Explore the Best of Slovakia in 48 Hours

Slovakia is situated in Central Europe and shares her border with Czech, Hungary, Austria, Poland,  Ukraine. A long time ago, Slovakia is part of Czecho-Slovak Republic. The independent Slovak State was then established in Slovakia in 1939. With communist dictatorship overthrown in 1989, resulted in the break-up of the common state of the Czechs and Slovaks. This further leads to the establishment of independent Slovak Republic in 1993. Today, Slovakia is voted as the highest number of castles and chateaux per capita.

Most people are confuse between Slovakia and Slovenia. In fact, I am one of them as well before I decided to embark on this trip. Initially, I had the idea that it belongs to the same country but with different spelling only, just like Czechia is the same as Czech Republic for short. The confusion also happened on international stage. In 2003, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi introduced the prime minister of Slovakia at a press conference. It was Anton Rop – from Slovenia.

Best Time to Visit Slovakia 

Peak season or rather best time to visit Slovakia is during summer. Known to be the warmest time of the year from May to the end of October. If you enjoy the outdoors like me, hiking would definitely be on top of your list. Hiking in Slovakia is popular with the abundance of many nature parks , especially if you have an eye on the High Tatras region. Many have compared them to the Alps in Austria & Switzerland. Winter would be ideal as well if you are into winter sports (December – March).  Christmas markets in Bratislava and Kosice is a bonus in December period where one can shop for unique handcrafted souvenirs.

Things to do in Slovakia 

The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, lies on the borders with Austria and Hungary. That makes the city the only one capital in the world that borders two independent countries. With a population 425,500, situated in the south-west of Slovakia, this is often the starting point especially if you are crossing over the land border or deciding to add another country on your travel list. Main Railway Station in Bratislava is located about 1 km from city center. If you arrive in Bratislava by train, you can reach the Old Town in 15 minutes on foot, or take the number 80, 91, or 93 bus.

Bratislava Old Town 

Bratislava Castle

You will not miss this castle when you are nearby the old town. It sits on a hill overlooking the city, a good tip to have your photograph taken here especially during sunset hours. There are many grass patches where one can put his tired feet while enjoying the bird eye view. But first, there is a steep climb one must undergo before reaching the “summit” of the hill and the entrance to Bratislava Castle. The castle is open from 9am to 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday. To get to the castle from Old Town, cross the busy motorway through the underpass by St. Martin’s Church.

St Martin’s Cathedral

Situated on the edge of the Old Town, St. Martin’s Cathedral is Bratislava’s foremost Gothic structure. I find this church acting like it is guarding the old town as it was located along a busy motorway and with its majestic size, it is a sight to behold.

St. Michael’s Street and St. Michael’s Gate

One of Bratislava’s popular sights and is a quaint street lined with many shops , restaurants etc. Standing at 51 metres high, the tower is located at the Museum of Weapons and City Fortifications. Tip: Head to the balcony on the top floor, from where you can see the most spectacular view of Old Town Bratislava and The Castle in the near distance

Primatial Palace

Located in the center of Old Town is considered as one the most beautiful building in the city. Being an avid traveller, I love that this place there is a world globe in front of the building, time to pose for more pictures! The palace is open from Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

 St. Elizabeth’s Church 

The Blue Little Church is situated at Bezrucova street which is a short walk from Main Square. You definitely should make a special trip to see this work of art and beauty if you visit Bratislava.

Grassalkovich Palace

More popularly known as Slovakia’s White House, it is guarded 24 hours a day by an honour guard who can be seen marching in front of the castle daily by visitors.

Statues in Old Town

This old town is filled with series of creative statues in unexpected places. The most photographed of these is Cumil, a man popping up from a hole on the street, located at the junction of Laurinská and Panská Streets.

