Slovakia - Eastern Europe - page 606

remains the ideal of class and manners, and every time the time a waiter nods as he
serves you your coffee or strudel he's echoing a notion of Viennese civility going back
centuries.
THE REGIONS IN BRIEF
For a small country, Slovakia possesses a wealth of regional diversity, both cultural and
geographic. The western third of the country includes the capital Bratislava and,
except for a few hills running north of the city, is relatively flat. It includes the Danube
lowlands and much of the border region with Hungary. The central region, running
from the Malá Fatra highlands east of Z ilina to the country's highest peaks, the High
Tatras, is considered quintessential Slovak territory. The eastern third of the country
defies description. While geographically it's relatively flat, ethnically speaking it's
diverse, including ancient communities of Poles, Hungarians, Ukrainians, and Ger-
mans. Here folkways and traditional wooden architecture dominate and religion is
very important. A visit here is very much a trip back in time.
SUGGESTED ITINERARY: SLOVAKIA IN 1 WEEK
Slovakia is a compact country, with decent roads and a dense network of trains and
buses. The following itinerary assumes you're arriving in Bratislava and have a week to
see the country. It's laid out ideally for car travel, but can be easily adapted to train and
bus schedules.

Days 1 & 2 Arrive in Bratislava
After resting at the hotel, head into the
Old Town for a quick “get acquainted”
walk. The city's laid-back pace is a perfect
way to adjust to time zone changes. On
the second day, get a good breakfast and
plan on doing serious walking. Start in
the Old Town and take in the castle and
the former Jewish quarter. Plan on a good
celebratory dinner tonight, since restau-
rant food outside of the capital (with a
few exceptions) is a significant step down.
Day 3 Trencín and Zilina
Head north and east along the Váh river,
first to the enchanting castle town of
Tr e n c ín and then farther along to Z ilina,
the jumping-off spot for the Malá Fatra
National Park. If you're traveling by car,
try spending the night at one of the places
in or near the park; if you're traveling by
train, Z ilina makes for a more convenient
overnight stop.
Days 4 & 5 The High Tatras
The High Tatras are about 3 hours or so
by car east of Z ilina (and about the same

distance by train), so try to get an early
start. Once you've found your way to one
of the High Tatra resorts, use the Tatra
Electric Railway to explore the other
small towns. Use the second full day for a
long walk in the mountains, keeping in
mind, of course, the usual precautions
pertaining to mountain hikes.
Day 6 Option 1, Dunajec raft trip;
Option 2, Levoca and Kosice
Depending on what you want to do and
how much time you've got, at this stage
you can decide to spend another day in
the High Tatra region or push off farther
east to Ko s ice. If you opt for the first and
you've got a sunny day, drive or take a
tour bus to C erven ; Klá s tor for an exhil-
arating raft ride down the Dunajec river.
If you're ready to head east, follow the
road to Ko s ice (about 2 hr. east of Poprad
by car). Be sure to stop in Levo c a (which
can be comfortably toured in a couple of
hours) and at Spi s sk ; Hrad. Once in
Ko s ice, book a room at the Bristol (for a
well-deserved splurge) and plan a meal at