One Week in Slovakia

As a relatively small country, you can see the best of Slovakia in a week. Here’s how to do it.

Most people start their trip in Bratislava, the capital city, good for a day or two exploring. From here, take a train up to the Vratna Valley for a bit of hiking, stopping off briefly at Trnava and Trencin on the way.

Get back on the train and go to Poprad, a good base for exploring the Tatra Mountains. Look out for Slovensky Raj National Park and try to make the trip to Spis Castle, too. Both of them are incredible sights that would surely receive many more visitors if they were a bit more accessible.

After that, continue your journey to Slovakia’s second-largest city, Kosice. Spend a day or so walking around the old town, climbing the bell tower at the cathedral and soaking up the atmosphere in some of the many bars and cafés.

From Kosice, you can either sit on the six-hour train back to Bratislava, continue your journey east toward the Ukrainian border or head south to Hungary. There are direct train and bus services to the capital, Budapest, with both taking around three hours.