If you are a castle lover, simply one who love to dream about living in castle, you can fulfill your wish here in Slovakia. The history behind it prompts Slovakian from building many castles in the past. Slovakia will not disappoint you and one can visit the following castles:

Devin’s Castle
Located just 12 kilometres away with a 20 minutes direct bus ride on the outskirt of Bratislava, there lies Devin’s Castle. Head to “Most SNP” station under the “UFO bridge” and take bus 29. The bus’s final destination which will indicate on the front of the bus is “Opletalova”. Alight at the stop named: ” Štrbská”. One will not require a full day to get to Devin’s Castle, but probably require around 2.5 hours exploring the castle & its surroundings.

Red Stone Castle
Located just 1 hour from Bratislava, it is a good option to visit and this can easily takes up half a day. Getting there by public transport is not an easy task if you do not speak Slovak. Moreover, you will need to inform the bus driver that you will be heading to Red Stone Castle or rather what the locals call it as Červený Kameň (Okay, try asking your hotel reception how to pronounce it before heading out there). Even so, the bus stop to alight is in the middle of nowhere along the road. As much as the name suggest it, the castle is not created out of red stone. Note: There are guided tours at the castle and is usually conducted in Slovak. One cannot enter without being escorted by a guide. The main takeaway for making this trip would be witnessing the countryside that is definitely lovely! Experience and embrace the true local country style living.

Source: Guide to Slovakia website  

Bojnice Castle
Located a solid 3 hours from Bratislava, it certainly takes a full day on its own. I would strongly recommend combining this visit together with Čičmany Village and the town of Trencin. What better way one can do it if you have a local tour operator who will bring you and explore the true essence of Slovakia. Introducing you to slovakation: A local tour guiding company, founded by Martin. For more information on their tours, you may visit this link. I took a picture with Martin in front of the Bojnice Castle.

After doing much of the planning in Europe, i admit got to have a “cheat” day where I engage someone to plan for the travel activities. What’s better way than to do it in Slovakia as I wanted so much to visit Bojnice Castle, voted as one of the most romantic castle in Europe and realizing making the trip there is almost impossible without hiring a private car as I also want to take in the sights of Čičmany Village (which I will cover later below). Hence, I engage slovakation tour company on this one day tour. They will take care of all the practicalities and save you a lot of time with planning, creating a hassle free experience. Get off the beaten path places, enjoy the best of what Slovakia can offer!

Čičmany Village

Known for its original log houses with the typical white ornamentation designs. A little tip: the design engraved on these houses plays an important role on the national flag and if you are into sports, you will often see these designs on their national team clothes. It has since become the representative of Slovakia to the outer world.

Town of Trencin 

I did not intend to visit this small town named Trencin. It was non intentional that I step foot in this amazing town as I have to hop on the train back to the capital, Bratislava. With more than 4 hours to kill before my train arrived, I explored this town with not much expectations as it seems to be quiet from the outside. Only to discover there are a host of things to see, a buzz of activities going on within the town square and even a concert was held to keep me entertained. I got the opportunity to see what is a normal Sunday outing like for people living away from the capital.

My itinerary exploring Slovakia in 2 days 

Day 01: 

0551H: Arrive Bratislava

0700H: Check into hotel, wash up

0730H: Explore old town:

St Martin’s Cathedral , Men at Work, Primatial Palace, St. Michael’s Street and St. Michael’s Gate, St. Elizabeth’s Church, Grassalkovich Palace – Slovakia’s White House, Bratislava Castle

1130H: Head to Devin Castle

1430H: Head to Červený Kameň (Red Stone) Castle

1900H: Arrive back to Bratislava, rest for the night

Day 02: 

0715H: Head to train station

0803H: Train leaving Bratislava

0924H: Arrive Trencin; Day Tour to Bojnice Castle and Čičmany Village.

1834H: Tickets back to Bratislava from Trencin

1957H: Arrive Bratislava, rest for the night. Depart to Austria/ Hungary  from here the next day!

For more information on exploring surrounding countries in Slovakia, head to my post here.

Categories: Europe Region