Must-see attractions in Slovakia

  • Taking in the lovely view from Tomasovsky lookout in Slovensky Raj, The Slovak Paradise National Park ( Narodni park Slovensky raj ).

    Slovenský Raj National Park

    Eastern Slovakia

    Slovenský Raj's rocky plateaus, primeval forests and interlacing streams form some of Slovakia's most picturesque hiking terrain. Treks often involve…

  • Spis Castle, Spissky Hrad, Spis region, East Slovakia

    Spiš Castle

    Eastern Slovakia

    Crowning a travertine hill above Spišské Podhradie village, this vast, Unesco-listed fortification is one of Central Europe's biggest castle complexes…

  • Bratislava, Slovakia - May 05, 2016: Danubiana museum of modern art by the river Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia.; Shutterstock ID 419807902; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Cities Guides app image downloads - Bratislava

    Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum

    Slovakia

    The windswept location of this world-class art gallery is as invigorating as the works on display. On a promontory jutting into the Danube, the…

  • Bratislava Castle illuminated at night

    Bratislava Castle

    Bratislava

    Magnificently rebuilt in Renaissance style, Bratislava Castle looks as though it has been transplanted from a children's picture book. Inside is a history…

  • St Martin's Cathedral, Coronation Church, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, Europe

    St Martin's Cathedral

    Bratislava

    The coronations of 19 royals have taken place within three-nave St Martin's Cathedral, alluded to by the 300kg replica crown atop its spire. The interior…

  • BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA - MAY 7, 2016: Main Square of Bratislava (Hlavne namestie) is one of the best known squares in Bratislava. The square is located in the Old Town and it is the center of city.; Shutterstock ID 425043109; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Cities Guides app image downloads - Bratislava

    Hlavné Námestie

    Bratislava

    The nucleus for Bratislava's history, festivals and chic cafe culture is Hlavné nám (Main Sq). There's architectural finery in almost every direction,…

  • Church of St. Elisabeth, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Blue Church

    Bratislava

    Dedicated to St Elisabeth of Hungary in 1913, the early-20th-century 'Blue Church' is a vision in sapphire and powder-blue. From its undulating arches and…

  • Museum of the Slovak Village

    Slovakia

    This picturesque recreated village – Slovakia's largest skanzen (open-air museum) – showcases over 120 faithfully reconstructed 19th-century dwellings in…

  • Orava Castle

    Slovakia

    The sight of Orava Castle, roosting on a forest-cloaked hilltop, sends a chill down the spine. Vampire aficionados may recognise its stern silhouette from…

  • SNP Museum

    Slovakia

    A museum dedicated to WWII history and Banská Bystrica's role as the beating heart of the country's anti-fascist resistance is harboured in a looming…

  • Vrátna Valley

    Slovakia

    Limestone pinnacles and thick forest conspire to make Vrátna Valley one of Slovakia's most majestic areas to hike or ski. A scenic road winds south from…

  • Vlkolínec

    Slovakia

    Vlkolínec's squat, colourful houses evoke medieval Europe with just a hint of Hobbiton. This tiny mountain hamlet, dating to the 14th century, has…

  • Museum of City History

    Bratislava

    Rove through Bratislava's past in the former town hall. First, scale the tower for a lookout over Bratislava. Then tour the exhibition rooms; loveliest of…

  • Cathedral of St Elizabeth

    Košice

    This 14th-century cathedral dominates Košice's main square, its gables bristling above tall, stained-glass windows while colourful roof tiles evoke a…

  • Tokaj Macik

    Eastern Slovakia

    Set among expansive vineyards and pastures, Macik winery is a delightful place to experience the region's famous Tokaj wine. A little advance notice is…

  • Basilica of St Egídius

    Eastern Slovakia

    With tall Gothic windows and a spear-like tower rising over the main square, this 15th-century three-nave basilica is the jewel of Bardejov's Unesco…

  • Rodošto & Mikluš Prison

    Košice

    This complex's motley attractions form a whirlwind tour of Košice's history. In the bastion, whose walls date to the 15th century, Košice is revealed as a…

  • Tatra Gallery

    Poprad

    Poprad's former steam-power plant is now the atmospheric setting for an excellent art gallery. The industrial building, capped with a brick tower, is…

  • Ruins of Devin Castle, Danube River, Bratislava, Slovakia, Europe

    Devín Castle

    Slovakia

    Perched between Slovakia and Austria, rugged Devín Castle makes a popular day trip from Bratislava. From the ramparts there are admirable views of rivers…

