Cheap flights to Slovakia from MKD1,028*

What Slovakia lacks in size, it more than makes up for in natural beauty and architecture. The country is proud home to nine gorgeous national parks, where pristine lakes reflect towering peaks, waterfalls splash, rivers rumble and bears still roam free. This is also a land that has seen invaders and conquerors come and go, stay and settle, resulting in a rich history and castles galore. Today, some 300 fortified strongholds pepper the landscape, offering a great vantage point to take in the country’s understated splendour. But Slovakia’s youthful cities are just as worthy of your attention. Full of intriguing contrasts and creative vibes, Košice and Bratislava beckon you to linger and peel back their many layers. Best of all, Slovakia is so easy to explore, you can experience all this and more in the space of a single holiday.

 

Fly to Slovakia to:

• Discover the unconventional beauty of Slovakia’s capital city. Climb up to its fairytale castle and gawk at the stark differences between old and new Bratislava.
• See the country’s biggest concentration of historical monuments in Košice’s chocolate box of an old town, overlooked by the country’s largest cathedral.
• Unleash your inner foodie in Bratislava, then go for a drink with a view in a flying saucer or party like there’s no tomorrow in an underground bunker.
• Jump on a Danube boat cruise to the dramatic Devín Castle, perched atop a high cliff near Bratislava, with unbeatable vistas far into neighbouring Austria.
• Lace up your hiking boots and hit the 600-kilometre network of hiking trails zigzagging through the mighty High Tatras.
• Scratch your itch for a ski holiday without breaking the bank. Conquer the slopes of the Tatras or head for the Slovak Paradise.
• Treat your aching body to a long soak at AquaCity Poprad, fed by underground thermal waters rich in minerals.

 

A young country with old roots

One of Europe’s youngest countries, Slovakia was born in 1993 after the fall of communism and Czechoslovakia's subsequent peaceful divorce. But don’t let that fool you: the country’s history goes far, far back. Its territory has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and was once fought over by the Romans, and Celtic and Germanic groups. It was settled by Slavic tribes, Slovaks’ ancestors, around the 5th century. The country’s complex history is intertwined with all its neighbours, especially the Hungarians and the Austrians, with Bratislava having served as the capital of the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary for over two centuries. Five decades behind the iron curtain certainly took its toll but sovereign Slovakia has quickly found its wings. It joined the EU in 2004 and adopted the euro as the national currency more than ten years ago.

 

The capital of Slovakia and beyond

In recent years, Bratislava has made a leap from being the perpetual underdog outshined by its tourist-favourite neighbours, to becoming a clear force to be reckoned with. Today, it is many things to many people: a cultural powerhouse, a creative hub, a foodie’s paradise and a hotspot for boisterous nightlife. History is on every corner, whether it be in the form of centuries-old gems hidden in the cobbled streets of the Old Town or the love-it-or-loathe-it communist-era landmarks across the river. It’s hard to think of a better introduction to Slovakia than the capital city but don’t stop there. Pretty Košice, the country’s second-largest city, is no less exciting and wasn’t selected as European Capital of Culture for nothing. And don’t miss the dreamy Slovakian castles, dotted around the country. If you only have time for one, make it Spiš, dating back almost a thousand years. Stretching out over Spišské Podhradie village in eastern Slovakia, this UNESCO-protected fortress complex is one of Europe’s largest fortifications, with bulky walls, weathered towers and sweeping panoramas that will leave you speechless.

 

Outdoor adventures

Slovakia’s best highlights are of the natural variety so make sure to pack your walking shoes. The biggest draw? The High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry), aka the tallest mountain chain in the entire Carpathians, complete with twenty-five 2,500-plus-metre summits and more than 100 crystal-clear lakes. This alpine wonderland was selected by Lonely Planet as one of the ten best places to visit in Europe in 2019 so you’d better make your way there now to beat the crowds. If hiking is not your cup of tea, jump on the cable car in Tatranská Lomnica to Slovakia’s second highest peak, Lomnický Stít (2,634 m). The nearby Slovak Paradise National Park (Slovenský Raj) might lack the natural drama of the Tatras but offers a hefty dose of thrills. Expect to climb ladders and hold onto chains beside fast-flowing cascades, hop from rock to rock on a babbling brook and scramble up steep gorges. Be sure to visit the otherworldly Dobšinská Ice Cave near the park’s southern edge, home to a staggering 110,000 cubic metres of ice. For more frosty fun, swap your walking boots for skis from December to early April and hit the slopes while on holiday in Slovakia.

 

From coffee to wine

Coffee might not be the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of Slovakia but the country is as crazy about caffeine as its next-door neighbour, Austria. In recent years, a coffee revolution has been brewing, spearheaded by Košice and Bratislava. Cafés, ranging from Viennese-style to new-wave and everything in between, have set up shop wherever you turn, throwing in delish cakes for good measure. Slovakia also happens to be one of the world’s most underrated wine countries. With thousands of years of know-how under its belt, the country has six distinctive wine regions, all easy to reach and just as hard to leave. Where better to start your wine escapade than in the beautiful Tokaj region, south of Košice? Its rolling hills and quaint villages are home to the sweet golden nectar known as ‘the wine of kings, the king of wines’, as proclaimed by Louis XIV. Staying in Bratislava? Head to Malokarpatská, or the Lesser Carpathian wine region, famous for its fresh whites and light-bodied reds.