Unique holiday experiences are waiting for you in Slovakia around every corner. We will advise you what you should absolutely not miss in our country this summer.

Whispered secrets of a fairytale castle

Do you have the courage to travel through time? Come to Bojnice and let yourself be drawn into the fascinating stories of the most famous Slovak castle, whose fairytale look was inspired by the beauty of the Gothic castles in the Loire Valley in France. Its chambers will reveal their secrets to you regardless of whether you decide to explore them during the day or by candlelight during staged night tours. Enter a hall with a gilded angelic ceiling, an oriental salon from the time of the Ottoman Empire, or a chapel with a rare medieval altar by a Florentine painter. If you want to take a photo that looks like from a movie, choose the event In the footsteps of fairy tales – many fairy tales were filmed in Bojnice and the surrounding area. Are you interested in combining traditional Slovak crafts with centuries-old roots with modern design? During the weekend of July 16-17, 2022, the Festival of traditional crafts will bring tinkering, decorating Easter eggs, processing sheep's wool, basket weaving, making wooden kitchenware, lacemaking, and embroidery into the streets of Bojnice. If you want to try working on the potter's wheel or painting ceramics, visit a permanent Bojnica attraction – Bencovje grunt – a museum of traditional crafts. You can find more information at: www.bojnice.eu.

    Views from the bike in the majestic silence of the mountains

    The Liptov region will easily fulfill even your most daring idea of how to spend an ideal vacation. It is surrounded by the most famous Slovak mountains: Low, West, and High Tatras. Here you can choose from more than 1000 km of marked hiking trails. Humble the stone beauty Veľký Choč, go to the fabulous Kvačianska Valley with waterfalls and wooden water mills, or take the cable car from Jasná to the 2,000 m Chopok. Adrenaline enthusiasts will certainly appreciate the iron risers of the Two Towers Ferrata. If you are more interested in the underground world, explore the Demänovská Cave of Freedom. Are you a fan of cycling? An extensive network of 850 km of marked cycling routes will appeal both to trained athletes and families with children. Many routes will lead you to Liptovská Mara, the largest water reservoir in Slovakia, which, in addition to trips on a boat and jet ski, will also give you an extra experience of flyboarding. The fun in pools with waves and toboggans you can find in the thermal aquaparks Tatralandia and Bešeňová. And be sure not to miss the lively village of Vlkolínec with the UNESCO seal, where time has stood still among dozens of original wooden houses with colorful lime paint. You can find more information at: www.visitliptov.sk.

      The magic of „tajchy“ and echo from the underground

      Did you know that in Slovakia there is a crater of an extinct volcano that was in the past one of the largest volcanoes on Earth? Today, Banská Štiavnica, a central Slovak mining town on the UNESCO list, stretches out in the middle of it. It was the gold and silver veins that the volcano brought to the surface that determined the region's famous mining fate. From the hill Sitno, you can see the wonderful panoramic views of the town. On the way, be sure to stop by the Počúvadlo Tajch, whose surface is full of water bikes, boats, or paddleboards in the summer. This is one of the many artificial water reservoirs that were created here in the past for the needs of mining. Two mine ditches will reveal to you how the World´s largest water machine once worked here. In the center of the city, don't miss the world's unique: Love Bank - a safe created from the verses of Marína, the longest love poem in the world, which is located in a 500-year-old gold mine. The Museum of Dezho Hoffmann, the native of Štiavnica and world-famous photographer, who took the iconic photos of The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, and more other famous people, is worth a stop. Those who like adventures are welcome on the nearby Kysihýbel Educational Nature Trail. It includes the forestry arboretum and the Barlanga underground quarry. Take a flashlight expedition into its hand-drawn underground halls. More information can be found at: www.supervulkanstiavnica.sk.

        Climb over a roaring waterfall in an idyll of carefreeness

        Would you like to tame the wild? Go to the Slovak Paradise National Park, which stands out for its record-breaking biodiversity. Nowhere in Europe, you can find more plant species per square meter than here. Thanks to numerous ladders, chains, and bridges, you will be able to admire its wild nature. View it from the 150-meter-high Tomášovský vyhľad rock gallery or go on a hike through gorges full of jungle greenery, such as Suchá Belá or Veľký Sokol. You can cool off in the UNESCO-listed Dobšinská Ice Cave. You can feel the power of water at the thunderous Závoj Waterfall or during rafting the 12 km long canyon Prielom Hornádu. Climbing the Kyseľ Ferrata is also an adrenaline adventure. If you're a history fan, head out to explore Kláštorisko, the ruin of a monastery of Carthusian monks from the beginning of the 14th century, or the mysterious story of the "thousand-year-old" chapel Sans Souci above the village of Iliašovce. The hill on which the chapel is located was once known by the entire monarchy as a place of lavish parties and spectacular balls... From Spišská Nová Ves, a 6 km long cycle path with a high-quality surface will lead you here. You can complete your hiking into history just a few meters further by visiting the unique Sauna in the Forest with a panoramic view of the captivating nature of the region Spiš. You can find more tips at: www.vraji.sk.

