Travel to Slovakia

Slovakia in numbers

Why visit Slovakia

Mountains, castles and caves in the middle of Europe

Highlights

Bratislava, Košice, the Tatras and Slovak Paradise

Bratislava can be done in a long weekend, but the country is best seen by train or car, hopping between medieval towns and mountain valleys.

Bratislava, the Danube capital

Bratislava is the only capital in the world that touches two other countries, Austria about 7 km away and Hungary about 20 km. The restored Old Town is full of cafes, St Martin's Cathedral was the coronation church of Hungarian kings from 1563 to 1830, and the white castle looks down on the river. Devín Castle and the Little Carpathians wine route are a short ride away.

Košice and the east

Košice, the second city, has a large historic centre and a Gothic cathedral. Further north, Levoča and Bardejov keep their medieval layouts, and Spiš Castle, a UNESCO site, covers an entire hilltop.

High Tatras and Slovak Paradise

From Poprad you reach alpine lakes and ridges in the High Tatras, home to Jasná, the country's biggest ski resort. Slovak Paradise is hiked through gorges, waterfalls and metal ladders, while the Low Tatras and Malá Fatra offer quieter trails.

Mining towns and wooden villages

Banská Štiavnica is a former mining town, Trenčín has a castle above its centre, Nitra is considered the oldest Slovak town, and Vlkolínec shows what a painted wooden mountain village looked like.

Getting around

Trains, buses and the motorway vignette

Trains link the main cities: the main line runs from Bratislava to Košice in about five hours by InterCity, where seat reservations are compulsory. ZSSK and RegioJet both operate, and their tickets are not interchangeable. Buses are sometimes quicker, for instance between Bratislava and Nitra.

Drivers need an electronic vignette for motorways, sold for 10 days or one month, and the alcohol limit is zero. Vienna and Bratislava are linked by an hourly regional train that takes about an hour, and Bolt runs in many towns.

Before you go

Four regions, four ways to travel

Region	Climate	Best time
Bratislava and the south-west	Warmest part: around 20 °C in July, 0 °C in January, about 2,000 hours of sunshine a year	May to September; autumn for grape harvests
Košice and the east	More continental: about 18 °C in July, -2 °C in January	May to September
High Tatras	Cold winters, down to about -20 °C at altitude, weather that can turn fast even in summer	June to September for hiking, December to March for skiing
Caves and Slovak Paradise	Constant cool temperatures underground; trails slippery after rain	May to October

Slovakia is in the European Union, the eurozone since 2009 and the Schengen area since 2007. EU citizens need only a valid ID or passport; other nationalities should check visa rules before booking, as visas are not issued at the border.

To combine several countries, see also Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. Before booking, check your government's official travel advice.

Food and drink

Halušky, sheep cheese and Kofola

The national dish is bryndzové halušky: small potato dumplings in a sauce of sheep cheese, usually topped with bacon, so vegetarians should ask for it without. Look also for kapustnica, a sauerkraut soup, pirohy dumplings, goulash and lokše potato pancakes. At a salaš, a shepherd's hut turned restaurant, you eat sheep cheese close to its source.

To drink there is Zlatý Bažant and Šariš beer, wine from the Little Carpathians, plum slivovica and juniper borovička. Kofola, the local cola, is even served from the tap. In the spa town of Piešťany, spa wafers are the souvenir to bring home.

Flying to Slovakia

The Slovak airport tracked by SniperAir

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Slovakia