Slovakia Sightseeing - Our top 10 highlights

The idea of a trip through Slovakia popped into our heads somehow spontaneously. After seeing pictures of the High Tatras online, the thought of Slovakia wouldn’t leave us alone. So we planned this trip quite spontaneously, booked train tickets, a rental car, and a place to stay for the first night. We traveled across the country for almost two weeks and experienced many wonderful moments. Today we’d like to introduce you to our top 10 Slovakia attractions. Whether it’s a national park, a mountain lake, a vibrant city, a small mountain village, or an underground ice cave – here in Slovakia, a beautiful mix of everything awaits you. Have fun browsing!

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Sights in Slovakia
1. Exploring Bratislava
2. Low Tatras National Park
3. Štrbské Pleso Mountain Lake
4. Hiking in the Slovak Paradise
5. Trip to Košice
6. Mala Fatra National Park
7. Dobšiná Ice Cave
8. Castles, Palaces & Ruins
9. Mountain Town of Banska Stiavnica
10. Hiking in the High Tatras

Sights of Slovakia

The many sights of Slovakia are as diverse as the country itself. Most vacationers come to this country primarily for hiking, as Slovakia truly offers the best conditions for a successful hiking vacation. But besides the extensive network of hiking trails and the many opportunities to climb peaks, Slovakia offers so much more. We’ve marked our route (starting in Bratislava) and numerous highlights on the map. Since the country is relatively small, you can cruise through it by car in a relaxed and efficient way.

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1. Explore Bratislava

Our trip started and ended in the country’s capital, Bratislava. Here you can expect historic buildings, beautiful churches and castles, a charming old town (which is also very touristy), cool cafés and restaurants, and plenty of excursion destinations around Bratislava. We recommend spending at least two days in the city to explore a few sights at your leisure. You should definitely marvel at the view of the city from the observation deck (also called a UFO). Also keep an eye out for the famous bronze figures scattered throughout the city. More about this here: Our highlights & travel tips for Bratislava.

Bratislava-Highlights-St. Martin's Cathedral-City

2. Low Tatras National Park

If there’s one thing you can do really well in Slovakia, it’s HIKING! The country has 9 national parks, each one as beautiful and exciting as the last. We undertook one of the most beautiful hikes in the Low Tatras National Park, enjoying breathtakingly beautiful views. The national park in central Slovakia is home to numerous caves, peaks, valleys, deep canyons, forests, and steep cliffs. We did the ridge hike between the Chopok and Dumbier peaks and highly recommend this trip. More about this here: Our hike in the Low Tatras National Park.

3. Štrbské Pleso Mountain Lake

Wherever there are high mountains and peaks, there are usually beautiful mountain lakes not far away. Before our trip, we did a little research online and were drawn to the Štrbské Pleso mountain lake (German: Tschirmer See). On our way to the High Tatras, we stopped at the lake and took a leisurely stroll around it. The good thing is that you can reach this lake without hiking. With the perfect weather, we were able to fully enjoy the scenic scenery. The entire spa town is, incidentally, one of the highest spa towns in Central Europe. We were at an altitude of 1,346 meters. More about it here: Štrbské Pleso – The beautiful mountain lake in the High Tatras.

4. Hiking in the Slovak Paradise

The main focus of our trip was clearly on the national parks. We learned there that you can enjoy a fantastic hike through the Sucha Belá Gorge. This gorge is located in the Slovak Paradise National Park and awaits you with high metal ladders, tree trunks, large stones, slippery wooden stairs, and long wooden walkways. The hike takes you through the lush and humid forest, past babbling streams. For this hike (around 4 hours), you should definitely wear sturdy, sure-footed shoes. More about this here: Slovak Paradise – Hike through the Sucha Belá Gorge.

5. Trip to Košice

In the east of Slovakia lies the country’s second-largest city with 240,000 inhabitants. “Košice” (German: “Kaschau”) is located approximately 400 kilometers east of Bratislava, near the borders with Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary. During our tour, we spent a day and a night here, exploring the city and enjoying its relaxed atmosphere. The city center is very beautiful, with its historic buildings, restaurants, and green city park. Košice was even the European Capital of Culture in 2013, which was a great benefit to the city. More about this here: Our top highlights in Kosice.

6. Mala Fatra National Park

The Mala Fatra National Park (Little Fatra) is located about 300 kilometers northeast of Bratislava, not far from the Polish border. Here in the Slovakian high mountains, there are countless hiking trails that lead you to breathtaking views. Bears, wolves, and lynx are even said to live here. Of course, you hardly ever see these forest dwellers. We went on another beautiful ridge hike after taking the cable car up to Snilovské Sedlo. From there, you can also climb the highest peak in the Mala Fatra Mountains, the 1,709-meter-high Veľký Kriváň. More about it here: Mala Fatra National Park in Slovakia – Our beautiful hike.

7. Dobšiná Ice Cave

There are more than 6,200 caves in Slovakia, but only 18 of them are open to the public. We took a short tour of the Dobšiná Ice Cave. We made our way through the ice cave at a snail’s pace, over the walkways and stairs. Right at the entrance, we noticed that the temperature was getting lower and lower. The deeper we went, the colder it became. It was truly astonishing to see the impressive ice walls, some of which were up to 25 meters thick. The tour was in Slovak, so we didn’t really understand much. But it was still beautiful… More about it here: Dobšiná Ice Cave.

8. Castles, Palaces & Ruins

Slovakia is THE land of castles, fortresses, and ruins. There are said to be more than 200 castles and fortresses, and twice as many forts. Recommended are, among others, Beckov Castle, Spiš Castle, Devín Castle, Orava Castle, and the fairytale castle in Bojnice. Trenčín Castle is also very beautiful to look at. In the picture you can see part of Beckov Castle, which we discovered in western Slovakia. A truly impressive and very large complex, perched on a 50-meter-high hill. You can find a great overview here: Castles & Castles in Slovakia.

9. Mining Town of Banska Stiavnica

On our way from Košice back to Bratislava, we stopped in the beautiful mining town of Banska Stiavnica (German: Schemnitz), which is located in the Schemnitz Mountains. Look forward to a photogenic little town with beautiful squares, buildings, interesting mines, reservoirs, restaurants, and cafés. Be sure to also see the beautiful Calvary Hill, which stands on Scharfenberg Hill. We also recommend a picnic at one or another of the reservoirs. More about this here: The top sights in Banska Stiavnica.

10. Hiking in the High Tatras

What would a trip through Slovakia be without a hike through the High Tatras National Park? Here you’ll find Slovakia’s highest peaks, numerous mountain lakes, an extensive network of hiking trails, various cable cars, and plenty of recreational activities. Together with the Polish part of the national park, the Tatra Mountains were declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993. We were staying in Poprad, which is a very good starting point for this region. You can find out more here: High Tatras National Park.

These were our favorite Slovakia sights. We sincerely hope this post has helped you and inspired you for your own trip through this beautiful country. If you have any suggestions for this post, please leave a comment. See you next time here in our cozy living room!