  • Bratislava, Slovakia, March 2017: view of Novy Most Bridge with famous ufo tower in Bratislava, Slovakia; Shutterstock ID 598119902; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Cities Guides app image downloads - Bratislava

    Most SNP

    Bratislava

    The sci-fi silhouette of Bratislava's 'UFO bridge' came at a heavy cost. Period mansions and an old synagogue were sacrificed for the construction of the…

  • BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA - JANUARY 23, 2014: Main square in evening dusk with the town hall and Jesuits church.; Shutterstock ID 173572751; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editiorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: POI image

    Jesuit Church

    Bratislava

    The Jesuit Church of the Holy Saviour, just off Hlavné nám, was built in the 17th century. It's worth peeping inside to see the baroque altar.

  • Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art

    Eastern Slovakia

    Pop-art pioneer and provocateur Andy Warhol (1928–87) would perhaps have wryly approved of Slovakia's peculiar museum in his name. The neon-splashed…

  • Bojnice Castle

    Slovakia

    Gazing at fairy-tale Bojnice Castle stirs fantasies of knights and maidens in even the world-weariest travellers. Blushing sandstone towers and…

  • Trenčín Castle

    Slovakia

    Trenčín's fearsome castle has surveyed the surrounding hills for centuries. Its oldest walls date to the 11th century, when it was constructed to watch…

  • Pieniny National Park

    Eastern Slovakia

    Pyramidal mountains furred with evergreen forests form the majestic terrain of Pieniny National Park, shared between Slovakia and Poland. On the Slovak…

  • Red Monastery

    Eastern Slovakia

    Its enigmatic atmosphere amplified by a forested backdrop, this fortified monastery has undergone enormous change (and destruction) since it was…

  • Hrad Červený Kameň

    Slovakia

    This manicured site offers a thoroughly genteel castle experience. Stroll past old draw wells and boulevards shaded by chestnut trees to reach the castle …

  • Spiš Chapter

    Eastern Slovakia

    Spiš Chapter, better known as 'Slovakia's Vatican', has been a seat of the Roman Catholic church since the 12th century and was an independent…

  • Strečno Castle

    Slovakia

    Folded into a bend in the Strečno River, this medieval castle offers stupendous views over the surrounding valleys. Written mentions of Strečno Castle…

  • Kalvária

    Slovakia

    The apex of baroque art in Slovakia is on a volcanic hill, 2km northeast of Banská Štiavnica's old town. Ornate chapels guard artwork showing scenes from…

  • Kežmarok Castle

    Eastern Slovakia

    Kežmarok’s crowning attraction is its castle, a prettily crenellated compound that dates to the 15th century. Squatting at the northern end of…

  • Dobšinská Ice Cave

    Eastern Slovakia

    More than 110,000 cubic metres of ice are packed into the gleaming walls of this Unesco-listed ice cave, near the southern edge of Slovenský Raj National…

  • Slovak Karst National Park

    Eastern Slovakia

    Despite the landscape's drama, this 346-sq-km reserve of spruce-cloaked hills and limestone crags receives little attention from foreign visitors. Must…

  • Slovenský Betlehem

    Slovakia

    There are several places in Slovakia where wood-carvers have put their lathes to the challenge of creating a Nativity scene, but 'Slovak Bethlehem' is the…

  • Spišská Sobota

    Poprad

    Formerly a distinct town, Poprad's Spišská Sobota neighbourhood is lined with attractive burgher houses. Settled by German colonists around the 13th…

  • Church of Mariánska Hora

    Eastern Slovakia

    Glowing beatifically from a hill 2km north of Levoča, the Church of Mariánska Hora is Slovakia's most famous Catholic pilgrimage site. It's thought that a…

  • Museum of Folk Architecture

    Eastern Slovakia

    Almost 30 traditional buildings have been transplanted from various villages and reassembled at this open-air museum, giving a flavour of three centuries…

  • Icon Exposition

    Eastern Slovakia

    Slovakia’s largest collection of icons can be found just off the southern end of Bardejov’s main square. The religious artwork in this well-presented…

  • Old Castle

    Slovakia

    Marching around this noble stronghold is a riveting history lesson. Visitors scale stairs and stride across rampart walkways, peering into the 13th…

  • Domica Cave

    Eastern Slovakia

    Aflutter with bats, and with stalactites dripping from the cave mouth, Domica is more than just another eerie grotto. Open to visitors since 1932, this is…

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