According to some not very experienced tourists, Slovakia serves in the market as a kind of "complement" to the Czech Republic. Let's face it: such an opinion is not only insulting, but also fundamentally wrong. This country, with its beautiful nature, spectacular mountain peaks, numerous castles and fortresses (each with its own ghost and every second one with its own dramatic history) can compete with the "veterans" of excursion tourism.

Slovakia can offer its guests an almost complete "gentleman's set" of leisure options that relies on a tourist country in Europe..This is a ski holiday, treatment and a rich "excursion" .There are about 1200 thermal and mineral springs and 22 medical resorts in the country..It is believed that some of them are not inferior to similar resorts in Switzerland, while the cost of treatment in Slovakia is much lower than .Another important plus of the direction - proximity to Russia and the kinship of the Slavic peoples .It is really felt here: there is practically no language barrier and the feeling of "a foreign country" .

Skier-pro in the winter of Slovakia almost did not meet (trails are not the same) - however, not very much wanted. In the end, not all are able to famously siggle on the "black" slopes from morning to night. A fair number of amateur athletes are not too complicated, but comfortable and safe descents - and there just enough of these.

About when it's best to go to Slovakia and what to do there, is told on the page tours to Slovakia.

De Vizu: a tour operator in Slovakia since 1992

Slovakia with De Viz - profitable and reliable! Tours to Bratislava from 350 EUR. Treatment at the resorts: Dudince: a set of cosmetics for free! from 645 EUR. Piešныany from 451 EUR. Rajecki Teplice from 995 EUR. Smrdak from 537 EUR. Tourist Teplice from 617 EUR. Trencianski Teplice from 690 EUR. Bojnice from 693 EUR. The wolf from 760 EUR.

(495) 215-22-28 • www.devisu.ru

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The capital is Bratislava. The major cities are Trencin, Kosice, Presov and others. For a complete list, see the city page and the resorts of Slovakia.

• Ski Resorts:
  • High Tatras (Podbanske, Smokovec, Tatranska Lomnica, Strbske Pleso)
  • Low Tatras (Donovaly, Jasna, Ružomberok)
• Therapeutic health resorts in Slovakia:
  • Piešтяany, Smrdaky, Bardejovskie Fonts, Dudince, Rajecke Teplice

How to get to Slovakia?

UTair operates direct flights from Moscow to Bratislava 4 times a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight time is 2 hours 45 minutes. Also, Bratislava can be reached via Europe, with connections in Prague (Aeroflot plus Czech Airlines) or in Vienna (Austrian Airlines). In high season, in winter, a charter flight to Poprad flies once a week,

Daily from the Kiev railway station a direct 15B wagon to Bratislava is sent (on the way 42 hours). On the same train, residents of Kiev can sit down, where he makes a stop. From Moscow by train, you can also reach Zilina, Kosice and Liptovsky Mikulas. Residents of Kiev can reach the capital of Slovakia by train, following to Vienna (en route 1 day 6 hours).

• Moscow - Slovakia: how to get

Visa to Slovakia is

Citizens of Russia and CIS countries need a Schengen visa to visit Slovakia.

Customs

Import and export of currency is not limited. When entering from the territory of non-EU countries, amounts exceeding 10 000 EUR are subject to mandatory declaration.

Duty-free import of 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillas or 50 ordinary cigars or 250 g of smoking tobacco, a liter of alcoholic beverages with a strength of over 22 °, 2 liters of wine, 50 ml of perfume, 250 ml of toilet water, as well as personal belongings for a total of 430 EUR . Tobacco products can be imported only by persons over 16 years old, alcoholic beverages - over 18 years. Medicines and medicines can be imported duty-free in quantities necessary to ensure minimum personal needs.

It is forbidden to import and export weapons, explosives, pornographic products, narcotic substances, as well as cultural and historical values ​​that do not have a documentary confirmation of the legality of their acquisition. When leaving the country, some banks re-purchase Slovak kroner (but only paper bills equivalent to at least 5 USD): this requires a passport and a receipt for the previous purchase of kroons in the bank.

On the territory of the EU countries it is forbidden to import products containing meat or milk, including sausage, canned food, lard and even chocolate sweets. The prohibition does not apply to baby food and special preparations necessary for people with certain diseases (in this case, the products must be carefully packed, and their weight should not exceed 2 kg). In case of detection of products, they will be confiscated, and a passenger will be fined.

Useful phone numbers are

Embassy of Slovakia in Moscow: st. Julius Fucik, 17/19; tel .: (495) 956-49-20, 250-10-70, 250-10-71; website

Embassy of Russia in Bratislava: ul. Godrova, 4; tel .: (2) 544-144-36, 544-158-23; website

Police: 158, emergency and ambulance on the roads: 154, ambulance: 155, fire protection: 150, emergency service: 112

City codes: Bratislava - 2, resorts of High Tatras - 52, resorts of Low Tatras (Jasna) - 44.

