Nature
In Slovakia, you can find here two different types of nature. The third part includes lowlands, and the rest belongs to the Carpathians mountain ranges and valleys. Slovakia is rich in unspoiled areas, which are sought out, with pleasure, by all visitors of Slovakia and which can be seen only in some places in the world. And Slovakia is classified certainly among them.
The Carpathians mountain range begins in the West of Slovakia and wanders off to through the all centre of the whole Slovakia. Seven its highest mountain ranges exceed the altitude of 1,500 m and two highest ones exceed even the height of 2,000 m. Gerlachovský peak with its height of 2,654 m is the highest peak of Slovakia and at the same time it is the highest one in the whole Carpathian range. The second highest peak is a peak called as Vysoká the height of which is 2,547 m.
The High Tatras are visited by thousands of tourists all year round and they are pleased to come back here again and admire its beauties. The High Tatras wander off to the north border of Poland and for devotees it is a pleasure to be here, and not only for devotees of hiking, sports, caving, but also for devotees of mountaineering, and to whom the Tatras are often a climb for their first climbing experience. However, if you are not fond of the just dizzy heights on the steep rocks, you can also indulge yourself in alpine air by means of the visit of specific mountain chalets, such as Bílikova, or Terryho chalets, to which you can get comfortably on the marked mountain routes and footpaths. And you can experience comfortably the height from the height also thanks to the cableways, a considerable number of which is situated here. Using it you can also get even to the Lomnický peak, where the cableway has got its final stop, a view of the surroundings from which is fascinating. It is not surprised, because this cableway bridges the difference of elevation up to 1,722 m. As unrepeatable experience, a climb to some of ski-platforms is also worth seeing, where the World Championship of skin jumps was taken place here. If you have a look at the “warped” peak of Kriváň hill, you bear out in the legend saying that it is such warped peak since the angel floating too low has collided with it. Also those of who need to strengthen its health can also get their money’s worth here in the High Tatras. It is recommended to go for light walks around the mountain lake called as Štrbské pleso, but also along undemanding footpaths near the health resorts. You can admire not only the wealth of flora with many protected plants. Usually, you can also see here the marmots, herds of chamois jumping on rocks, and when wandering to the sovereign area of our mountain’s king, then also a bear. A matter of course is the deer, foxes, eagles and even also wolves, which cannot be found in any surrounding countries. Nowadays, this is the common thing at all in Slovakia and this is thanks to the high degree of nature conservation.
After declaration of the Tatras National Park in the year 1949, the other national parks have been established here and today you can visit, besides the aforesaid, Pieninský National Park, National Park Malá Fatra, National Park Slovenský raj and National Park Low Tatras, which is a smaller sibling of the High Tatras. Equally, the Low Tatras is a beautiful like the High Tatras, even if it is not such high. Ďumbier hill is the unrivalled protected glacier relief, equally like its highest hill Chopok. The Low Tatras are also a paradise for devotees of caves. However, there are up to 4,000 caves situated in Slovakia.
There were four opened to public caves in Slovenský kras – Domica cave, Gombasecká cave, Silická cave and Jasov cave listed into the List of World Natural Heritage UNESCO in the year 1995 along with some caves of the Aggteleg National Park on the Hungarian side. In the year 2000 Dobšinská Ice Cave was added to the aforesaid, and this cave together with Demänovská Cave of Freedom and Demänovská Ice Cave are the most visited caves in Slovakia. The best-known caves of the Slovak caves are declared to be the National Monuments. Fourteen Slovak caves are opened to public. Most of them are karst, some are of ice and of exceptional value is the Aragonite Cave in Ochtiná. This one is classified among three opened caves of such kind in the world and it is an unrivalled cave of such kind. Certainly, it should be also remembered and visited an unrivalled Cave of Dead Bats and it is the aim to many visitors and it provides with the unrepeatable views of the ancient past. Undoubtedly, the most remarkable are the findings of a considerable number of the bat bones, the age of which is about 600 years. Every year, the new additions of individuals coming from the various countries of Europe can be observed here and thanks to those this cave received its name.
The National Park Veľká Fatra is a gem in every season. It is the beautiful and interesting one due to its glade zone and the primeval forests of Carpathian type can also be found here. You can admire here the robust yews having the biggest occurrence in Europe.
However, Slovakia is also a country of widespread fertile lowlands, which are equally rich in flora and fauna. You can walk through such lowlands in the widespread deciduous forests and coniferous forests as well. There are up to 2,400 original kinds of plants situated here, and much more kinds of algae, mushrooms, mosses and lichens, and what is more than, for example, in Poland, which is six-times bigger country compared to Slovakia.
However, Slovakia is also rich in waters flowing from its sources up to the surrounding countries. The biggest river is the Danube flowing here from Germany and Austria and it connects Slovakia with the Black Sea. The longest Slovak river is Váh with water power plants and dams built on it, which are sought out by tourists especially in summer. It is necessary to mention also a number of lakes, most of which have a glacier origin and they are situated especially in Tatras. They are called rightly as the mountain lakes due to its crystal cleanliness. The Tatranské mountain lakes are formed by about 150 lakes of the glacier origin. All together they represent the area of 3 km2 and they retain up to 10 million m3 water. The biggest and deepest lake not only in Tatras, but also on the whole territory of Slovakia is Veľké Hincovo pleso, and the most known and the most visited is Štrbské pleso.