          Lakes full of sun and catchy laughter

          The sand will pleasantly warm your bare feet, the summer breeze will refresh you while boating, and the evening barbecue will saturate the air with delicious smells and catchy laughter... Discover the sunny region of Senec, situated only 25 km from the capital Bratislava, where even without the sea you can enjoy the water in a thousand times ways. In Slovak Tahiti, as the Slnečné jazerá (Sunny Lakes) used to be called years ago, you can use a surfboard, a boat, a water bike, or a paddleboard, and enjoy not only the 100 hectares of clear water surface but also the beauty of the surrounding nature. Passionate fishermen will also enjoy themselves here, and thanks to the tennis courts and pitches for soccer or beach volleyball, even lovers of team sports like this place. You can also have fun in the aquapark, which is connected to the Senec thermal water well. The sauna world offers perfect relaxation. An unforgettable experience for the whole family is a raft down the Little Danube. Thanks to the untouched nature around the river, which is home to several rare animals and unique wheeled water mills, in some sections you will feel like Tarzan in the jungle. Especially if you subsequently visit the nearby Oasis of the Siberian Tiger in Kostolná pri Dunaji, which is a unique tiger farm that participates in the rescue of this endangered animal. In Kráľová pri Senci, the unique museum Včelárska paseka (beekeeping meadow) will show you ancient beehives, logs, and wicker baskets. More information at: www.lennaskok.sk 

            Big waves in the lagoon near the Danube

            Cable car across the lake. A wild river in the shape of an ellipse. An eighty-meter anaconda that your children will love. Vadaš Thermal Resort in the center of Štúrovo, the largest thermal park in Slovakia, will provide the whole family with an unforgettable holiday. Its advantage is water rich in healthy minerals, which help your muscles, joints, and spine. Enough space for relaxation and crazy water fun is guaranteed by up to 10,000 m2 of total water area. The largest of the 13 swimming pools is the Lagoon with artificial waves, the Oasis will test swimmers on both the wild and the slow river, and the children enjoy the toboggan park the most. There is also a lake where visitors can boat, wakeboard, or pedal boat. Climbers are welcome on the island with a rope park. A unique attraction is the enclosed nudist beach with its pool. Thanks to the location of Štúrovo on the Slovakian-Hungarian border, you can easily visit the monuments of both countries. You are only 10 km away from the Baroque mansion Château Béla in the middle of the famous wine-growing region of southern Slovakia. You can easily reach the neighboring Esztergom with one of the largest basilicas in Europe through the Marie Valerie Bridge in Štúrovo. If you like a relaxing walk through the forest, head to the Burda mountain range, which will fascinate you with its magical gorges and a view of the picturesque bend of the Danube. More information at: www.vadasthermal.sk.

              The bell-ringing city and the drip concert

              Get to know the region of world-renowned wines and sweet mead! The Trnava region attracts city and wild nature lovers with the sounds of summer. On Trojičné námestie (Trinity Square) in Trnava, the lively bustle of the city drowns out the sound of bells every 15 minutes. It spreads from the Mestská veža (City Tower), a massive Renaissance building, which hides in its bowels a unique mechanical clockwork from 1729 made in the workshop of Franz Lang. Nowadays, it has to be manually wound once a day by an experienced clockmaker, whose predecessors lived in the tower with entire families and a small farm. During the guided tour, you will climb 143 steps and get to know more than half a millennium of historical events that separate the present from the period of construction of this almost 60-meter-high tower. At a height of 29 meters, you will have a unique view not only of the "Slovak Rome", but also of the Trnava plain or the Small Carpathians mountains. Just in its underground, you will find the Driny Cave with a magical drop decoration. Take a look at the sinter pools or corridors dotted with a pale yellow variety of aragonite. If you are lucky, during the tour you will also see protected species of bats that inhabit the Driny. Listen to the quiet dripping of seeping water, which has been tirelessly completing the only accessible cave in western Slovakia since the Mesozoic era. More tips for trips around the Trnava region at: www.kocrtt.sk.