If you are a fan of long distance cycle routes, in Slovakia you can enjoy hundreds of kilometres of three EuroVelo routes. (Cover photo: Bratislava Tourist Board)

River cycle route EuroVelo 6 along the Danube river

Bratislava - Štúrovo (168 km, easy road route)

If you are a fan of road cycling on a quality asphalt surface out of traffic, head to Bratislava. The Euro Velo route No. 6 runs along the Danube embankment, 4,500 km of which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Black Sea. The Slovak section, which starts at the border crossing Bratislava-Berg and ends at the Hungarian border in Štúrovo, can be cycled in one stroke as an intensive 168 km challenge or you can plan it as a weekend trip. On the route, which can be an endless plain for some, and relax in floodplain forests without hills along the Danube river for others, several attractions await you. In Čunovo, don't miss the Danubiana – the gallery of modern art; more active visitors will certainly appreciate the local water sports complex with an artificial water channel. At the dam in Gabčíkovo, you can watch the lifting of ships, in Komárno in the European Square you can admire the architecture typical of the individual countries of the old continent. Not far from the village of Iža you will find the remains of the Roman defense system Limes Romanus with the UNESCO brand, in Štúrovo you will have a nice view of the Esztergom Basilica cupola staying on the Bridge of Maria Valerie. The cycle route with almost no elevation is not demanding, but in case of bad weather, riding against the wind can bother even more experienced cyclists. (Photo: Bratislava Tourist Board)

    The path of the Iron Curtain - EuroVelo Route No. 13

    Bratislava - Moravský Svätý Ján (90 km, easy road route)

    You can also head north to discover Europe from Bratislava. In Berg, you connect to EuroVelo No. 13, Europe's longest cycle route, which runs through 20 countries. Its 10,400 km connects the Black Sea in the south with the Barents Sea in the north, copying the Iron Curtain Line from Bulgaria to Norway, which divided Europe into two worlds for almost four decades in the 20th century. 90 km section in Slovakia starts in Bratislava on the border with Austria, continues along the border with the Czech Republic, and ends in Moravský Svätý Ján. This route offers cyclists a ride through beautiful nature in close contact with the fauna and flora of the Morava river, which is a paradise for water birds. On the route, you will discover a system of bunkers that were built before the Second World War in the Petržalka district of Bratislava, the majestic Devín Castle, the important paleontological location Sandberg, as well as the picturesque villages of Záhorie, among others Vysoká pri Morave with a 17th-century Baroque church. The route, on which there are practically no elevations, leads on asphalt roads of various quality, mostly with minimal or no car traffic. Its great advantage is that you can easily combine it with other cycling routes in Záhorie, in the Danube region, as well as in Austria and Hungary. (Photo: Bratislava Tourist Board)

      In the footsteps of the "beast of the East" EuroVelo 11

      Mníšek pod Popradom – Trstené pri Hornáde (203 km)

      A section of the EuroVelo No. 11 route, nicknamed the "beast of the east", the 6000 km of which connects the Norwegian Nordkapp with Athens in Greece is gradually being built on the territory of Slovakia. It enters Slovakia via Mníšek nad Popradom, a border crossing with Poland. There are many attractive stops on the 203 km long section. East Slovakia is dotted with wooden churches built without the use of a single nail. Six of them have also been on the UNESCO list. In Stará Ľubovňa you can visit the castle from the 13th century, which was famous in the past for the meetings of the crowned heads and the imprisonment of Móric Beňovský, the later king of Madagascar. In Sabinov, take a picture of the Oscar statuette in the square, which reminds you that the Academy Award-winning film „Shop On the Main Street“ was filmed here. In Veľký Šariš, go through the new bicycle bridge, which evokes the impression of a medieval building. In Prešov, do not miss the late Gothic Concathedral of St. Mikuláš, an Orthodox synagogue built in the Moorish style or Solivar, a unique complex of technical buildings for pumping and cooking salt from brine from the 17th century. In Košice, enter the largest Gothic cathedral in Slovakia - the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth. The promenade, in the heart of which it stands, is lined with palace houses and townhouses with restaurants, boutiques, and cafes. From Košice, the cycle route copies the Hornád riverbed to the village of Trstené pri Hornáde, where it enters Hungary. (Photo: Bicyklom po Slovensku)