ARCHIVE:
2016 Slovakia Heritage Tour
September 9 -18 , 2016
Click on the images for each day to get a glimpse of where we went & what we did…
DAY 1:
Fri., Sept. 9: Vienna – Banská Štiavnica – Banská Bystrica
Morning drive through the rolling Danube plains stopping for lunch in the old mining town of Banská Štiavnica. Tour the castle and the Renaissance Main Square of this hilly 15th-century town, beautifully situated in a richly-forested valley. Settle in to our hotel, Hotel Kuria, in the quaint city of Banská Bystrica . Gather for an evening Welcome Dinner (included) in a 14th-century fortress restaurant to review the travel plans, and have an introductory Slovak lesson.
DAY 2:
Sat., Sept. 10: Špania Dolina – Banská Bystrica
Step back in time in the ancient mining and craft village of Špania Dolina. Walk the village and forested lanes and visit the lace and mining museums. Afternoon will be free to explore the elegant and historical downtown of Banská Bystrica , visit the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising, shop, or relax and enjoy a contemporary spa.
DAY 3:
Sun., Sept. 11: Banská Bystrica – Orava – Zuberec – Tatry Mountains
Travel through beautiful landscapes of the Mala Fatra Mountains, stopping to visit Orava Castle. At lunch, enjoy Oravan folk music and dance, at a traditional Koliba, shepherds’ restaurant. After lunch, walk through the 19th century Orava village in the nearby outdoor museum. Drive through the picturesque Liptovsky lake region. Relax and watch the sun set on the mountains from our Penzion 2004 in Stara Lesna.
DAY 4:
Mon.,Sept. 12: Tatry Mountains
Enjoy the beauty of the Tatry Mountains at your own pace. Several options for a day of out-door, scenic adventure in this dramatic small alpine range or relaxing in the resort towns. In the evening, take part in (or just enjoy watching) a cooking demonstration of Slovakia’s national dish, Bryndzove Halušky.
Optional personal family and village visits can be arranged.
DAY 5:
Tues., Sept. 13 : Pieniny Region -Bardejov
Travel from the High Tatry Mountains to the scenic vistas of the Pieniny National Park. Enjoy a traditional raft ride on the Dunajec river as you watch green fields, forests and mountains peacefully pass. After lunch at the chalet restaurants on the river bank, visit the Bardejov Open-Air Village Museum to see how our ancestors lived at the end of the 19th century when many immigrants came to the United States. In the evening, explore the medieval guild town of Bardejov before settling into the Hotel Bellevue,with spectacular views, perched high above the city.
DAY 6:
Wed. Sept. 14: Sariš Region: Small Village Visit – Sabinov – Prešov
Travel through the lovely stream valleys ringed by high pasture fields and farm land of the Šariš region. A morning visit to meet the people of a small village at the edge of the forests where people still preserve the old musical and craft ways of life. Enjoy a lively traditional dinner(included) in Sabinov with a chance to talk with young Slovaks and dance the polka and czardas if you like. In the late afternoon, explore Prešov with its old center square, and excellent Šariš Museum, showing traditional ways and 19th/early 20 century photos of village life when many Slovaks left for America.
In the evening, walk the beautiful central square of Košice before settling into the Hotel Doubletree by Hilton, in the heart of the city.
DAY 7:
Thurs. Sept. 15 : Košice
Morning guided walking tours of Košice’s well-preserved historic center. Afternoon free to shop and explore the thriving downtown. Optional evening special cultural program
Optional personal family and village visits can be arranged.
DAY 8:
Fri. Sept. 16: Spiš Castle – Spišská Kapitula- Levoča -Return to Bratislava
Leave Košice for the rolling hills and valleys of the Spiš region. Explore the ruins of the majestic Spiš Castle one of the largest castle ruins in Europe. Visit the Romanesque Cathedral of St. Martin in Spišská Kapitula, the “Slovak Vatican,” a walled ecclesiastical village since the 12th century. Lunch in the medieval, pilgrimage town of Levoča with visits to see the large exquisitely-carved altar in St. Jacob’s Cathedral by 15th century master woodcarver Master Pavol. After a day of exploration in the Spiš region, we’ll start the trip back to Bratislava with surprise stops along the way. We’ll arrive in Slovakia’s capital city on the Danube in time to enjoy the charm of the Old City by night and settle into the old world elegance of the Hotel Radisson Carlton, in the center of the Old City.
Optional personal family and village visits can be arranged.
DAY 9:
Sat. Sept. 17: Bratislava – Pezinok Wine Festival – Modra Pottery
Fall in love with Slovakia’s modest but elegant small capital with a morning guided tour through the Old City and a stop at the city’s fortress castle for panoramic views of the city and the Danube. In the afternoon, we travel to the Small Carpathian Mountains near Bratislava to visit the pottery where famous Modra ceramics are made by hand. Enjoy the music, crafts and local excitement of the Modra/Pezinok Wine Festival, before we return to the city in the evening to explore its narrow central streets and lovely plazas. Stroll the Danube promenade and watch the ships and barges along this busy waterway.
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Day 10:
Sun., Sept. 18: Bratislava
Farewell to our Slovakia Heritage Tour travel friends!
At the close of the tour, some people will fly out of Vienna, and others will continue to travel on to Krakow, Poland, or Prague, Czech Republic with a Slovakia Heritage Extension Tour. Please see details on the Extension Tours page or call Judy at 978-544-5144 to discuss your personal plans.
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Slovakia Heritage Tours 