Transport of Slovakia

The size of the country is very small, so most of the traffic is carried out by trains and buses. The main railway line Kosice - Bratislava goes through Spišská Nova Ves, Poprad, Žilina and Trencin. Travel between cities by train will cost tourists somewhat cheaper than a bus trip along the same route.

In the city of city transport there are trams, buses and trolley buses. The fare is paid by coupons, which are sold in orange vending machines at stops - they must be composted in the cabin. The validity of tickets is limited, so they should be bought strictly before the trip. One coupon is valid for one trip. Single tickets cost about 0, 3 EUR, travel for a day and a week - around 0, 8 and 3 EUR, respectively. They are sold at DPHMB offices, underground crossings, kiosks and ticket offices at railway stations.

Taxis in Slovakia are inexpensive, equipped with counters and because of the small size of cities are not too popular.

Rent a car

Rent a car is possible with a driver's license (both international and Russian), a passport and a credit card. Cash is often accepted for payment, but a "credit card" in the form of a pledge is required. The amount of rent depends on the car and the rental period, as well as on the day of the week - on weekends (from 15:00 on Friday to 9:00 on Monday) and on holidays it is slightly higher (without taking into account the distance). The driver's age must be at least 21 years, and the driving experience is from a year.

The cost of renting Czech car brands will be much cheaper than all the others.

Safety of tourists in Slovakia

It is not worth exchanging money "on the street", leaving valuable things, bags and cameras in the car in sight, as well as carrying large sums of money that can be safely stored in the hotel safe. We should not forget that nobody has canceled the "profession" of a pickpocket. Also, it is worthwhile to bypass the side of "fortune-teller bandits" and other petitioners "to gild ...", which in Slovakia is a lot.

The climate of Slovakia is

Moderate continental, with pronounced altitudinal zoning .Average July temperatures + 19 .+ 21 ° C on the plains and + 8 .+ 12 ° C in the mountains, January + 1 .+ 4 ° C in plains and up to -10 ° C in mountainous areas .The coldest month is January, the warmest in July and August is .In the autumn rains often go, and in the winter in the mountains is often windy .The ski season lasts from November to March .The most comfortable time to visit the country for the purpose of treatment and expansion of the horizon - from May to September .At thermal spas in the evenings can be cool, so it is desirable to take a sweater with you .

Actual information: weather forecast for the main resorts in Slovakia for the next few days.

Hotels

There are few 5 * hotels in the country, most of them are located in Bratislava. The basis of the number of rooms in Slovakia is "treshki" and "quartet". The price / quality distribution is as follows: 5 * mostly refer to the world hotel chain, the quality is appropriate, 4 * - very expensive and very good, 3 * - from expensive and good to inexpensive and simple. Most leisure opportunities are at the hotel, not at the resort. In 90% of the hotels check-in at 14:00, the release of rooms - at 10:00.

In addition, the country has a wide selection of private apartments, campsites and sanatoriums, many of which, built under socialism, are now in full swing upgraded.

Voltage in the electrical network - 220 V, 50 Hz, two-pin sockets with a safety plug.

Banks, exchange offices and tips

Since January 1, 2009 the official monetary unit of Slovakia is EUR.

Currency can be exchanged in exchange offices (zmenaren), hotels, banks, post offices and transport agencies. The rate in banks is usually less profitable than in "exchangers."

Banks are open every day except Sunday, from 9:00 to 11:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00. On Saturday - until 12:00. Exchange offices on weekdays usually work from 7: 00-8: 00 to 17: 00-19: 00 with an hourly lunch break (some - around the clock). At the weekend the schedule of their work is usually from 8:00 to 12: 00-15: 00.

Credit cards are accepted in almost all banks, in most large hotels, at gas stations, in large restaurants and shops.

Tipping is approximately 10% of the invoice amount and is relied on for good service by the staff.

Shopping and shops in Slovakia

Most stores are open every day, except Sunday, from 9:00 to 18:00 (large supermarkets and shopping centers on Thursday usually work until 19: 00-21: 00). Grocery stores usually work from 7: 00-9: 00 to 18: 00-19: 00 (often with an hour-long lunch break). On Saturday, most stores are open from 8:00 to 12: 00.

From Slovakia, you can bring: decorated Easter eggs, figurines of grains, ceramics, wooden figurines and jugs, hand-made dolls "cupola" in national costumes, products made of sheep's wool, Slovak wooden wind instrument "fuyara". The country has a single retail network selling handicrafts - ULUV, its stores are in almost all major cities. Prices in such stores are fixed; in private benches, on the contrary, it is not a sin to bargain.