From the view of nature, Slovakia is a country of unlimited opportunities. Every season enables to have an active and passive rest in the lap of magnificent nature. In Slovakia, you can find a number of “BEST”, which cannot be found anywhere else. The coldest region are Tatras, the warmest region is Štúrovo situated in the south part of Slovakia. The warmest spring called as Traján is situated in Piešťany, and the coldest one is Ladienka in Štiavnické vrchy. The highest placed lake is Modré pleso, and the lowest point is Bodrog river, the altitude of which is 94 m. The most visited and the biggest cave here is Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa with the most iced-up character in the world, what is emphasized by its position out of Alps. The most beautiful hill is Kriváň, and the deepest narrow canyon is Zádielská dolina. The most interesting phenomenon includes also the Geyser in Herľany, which is the European curio, and it squirts spontaneously water to the height of 5 m up to 20 m in intervals of 32 – 34 hours, and its eruption lasts 25 minutes. It is active continuously more than 120 years and it was declared to be protected natural phenomenon.
The area of highest concentration of gorges in the Carpathian range – 4.4 gorges per a 10 km2 – is again the National Park Slovenský raj (Slovak paradise). The most fascinating is also a view of waterfall called as Kamenný vodopád situated in the National Nature Reservation Šomoška close to Fiľakovo. The basalt waterfall was originated by solidification of magma under the specific conditions. There are several of such waterfalls in Cerová vrchovina, but Šomošský waterfall is characterized by the unbelievable regularity and small dimensions of columns. In Slovakia, a number of “BEST” can be admired here, and it is to manage to just visit it. You can be sure that Slovakia will belong to the highest “BEST”, which can be seen in the world and which can be seen also by you at your own eyes in this small country having the huge natural beauty.
Turism
From the view of tourism, the most attractive and visited are probably Tatras. The High Tatras attracts the tourists by its Gerlachovský peak, Kriváň peak, or Lomnický peak. As the first in the line, the High Tatras was declared to be the National Park with various degrees of nature preservation and the length of which is 55 km. It is sought after by the tourists in every season. In winter it provides with broad and splendid opportunities to go skiing on the quite gentle ski slopes, but also on the steep inclines, but excellently finished slopes for the most demanding skiers. Equally, it is the popular region for running skiing sports. During rest of the year you can go for a walk along the enchanting coniferous and coniferous-deciduous forests as well, admire the blooming valleys and smelling well pastures and meadows. The most known holiday resorts include Štrbské Pleso, Starý and Nový Smokovec, and Tatranská Lomnica. There are many hotels, housing accommodations and pensions of all categories situated here, and therefore, everybody can find here its accommodation, indeed. If you prefer a hiking, then you should not definitely miss the Tatranská magistrála the length of which is up to 46.5 km and it leads parallel with the main ridge on the southern valleys and slopes. For the demanding lovers of mountaineering tourism, the rocky paradise is waiting for them, which is ready to be overcome. Really, everybody can choose here – the one-day trips from the simplest one up to the heaviest one in the most demanding alpine terrains are prepared here.
In the Low Tatras it is worth walking the mountain footpath from Kráľová hoľa via Chopok to the known holiday resorts Donovaly. The Low Tatras offers the splendid conditions for sports activities and relax, and the most favourite holiday resorts include Jasná, Čertovica and Tále. The devotees of golf, having the 18-holes golf-course at their disposal, can also get their money’s worth here. If you decide to take part in beauties of the hiking and nature by using a bike, you can set off on a journey along the cyclic routes around the dam Liptovská Mara, or set off the 73-km circle in Horný Liptov region of the Low Tatras up to Podbanské situated under the High Tatras.
The enchanting canyons, waterfalls of the National Park Slovenský raj with the ruins of a former monastery having received its name Kláštorisko, can provide you with the unforgettable experience. Every year you can join the volunteers, thanks to whom you will be able to give your own hand and help in lap of the wild nature in the course of its reconstruction. In Slovenský raj (Slovak paradise) you can discover here almost 200 caves and chasms, from which one suddenly will almost feel dizzy. There is a possibility to ascend 7 metal bridges and footbridges and to try your courage on 320 m chains placed in the rocky walls, 140 rungs and 70 wooden footbridges in the canyon valley of the river Hornád. There is also the cave called as Stratenská jaskyňa, the length of which is 21 km, situated here and which is the longest cave in Slovakia. You can have a relaxation in the picturesque and folklore-breathing villages, such as Mlynky, Dedinky, or Čingov, having the excellent opportunities for skiing in winter. Slovenský raj is simply the exceptional natural paradise in the central Europe. It is a short hop from it to the smallest natural reservation called as Pieniny, however, the biggest attraction of which is the breakthrough of the river Dunajec with an unrivalled experience in floating down the river on the wooden rafts.
A secret of the World Nature Heritage can be discovered by the opened caves in Slovakia. The caves with designation Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa, Domica, Gombasecká jaskyňa, Jasov cave, Krásnohorská jaskyňa and Ochtínska Aragonite Cave are the world unique object of its kind. Equally, Slovakia is the world unique object as for a number of mineral springs using not only for relaxation in the health resorts, but also as an important part of treatment processes of various diseases. The most known spa resorts offer to its patients and visitors the most modern equipments and curative procedures, and health resorts like Bardejov, Piešťany, Trenčianske Teplice and Sliač have got a world name in balneology and they are complimented by its clientele coming back here again from every part of the world.
And if you wish to please your children with hiking, you can visit many modern aquaparks. The most visited aquaparks include Bešeňová, aquapark Tatralandia and Aquacity Poprad in Tatras and aquapark Aquathermal Senec situated near the favourite warn lakes with designation Senecké teplé jazerá near Bratislava, which are, for tens of years, the destination of relaxation for devotees of the summer sunny beams coming here from every part of Europe.
But not only these localities are the tourist paradise for both domestic and foreign visitors but also it is the whole Slovakia. Slovakia is the paradise of tourists coming from the whole world, and if you manage to discover it, then it can be also your paradise.
