Must-see attractions in Eastern Slovakia

  • Spis Castle, Spissky Hrad, Spis region, East Slovakia

    Spiš Castle

    Eastern Slovakia

    Crowning a travertine hill above Spišské Podhradie village, this vast, Unesco-listed fortification is one of Central Europe's biggest castle complexes…

  • Taking in the lovely view from Tomasovsky lookout in Slovensky Raj, The Slovak Paradise National Park ( Narodni park Slovensky raj ).

    Slovenský Raj National Park

    Eastern Slovakia

    Slovenský Raj's rocky plateaus, primeval forests and interlacing streams form some of Slovakia's most picturesque hiking terrain. Treks often involve…

  • Cathedral of St Elizabeth

    Košice

    This 14th-century cathedral dominates Košice's main square, its gables bristling above tall, stained-glass windows while colourful roof tiles evoke a…

  • Tokaj Macik

    Eastern Slovakia

    Set among expansive vineyards and pastures, Macik winery is a delightful place to experience the region's famous Tokaj wine. A little advance notice is…

  • Basilica of St Egídius

    Eastern Slovakia

    With tall Gothic windows and a spear-like tower rising over the main square, this 15th-century three-nave basilica is the jewel of Bardejov's Unesco…

  • Rodošto & Mikluš Prison

    Košice

    This complex's motley attractions form a whirlwind tour of Košice's history. In the bastion, whose walls date to the 15th century, Košice is revealed as a…

  • Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art

    Eastern Slovakia

    Pop-art pioneer and provocateur Andy Warhol (1928–87) would perhaps have wryly approved of Slovakia's peculiar museum in his name. The neon-splashed…

  • Dobšinská Ice Cave

    Eastern Slovakia

    More than 110,000 cubic metres of ice are packed into the gleaming walls of this Unesco-listed ice cave, near the southern edge of Slovenský Raj National…

  • Church of Mariánska Hora

    Eastern Slovakia

    Glowing beatifically from a hill 2km north of Levoča, the Church of Mariánska Hora is Slovakia's most famous Catholic pilgrimage site. It's thought that a…

  • Hlavné Nám

    Košice

    Much of Košice's finery is assembled along Hlavné nám, a long plaza with flower gardens, fountains and cafes on either side. Stroll past the central…

  • Hervartov Church

    Eastern Slovakia

    Resembling a pointed witch's hat, this fascinating little church squats in a tree-shaded spot in Hervartov village, 7km southwest of central Bardejov…

  • Church of St Jacob

    Eastern Slovakia

    The spindles-and-spires Church of St Jacob, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, elevates the spirits with its soaring arches and precious art. The main…

  • Hrnčiarska

    Košice

    Art studios and traditional workshops line quaint Hrnčiarska, including herbalists, blacksmiths, potters and purveyors of precious stones. Some of their…

  • Wooden Church

    Eastern Slovakia

    This Protestant wooden church was built in 1717 without a single nail. Its impressive baroque interior is carved from yew and spruce, even the huge church…

  • Majstra Pavla Nám

    Eastern Slovakia

    Gothic and Renaissance eye-candy abound on Levoča's main square, including the Historic Town Hall and private Thurzov House, at No 7, with a…

  • Pieniny National Park

    Eastern Slovakia

    Pyramidal mountains furred with evergreen forests form the majestic terrain of Pieniny National Park, shared between Slovakia and Poland. On the Slovak…

  • Red Monastery

    Eastern Slovakia

    Its enigmatic atmosphere amplified by a forested backdrop, this fortified monastery has undergone enormous change (and destruction) since it was…

  • Spiš Chapter

    Eastern Slovakia

    Spiš Chapter, better known as 'Slovakia's Vatican', has been a seat of the Roman Catholic church since the 12th century and was an independent…

  • Kežmarok Castle

    Eastern Slovakia

    Kežmarok’s crowning attraction is its castle, a prettily crenellated compound that dates to the 15th century. Squatting at the northern end of…

