Key facts
Slovakia at a glance
Highlights
The essentials of Slovakia
Areas and places
Slovakia area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
Plan the trip
Slovakia, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Slovakia
May to October for the mountains and the castles of the interior; Bratislava can be visited well all year and in December has Christmas markets. In winter the northern mountains are for snow and skiing.
How you travel
Slovakia your way
The ways of travelling that suit Slovakia. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By planeCar-freeLuxury
Slovakia is one of the least-known countries in central Europe for anyone travelling from Spain, and one of the easiest to add to a trip: its capital is an hour from Vienna. It is a small country, with a little over five million inhabitants, mountainous in the north and flat in the south, along the Danube. It has castles on almost every hill, wooden villages in the valleys and a simple cuisine of potato, sheep's cheese and cabbage. It has paid in euros since 2009 and is part of the Schengen area, so you enter without fixed border controls, with your national ID card.
How to get there from Spain
The usual gateway is not Bratislava but Vienna. Vienna-Schwechat airport (VIE) has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and is about 50 km from Bratislava. Bratislava has its own airport (BTS), with few routes: see whether there is one from your city, but do not count on it. From Vienna you have three ways to Bratislava: the regional train from Wien Hauptbahnhof, about an hour; the Twin City Liner catamaran along the Danube from Schwedenplatz; or the car, in a little under an hour by motorway. To go further into the country, Slovak trains and buses link Bratislava with the other cities.
Bratislava, the first stop
For now Geocalia covers Bratislava, the capital and the most original day trip from Vienna. Its old town is small and pedestrianised, with St Michael's Gate, the Old Town Hall and St Martin's Cathedral, where the kings of Hungary were crowned when the city was called Pressburg. Above it all, the four-towered castle, with free gardens and a view over the Danube. Across the river, the SNP Bridge carries the UFO, a viewing platform 95 metres up. And ten kilometres away, the ruin of Devín watches over the confluence of the Morava and the Danube, on the Austrian border.
How to combine it with Vienna
The simplest is to give a day of a Vienna trip to it: outbound train in the morning, castle and old town, Slovak lunch and back in the afternoon, or boat out and train back. With one night, you add Devín and the UFO at sunset. If your trip continues to Hungary, Bratislava is a natural stop halfway between Vienna and Budapest.
When to go
Bratislava can be visited all year. Spring and autumn are the best times for walking, and in December the Christmas markets in the old town and the Advent boat departures from Vienna fill it with atmosphere. In summer it is hot on the Danube plain. The north of the country, with its mountains, is a hiking destination from May to October and a snow destination in winter.
What to eat
The national dish is bryndzové halušky: small potato dumplings with bryndza, a creamy sheep's cheese, and fried bacon on top. You will also see cabbage soups, smoked sheep's cheeses and, in autumn, duck and goose menus as in neighbouring Austria. The beer is cheap and good.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to get to Slovakia from Spain?
Fly to Vienna, which has direct flights from several Spanish cities, and continue by train or boat to Bratislava, an hour away.
What currency is used in Slovakia?
The euro, since 2009.
Do I need a passport?
Slovakia is in the Schengen area: a valid national ID card is enough, and it is best to carry it with you at all times.
Can you see Bratislava in a day from Vienna?
Yes. The old town, the cathedral, the castle and the UFO fit into a day; Devín needs another half afternoon.
When is the best time to go?
In spring and autumn for walking, and in December for the Christmas markets.