ba56c0b44b2
  • I loved this studio because of its location and unique concept. You’re basically sleeping in a barbershop. Because the building was quite old it was very fresh in the summer.

WHAT to do IN KOŠICE?

Košice old town

The old town of Košice has lots of interesting buildings, museums and parks. I only explored this city for an afternoon and these are the things I visited:

Singing Fountain

This fountain reacts to music and there’s even a kind of light show as well.

Saint-Elizabeth cathedral

I climbed the bell tower which gives a unique view over the city, entrance fee was 2 euro.

The Lower Gate museum

Entrance: 90 cent
In this museum you can see the foundations of the former lower gate of the city.

Jakab’s palace

This castle is located just next to the city park and is built in neo-gothic style. Sadly enough it’s private and can’t be visited.

Nightlife

All around the old town there are plenty of bars and restaurants where you can enjoy some good food/drinks/dancing.

ŽDIAR (HIGH TATRA MOUNTAINS)

The third stop on my road trip through Slovakia was in Ždiar. This is a small village in the High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry), it is especially known for its beautiful picturesque traditional houses.

WHERE TO STAY IN ŽDIAR?

• Penzion Slovakia: Double room with private bathroom
  • Price: 57 EUR/Night
  • Location: Ždiar 668, 059 55 Ždiar, Slovakia
  • Contact info: http://www.booking.com/Share-KL1gag
  • Hotel owners were not the most friendly (except their son), this might’ve been because of the language barrier. Also the room wasn’t perfectly clean. I had booked this very last-minute and there wasn’t much choice left.

WHAT TO DO IN ŽDIAR?

Walking around Ždiar

In this picturesque town you will see beautiful traditional houses, traditional mountain style. Farmers still working the traditional way, etc. Apparently Ždiar is known for the chicken soup, I tried soup once and I must say I wasn’t so impressed. If you’re a fan of vintage decoration I would recommend to have a pizza at Pizzeria Rustika (Ždiar 334, 059 55 Ždiar, Slovakia)

Bachledova Dolina (treetop walk Bachledka)

Entrance: 10 EUR
Duration: 1,5 – 2h

Once you arrive at the entrance there are several ways to get to the actual attraction. One is to hike, this will take about 20 minutes and the other is to take the cable car. I chose to walk both ways.

Upon arrival you will see a large wooden construction which is the 32m high tower that you can climb after walking above the trees. The treetop walk itself has some adrenaline corners which allows you to take a riskier way. Here you are confronted with the actual height you’re walking on. Nothing really scary actually and if you’re a bit scared of heights it’s always possible to take the safe way instead.

After doing the treetop walk you can walk up the 32m high tower. Once you reached the top there is an adrenaline net. This is a net made of strong rope where you can see all the way down 32m lower. I doubted for a minute if I would dare to do this but I walked over it anyway. Cool experience though!

Now comes the fun part, to go back down you can take a 67m long spiral slide. There’s an extra fee of 2 euro to do this but in my opinion it was worth it + it saves you 10 minutes to get down and time is money right?

Hike to green lake (zelené pleso)

It would be a shame not to go hiking while in such a beautiful area as the High Tatras. I’m not the most experienced hiker so I asked around a bit and found out that the hike to Zelené Pleso (English: green lake) was the right choice for me.

As mostly there are different ways of getting to Zelené Pleso, I chose to start from the Biela Voda parking or White Water Parking (6 euro/day), address: 537, 059 60 Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia and it is just 15 minutes driving from Ždiar. Below I’ll describe the different waypoint to get there. Coming back is the same way as going there. In Slovakia hiking trails are always very well marked + this is quite a popular trail so no need to worry to get lost. I did the hike out and back in about 6h.

Follow the yellow and blue route to get to Zelené Pleso from Biela Voda parking:

1. Biela Voda parking (start hike)
2. Rázcestie nad Matliarmi (40 minutes from start – follow yellow/blue route)
3. Rázcestie Šalviový prameň (40 minutes from previous stop – follow yellow/blue route)
4. Rázcestie Kovalčíkova poľana (10 minutes from previous stop – follow yellow/blue route)
5. Zelené Pleso (1h50 from previous stop – follow yellow/blue route)

Way back is exactly the same in reverse

SPIŠSKÁ NOVÁ VES

Spišská Nová Ves was my fourth stop while road tripping in Slovakia. This is a city in the Spiš region South-East of the High Tatras. The reason I booked a stay here was to visit the Spiš Castle (Spišský hrad) and the Slovak Paradise National Park (Slovensky Raj). I did a quick visit to the city Levoča as well but sadly enough I didn’t have much time to spend there.

WHERE TO STAY IN SPIŠSKÁ NOVÁ VES?

• Airbnb grandmother from Filip
  • Price: 33EUR/night – single room with shared bathroom
  • Location: Palárikova 2272/26, Spišská Nová Ves, Košický kraj 052 01, Slovakia
  • Contact info: https://abnb.me/2ZLHxPYkncb
  • I would spend more than 1 or 2 nights at this Airbnb. Price is a bit high for what is being offered in my opinion.