  • Slovak Karst National Park

    Eastern Slovakia

    Despite the landscape's drama, this 346-sq-km reserve of spruce-cloaked hills and limestone crags receives little attention from foreign visitors. Must…

  • Museum of Folk Architecture

    Eastern Slovakia

    Almost 30 traditional buildings have been transplanted from various villages and reassembled at this open-air museum, giving a flavour of three centuries…

  • Icon Exposition

    Eastern Slovakia

    Slovakia’s largest collection of icons can be found just off the southern end of Bardejov’s main square. The religious artwork in this well-presented…

  • Domica Cave

    Eastern Slovakia

    Aflutter with bats, and with stalactites dripping from the cave mouth, Domica is more than just another eerie grotto. Open to visitors since 1932, this is…

  • Šariš Museum

    Eastern Slovakia

    The main branch of Bardejov's Šariš Museum (the other is the Icon Exposition) is set within a pretty Renaissance building on the main square. The ground…

  • Old Synagogue

    Eastern Slovakia

    The centrepiece of an ambitious project to restore and preserve structures relating to Bardejov's Jewish history is this synagogue, part of a compound of…

  • Ladomirová Church

    Eastern Slovakia

    Dainty, pointed Ladomirová Church, a 40km drive east of Bardejov, was originally built in 1742. Its extraordinary 18th-century iconostasis was restored…

  • Šemetkovce Church

    Eastern Slovakia

    The wooden church in Šemetkovce, prettily trimmed in red and blue, sits 6 kilometres southeast of Ladomirová by road. Built in 1752, its most impressive…

  • East Slovak Museum

    Košice

    Choose your own adventure at this sizeable regional museum with two distinct galleries. 'Centuries in Art’ offers richer cultural insights, with 16th…

  • Kolonáda

    Eastern Slovakia

    Step inside this arcade to access a row of taps that gush the iron-rich waters for which Bardejov's spa enclave is famed. Bring a cup and mingle with the…

  • Lower Gate Underground Museum

    Košice

    The underground remains of medieval Košice – lower gate, defence chambers, fortifications and waterways dating from the 13th to 15th centuries – were only…

  • East Slovak Gallery

    Košice

    A thoughtfully curated gallery space with rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, the East Slovak Gallery also has a permanent collection of 19th- and…

  • Plague Column

    Košice

    A statue of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary crowns Košice's 14m-high 'plague column'. Raised in 1723, this masterful baroque sculpture is a…

  • Singing Fountain

    Košice

    This water feature, framed by flowerbeds, dances to the merry tune of a nearby 22-bell sculpture every hour. In summer, come after sundown when…

  • Spiš Museum

    Eastern Slovakia

    Levoča's main branch of the Spiš Museum explores regional history and art, including a few works by renowned medieval sculptor Master Paul. Entrance is on…

  • Holocaust Memorial

    Eastern Slovakia

    An evocative memorial comprising steel, stone and a section of railway tracks is secreted away in a courtyard that was once part of Bardejov's thriving…

  • Hunkovce Church

    Eastern Slovakia

    The 16th-century village of Hunkovce has a Greek Catholic church at its heart. With baroque features and topped with wooden onion domes, this late-18th…

  • Dom Majstra Pavla

    Eastern Slovakia

    Levoča's most hallowed son is 'Master Paul', the 16th-century woodcarver whose masterpieces of religious art can be found around Slovakia and Poland. This…

  • Krajné Čierno Church

    Eastern Slovakia

    This pyramid-shaped Greek Catholic church, dating to 1730 and consecrated by St Basil the Great, houses rare icons including a depiction of Jesus…

  • Mihal Gallery

    Košice

    Within the zanily colourful walls of Múza Hotel is a collection of Andy Warhol originals; call ahead to arrange a visit, including an interesting…

  • St Michael's Chapel

    Košice

    To the south of the Cathedral of St Elizabeth you can admire the outside of 14th-century St Michael's, a Gothic chapel dedicated to the patron saint of…

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