The most famous cities of Slovakia and its other attractions. Slovakia: reviews of tourists

Slovakia is a European country with a rich history and a huge number of architectural and cultural attractions. Many magnificent old castles return visitors to the knight's tale, and its unique mountain landscape is able to compete with the best world ski resorts.

Slovakia on the map

Slovakia (Slovak Republic) is a small state that is located in Central Europe. With Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Hungary has a common border Slovakia. On the map below, you can see that the country does not have access to the sea.

The total area is 48 thousand square kilometers. This territory is home to five and a half million people. The capital of the state is Bratislava. Territorially the country is divided into eight edges, which are subdivided into districts.

The main part of Slovakia is located on the territory of the Tatras and the Western Carpathians. In the south are elevations and fertile plains. The territory of the country is full of rivers. The largest of them are the Gron, Danube, Tisa, Vag. A little less than half of the country's territory is occupied by mixed, broad-leaved and coniferous forests. In the mountains - alpine meadows. In the forests of Slovakia are found bears, wolves, foxes, deer, squirrels. To date, nine national parks have been established.

The country is in the continental climate zone. It's a wet and hot summer and a rather cold and dry winter. In the mountains the summer is much cooler, and the winter is more severe - the greatest amount of precipitation falls.

In Slovakia, the tourism industry is actively developing. Every year thousands of tourists from all over the world rush here to see the picturesque nature, majestic mountains and caves, ancient cities. Many people who want to visit the excellent ski resorts.

Cities of Slovakia

The country has several fairly large and industrialized centers. The most famous cities in Slovakia we will introduce to you in this article.

Bratislava is the largest city in Slovakia and its capital. The city was founded in 907. The capital has a rich history, so there are many attractions that cause great interest of tourists. This beautiful city has a comfortable and informative rest. Public transport is open 24 hours a day. However, all the most interesting places in the center, so you can walk to any monument.

The visiting card of the city is the castle of Bratislava, the image of which is often used on badges, pendants and other souvenirs. Lovers of modern architecture will surely like the New Bridge. On one of its supports there is a restaurant and an observation deck.

Kosice - this city is slightly inferior to Bratislava in size and is strikingly different in its appearance and special atmosphere. Probably, that's why it causes no less interest of tourists.

Here, too, you can see the most interesting sights. Slovakia is proud of the old center in Košice, which was preserved to this day (the city was founded in the 13th century), which history lovers will appreciate.

Today it is an important industrial center of the country. This is immediately evident in the modern urban architecture of Kosice. The main attraction of the city is the unusually beautiful Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth.

Trencin - the city originates from the castle, founded here in the XI century. It is the third largest in the country. Today it is a cozy student campus, known for its active nightlife and the summer music festival, for which young people from Eastern Europe gather.

It is located not far from Bratislava. In its vicinity is the oldest (XIX century) world-famous Trencianske Teplice resort. It is famous for its hot sulfur sources.

Banska Bystrica. The city is protected by UNESCO. There are many architectural and historical monuments here. The magnificent natural landscape of this place is very similar to western Slovakia. Banska Bystrica is famous for its beer. For five centuries the city has been the center of brewing.

Attractions (Slovakia)

Often, Slovakia is called a country of castles and palaces. Indeed, there are quite a few such unique monuments here. Nevertheless, we would like to start acquaintance with the country with its main natural attractions.

Tatra Mountains

With their beauty, these mountains are able to fascinate even experienced climbers. Tatras are mountains that in Slovenia have an average height of peaks from 2 to 2,5 thousand meters. They are the highest part of the Carpathian range and the highest peaks of Europe.

In winter, tourists prefer to skate here on skis and snowboards. The resorts of Slovakia are pleasantly pleased with the wonderful service. Tatra Mountains, where there are several resorts. For example, one of them is located near the picturesque mountain lake Shtrebske Pleso.

Bojnice Castle

In this small country there are truly unique attractions. Slovakia, or rather the resort town Bojnice has on its territory a beautiful castle with an underground cave, turrets and a large park. Bojnice Castle was built in the IX century.

The castle acquired its present appearance in the XIX century. According to local residents, the last owner of the magnificent castle, Ian Palfi, passionately fell in love with a nobleman from France and for her sake turned a family fortress into a wonderful and cozy castle that resembled a chateau on the Loire River.