WHAT TO DO IN SPIŠSKÁ NOVÁ VES?

Hike in the Slovak Paradise national park (Slovensky Raj)

Entrance: 1 EUR
Duration: +/- 3h
Start: Biele Vody 267, 053 76 Mlynky, Slovakia (this is an address just next to the trail head)

Before visiting Slovakia this was one of the places I heard a lot about. It was described as an adventurous but still accessible hike.

I did the ladder hike in the Slovak Paradise the day after I did the one to Zelené Pleso and it didn’t feel that hard. It was a bit longer than I expected though. The cool thing about this hike is that you’re distracted from the hiking because of the many ladders, waterfalls, views and other obstacles along the way.

The first part of the hike follows along the gorge of a river (blue signs). Then there’s a part in the forest (blue signs) until you reach a bar where you can have a drink or eat something. From there on you need to follow the green signs until you reach the town of Dedinky which has a beautiful lake (one of the coldest in Slovakia apparently). Once leaving the town it’s time to climb again for about 20 minutes before reaching the start/end point in the town of Biele Vody. From Dedinky to Biele Vody you need to follow the red signs.

Visit the Spišský hrad (Spiš Castle)

Entrance: 8 EUR (+2 EUR for the tower)
Duration: 2hThis 12th century castle is one of the largest compounds in Central-Europe. It is located in East-Slovakia in the Košice region. This fortress is protected by UNESCO.

I’ve seen many castles in my life and this one was not the most impressive from the inside. If you see it from further away it looks very majestic on top of the hill. My advice would be, if you a few hours to spare visit the castle if not, just pass by and maybe drive up to the parking and walk up the hill right next to the parking and get a beautiful view for free. You save yourself some time and money. Have a look at the video below and decide for yourself.

BANSKÁ BYSTRICA

The fifth stop of my epic solo road trip through Slovakia brought me to Banska Bystrica. I didn’t really expect much of this city. I booked a hotel here so I could use this as a hub to different locations in the region. However when visiting the center I was surprised how beautiful it was!

WHERE TO STAY IN BANSKÁ BYSTRICA?

• Penzión Adonai: Double room with optional breakfast
  • Price: 30 EUR/night – optional breakfast was 6 EUR / day extra
  • Location: Zvolenská cesta 3744, 974 05 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
  • Contact info: book via booking.com

WHAT TO DO IN BANSKÁ BYSTRICA?

Explore Banska Bystrica old town

I didn’t spend much time here but one thing I would definitely recommend is to visit the Clock tower, the entrance is 2 EUR and you need to climb 101 steps to reach the top. From the top you have some beautiful views over the city and its surroundings. Further more a stroll around the very well maintained city center is worth it. There are lots more things to do there but I didn’t really spend much time to check those out.

Visit Banska Stiavnica old town

This was probably one of my favorite cities in Slovakia. It has everything a real old town needs. Castles, cobblestone roads, old churches, beautiful well preserved buildings. The top attractions of this city is the church on top of the hill called Banská Štiavnica Calvary. It’s a red church that consists of 2 levels. There is a beautiful view from the hill next to it.

I would recommend to book a stay in this city for a night or 2 to really take the time to discover all the attractions this city has to offer.

Orava castle

Entrance: 7 EUR (pay extra for camera equipment)
Duration: 2h

Situated on a rock high above the Orava river this castle is often called the most beautiful in Slovakia and I can clearly see why. Usually I’m not really impressed with the interior of a castle but this one was different. There were art exhibitions, live music. A museum about all the movies that have been recorded there. Impressive!

Čičmany

Duration: 2h

Located in Northern-Slovakia and with a population of 204 this village is the first folk architecture reserve in the world. The town is especially known for the folk music, costumes, dances and the timbered houses with a very specific white pattern on the exterior walls. The town is surrounded by mountains Strážovské vrchy and Malá Fatra. In total there are 136 houses in the reserve. The best-preserved houses include the building of Radenov dom and the neighbouring Gregorov dom, which shelters the ethnographic exhibition where visitors can learn something more about the history and folklore of this region.

How expensive is it to travel in Slovakia?

In total spread over 18 days I have spent about 1300 EUR and this is gasoline not included. This only covers the costs in Slovakia so not including costs made in other countries. Also consider that most hotel/guesthouse prices were for me alone. So if you’re going with multiple people the price might be a bit lower. I didn’t go to luxury resorts but not to the cheapest hotels either.

In total for accomodation I spent 700 EUR. Food and Drinks were approximately 400 EUR. The rest of the budget went to entrances to activities, souvenirs, etc.

A comfy, non luxurious hotel costs on an average 35 -65 EUR a night. A decent meal with drinks ranges from 5 – 20 EUR.

I hope this blog post helps you to plan your own trip to Slovakia. If you have more questions or suggestions send me a DM on my socials or an email to timtense@gmail.com

Enjoy your travels!

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