The inspiration to write this article came from my 2 English guests, with whom I had spent a few days exploring Slovakia in the beginning of June. They wanted to see the Slovak nature and mountains, so our destinations – the High Tatras and Slovak Paradise, were clear. We stayed in Tatranska Lomnica, the small village situated at the foot of the Lomnicky stit peak. After hiking and eating delicious food for 3 days in a row, they were captivated by Slovakia and during the last evening they even told me: “Slovakia is a hidden treasure”.
5 things, I´ve learned about Slovakia during their stay:
1. Adventurous hiking
They said that in comparison for example with the Alps, the hiking in the High Tatras is more adventurous and the High Tatras are not so overcrowded (except the weekends in July and August). The hiking trails are partially built up, but not as well as those in the Alps. Therefore sometimes you have to be careful where you step or sometimes you even have to climb while holding the chains. This kind of hiking will also help you to forget about your daily problems, because you have to concentrate your mind only on the way ahead.
2. Beautiful views everywhere you look
It really doesn´t matter which mountain you choose to hike, because you can be 100% sure, that after you reach it, you can enjoy beautiful views all around you. As we were ascending to the top of the peak above the Štrbské pleso, called – the Predné Solisko, they said, “It’s amazing. There are mountains everywhere you look.”
3. Lots of forests and greenery
As we were driving across the country, heading to the High Tatras, they also noticed and mentioned that Slovakia is really green country with lots of forests and greenery.
4. Slovak cuisine
Delicious Slovak meals, big portions and reasonable prices. All these impressed them very much and they were happy to finally eat some good food after constant eating of Fish & Chips. Of course you have to know which restaurants are worth it and which aren’t. Fortunately, I chose only the good ones. 🙂
5. The tourist infrastructure
The tourist infrastructure in our most visited areas is quite good developed. They were pleasantly surprised by the number of mountain huts and the possibilities where you can have a rest during or after the hike and enjoy a cup of coffee, beer or even eat something to boost your energy.