In 1889 the Boinitsky Castle was rebuilt. However, neither Count Palphi himself nor his fiancee could see the result, since the owner suddenly died in 1908. Since the local legend says, his ghost quite often appears in the corridors of the castle. This was the reason for the creation of the annual International Festival of Ghosts and Spirits, which is held here in late April. In the castle you can get on an excursion that takes place in the evening. It shows a costumed show - tourists are surrounded by completely peace-loving ghosts.

The castle has preserved a unique work of art - the altar, which was made by Zion Ortang - a Florentine master in the XIV century.

The interiors of the castle are in the style of Tyrolean Gothic. They can be seen when visiting the historical museum, which is now located in the Count's chambers. Tourists are offered to go down to the cave, which is located at a depth of 26 meters. It is combined with a castle well, which is created at the site of the rock break.

Orava Castle

This magnificent castle is located on the shore of Orava, on a rock, whose height reaches 112 meters. For the first time the castle is mentioned in the annals of 1256. At that time a fortress was built on the site of a wooden building. At the end of the XIV century, the castle became the most beautiful in the country.

It is made in the Romanesque style. Its present appearance Oravsky Grad received in the beginning of the XVI century. It has three levels. The first (the oldest) consists of two huge and long floors, reminiscent of knightly halls. Along the entire perimeter there are windows in the form of arches and alcoves in the depths of the walls.

The second and third levels were built much later (XIX century.). They have many ladders and ups. Since 1953, a large-scale reconstruction began on the territory of the castle, which lasted until 1968. Today there is the Museum of Local History.

Among the exhibits of the museum are elements of the flora and fauna of Orava, finds of archaeologists, etc. Oravsky Grad is a national monument of Slovakia.

Mysterious Cave

Tourists are always interested in natural attractions. Slovakia is famous for its numerous caves. At the Demenovska Valley, under the northern slopes of the Low Tatras, there is Demanovskaya ice cave. It became known back in the Middle Ages. In Slovakia, it is the second after the Dobshinsky Ice Cave.

Despite the fact that the first information about it refers to 1299, it was available only in the eighties of the XIX century. The entrance to the cave is at an altitude of 840 meters above sea level. A winding path leads to it. The cave has four floors, its total length is 2.5 kilometers. The trail for inspection includes 850 meters.

Scientists believe that the ice filling of the cave appeared 500 years ago. In the Demanovskaya cave, bones of a cave bear were found . In the XVIII century, people considered them the remains of a dragon, so it was called the Cave of the Dragon. Ten species of bats live here.

Old Town Hall

Sights of Slovakia - this, of course, and the town hall, located in Bratislava. This is the oldest building in the city. The Town Hall is between Primas Square and Main Square. It is made in the Gothic style. The tower of the town hall was built in the XIII century, and the building of the annex was completely finished in the 15th century.

During the earthquake (1599), the town hall was badly damaged. The same fate befell her and during the fire (XVIII century.). After this, elements of baroque and renaissance appeared in the building.

In 1912, a wing was added to the tower of the Town Hall, which combines elements of neo-Renaissance and neo-Gothic. In the XV-XIX centuries there was a city council, and later in the building at various times there was an archive, a prison and a mint. In 1809, when the army of Napoleon came to the town hall, a kernel was released, which was released from a cannon. It is still stored in the building. Now there is a museum in the town hall.

Monument to the plumber

Tourists are interested in the funny sights of Slovakia. One of the most original is the monument to plumbers Chumil (Bratislava). It is located in the center of the Old Town. The monument is a plumbing in a helmet that looks out of the sewer hatch. The word "Chumil" can be translated as an observer, onlooker. This monument reminds townspeople of the terrible years of World War II, when people were forced to hide in sewers. There is a tradition - every person should touch the nose plumbing, and then luck will never turn away from it.

Reviews of tourists

Today, many travelers are interested in Slovakia. Reviews of the trip to this small fairy-tale country are always enthusiastic. Everyone admires here - beautiful landscapes, ancient castles and palaces, friendly and hospitable inhabitants. And this does not depend on the time of visiting the country and on what city tourists used to be in. Slovakia is always beautiful.