Here is a write-up of our short break in Slovakia last October.
A couple of introductory comments. Slovakia is a landlocked country in central Europe. Initially part of Czechoslovakia which was established after the First World War, Slovakia became independent in 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia (sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce).
Slovakia is a country with an advanced high-income economy, ranking very high on the Human Development Index.
We flew into the Capital Bratislava on a direct flight from Malta arriving late evening.
The following day, we did a guided walking tour of the capital, followed by a bus ride to see Devin Castle, situated on the Rhine. Then we walked the 12 km back to the city centre!
On the third day, we took a tour to Bojnice Castle (Castle of Spirits) and Cicmany Village, a round trip of 400 km but the time passed quickly as our guide was a very interesting and knowledgeable person.
On our last full day we did a 17 km walk starting from Pernek through the mountains and ending in Pezinok, which is a wine-growing area. It took us around 6 1/2 hours.
On the last day before our evening flight, we visited some sites in Bratislava on our own, including the UFO Bridge and the Blue Church.
Besides the sightseeing we enjoyed good food and wine, especially in Pezinok where we came across a restaurant run by one of the local wineries.
Slovakia is definitely worth a visit due to its closeness, history, architecture, scenery and cuisine.