Kitchen and restaurants

The cuisine of Slovakia combines the features of European schools and strong national components .Especially popular are local sheep cheeses, "oshtepki" and "parenitsy", and soup of vegetables, broths and various complex soups from meat and vegetables, dumplings with brynza, potato dumplings, cheese dumplings, as well as poultry dishes are considered as a visiting card of the local cuisine. .It is definitely worth trying the national soup "cabbage" (from sauerkraut) and segonde goulash .In Slovakia, excellent local wines are produced, taking a worthy place among the best European varieties, and at the same time very inexpensive .The most popular strong spirits are "slivovitz" (plum vodka) and "boletus" (juniper vodka), as well as a variety of herbal tinctures .

In most resorts there are traditional "salash" and "koliba" restaurants where you can taste national dishes for authentic Slovak music.

Entertainment, sightseeing and sightseeing in Slovakia

Bratislava: Bratislava Castle, the ruins of the Devin Fortress, St. Martin's Cathedral, where many coronations took place, the Primacy (Archbishop's) Palace, the Grassalkovich Palace with the famous Mirror Hall and the fountain of St. George, the Mihal tower. And also the Slovak National Gallery, the Municipal Museum, the oldest in the city Museum of the Old Town Hall, the Milan Dobeš Museum dedicated to winemaking.

It is worth visiting the ancient mining town of Banska Stiavnica, the eastern Slovak Gothic town of Bardejov with the preserved city serf system, the picturesque village of Vlkolinec with details of folk architecture and the medieval Spis castle, the largest in Central Europe.

The most noteworthy is the ancient castles of Slovakia.

Read also the page of the sights of Slovakia.

National parks of Slovakia

There are nine national parks and 16 protected natural areas in the country. The most popular among tourists are the Tatra National Park, the Low Tatras National Park, the Pieniny National Park, the Malaya Fatra National Park and the Slovensky Paradise National Park. In the territory of many parks there are ski resorts. In these parts you can freely combine both winter sports (snow on many peaks lies until April) and "summer" active rest.

National Park Low Tatras. There are good conditions for active recreation and sports on its territory, and after a day's adventure tourists can relax in the thermal baths in Besenova or in the open and closed swimming pools in Liptovsky Jan.

The National Park of the High Tatras is the most beautiful national park in Slovakia. Almost two thirds of its territory is covered with spruce and spruce-fir forests, among which more than a hundred lakes have hidden. There is a well developed tourism infrastructure, there are several special climate resorts.

Snowboard

The conditions for skiing in the skiing Slovakia are specific: fan-parks with half-pipes people revere for whims, but all as one famously cut through the virgin snow in the plains and forests .In Otupne (Tatra) there is a newly built snow park, which is the latest in technology, where both experienced beginners and experienced snowboarders will be able to find an exercise .Another place for snowboarding is the Mlynicka Valley sports complex..Nothing outstanding in terms of fan tracks, but good conditions for freeride .Snowboard trails can also be found at Tatranska Lomnica resort .

• Ski in Slovakia: how much does it cost to rent?

Rafting

In Slovakia there are 63 water streams suitable for water tourism. By local rivers they travel by boat, kayak, kayak and canoe. In Eastern Slovakia, the most popular are the Poprad, Gornad, Toris, Topla, Ondava and Laborets rivers, Central - Grone, Orava and Slana, in Western Wag, Nitra, Lesser Danube and Danube.

The most turbulent river of Slovakia - Bela, it descends from April 15 to September 30. It is less difficult to descend along the Vag River in the area from Cherven Klashtor or by bending this river through Bolshaya Fatru under the ruins of the Strechna castle. Beginners and even families with children have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature during an uneventful descent along the Orava River (from Parnitsa in Zhashkiv Brod to Kralovan). Vivid sensations promise a descent along the Dunajuts in the Pieniny national park and the mountainous areas of the Gron river, which is characterized by alternation of quiet and rapid current.

Speleology in Slovakia

In Slovakia there are about 4000 registered caves of all kinds: stone, ice and aragonite. Twelve of them are open to visitors. Of particular interest are the Dobshina Ice Cave, the Gombaseckaya and Yasovskaya Caves, the Domitsa Cave and the cave in Okhtin - all of them are listed in the UNESCO List.

Diving

Near Bratislava, good conditions for diving - in the Senecki lakes and Lake Gulashka, and with good visibility (early spring and late autumn) - also on the lakes of Golden Sands and Shtorkovetsky. Diving can also be practiced on the Danube Island, in the vicinity of the towns of Banska Stiavnica (Lake Rikhnyavskoe, Windschaht) and Kralovani (Shutovo), at the Liptovska Mar water reservoir, at the dams of Dedinka and Ruzhin.

Fishing in Slovakia

In the rivers and lakes of Slovakia, fish of the family of carp and salmon are caught, including trout and grayling. The most popular among fishermen of the Danube River, the Vah, Gron, Turjec, Orava, Gornad, Ondava, Latoritsa, Laborets, Nitra, Ipel, Dunajec, Liptovska Mara, Zemplinka Shirava, Oravsk Dam, Velka Domash, Sljava, Duhonka, Ruzhin, Tepl and Dedinki.

Photo of Slovakia (165)