North-East Slovakia
Unspoilt Countryside
Over 40% of Slovakia is covered by forests,
a greater proportion than in Switzerland or Norway.
It is a wonderfull place for
walking, birdwatching and fishing.
Villages are
tranquil places
with a very slow pace of life, still using horses and scythes for farming,
a way of life that is fast disappearing.
Medieval Towns
The medieval towns of
Bardejov
and
Levoca
have their fortifications dating back to the early 1300s,
most of which are still in place.
Bardejov has one of the largest and best preserved town squares of all medieval towns in Europe.
In 2000 Bardejov became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Spas
In the 1800s Marie Louise the second wife of Napoleon, the Russian Czar Alexander I and
the Austrian Empress Elisabeth came to stay in
Bardejov Spa.
The communist bosses and presidents of Czechoslovakia had their permanent villas here.
Less famous, but very pleasant, is
Vysne Ruzbachy Spa
built round its thermal springs.
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The village of Krize |
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Bardejov Town Square
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| Wooden church at Fricka |
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| Spis Castle |
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History and Art
Museums
There are several
museums
in Bardejov: the History Museum, the Museum of Icons (unique in Slovakia)
and the Natural History Museum (most of its local specimens come from Krize).
The basilica in Bardejov has many fine paintings and
the church in Levoca is famous for its exquisite wood carvings.
Bardejov Spa has an open-air Country Architecture Museum
with traditional timber houses of the region.
The parents of Andy Warhol come from the area,
and a museum has been set up in Medzilaborce with some of his work and memorabilia.
Wooden Churches
The
wooden churches
around Bardejov are part of the wider regional architecture
extending to the neighbouring Poland
where they are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Medieval Castles
Slovakia has one of the highest densities of
medieval castles
in Europe.
They are particularly numerous to the west of Bardejov.
Spis Castle is the largest medieval castle in Central Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The High Tatras
Mountain Peaks
The
High Tatras
are the highest mountain range between the Alps and the Urals.
Perhaps the best way to appreciate the High Tatra scenery is to take a cable car
to the second highest peak the Lomnicky Stit.
It is about an hour's drive from the cottages to the cable cars.
Mountain Lakes
There are many beautiful
glacier lakes
dotted all over the High Tatras as well as spectacular waterfalls.
The mountains provide a home to plants and animals, such as the chamois,
that can only be found at latitudes above the tree-line.
Mountain Rivers
With the exception of the Danube all major rivers in Slovakia
(Vah, Hron, Hornad, Poprad, Dunajec, etc.) have their source in the Tatras.
In the upper parts their
white-waters
are quite spectacular.
Nature and Wildlife Links.
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| A view of the High Tatras from Lomnicky Stit |
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| The glacier lake Strbske Pleso in the High Tatras |
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