streteh ol' ri\erbank was lined \\llll ramr-uire lenees in eommunist tlit}‘s. to proteet against the bourgeois temptations ol‘.-\ustria that Ia} just on the other side.
Countryside, castles and crap weather
()ka}. so it rained l'or hall of our stay. We had uninterrupted sunshine the rest ol‘ the titne. and \\ e Seots ot~ all people should be Used to this sot't ol'thing. right'.’
It )ou ' re prepared for 'ehangeable' \seather. Slovakia boasts a \xealth ol' beautil‘ul eountryside \\ ithin easy reaeh ol' the eapital. Seattered throughout are numerous eastles perehed on strategie hilltops. attesting to the l‘ormer signilieanee of these lands. Man} of these ha\ e been left as ruins. are aeeessible only on loot and ripe for exploration. lior starters.
tt'}‘ SPis (‘astle near l.e\'oea. ()ne ol
the most extensiVe medie\'al eastles in liurope until it “as destro} ed by lire in the lls’th eentur}. its renoVated remains are now a l'.\'li8('() heritage site.
liaeh ol the tire National Parks has its out] eharaeter. The High 'l'atra Mountains are often deseribed as the most impressixe range in Europe outside the .»\|ps. :\s sueh the_x're pretty \\ ell developed. with an} number of hiking trails and even a eable ear tip to SloVakia's seeond highest peak. l.omniek_\ Stit
(2.034111). l’or those l‘eeling less energetic. or \t'ishing to a\oid the L‘l‘()\\tl\. there are the Lou 'latras. Alternatixel)‘. the aptl} named Sloxak Paradise is an area ol' thiekl} l'orested gorges. \x'hieh are home to eagles. bears and \\'()l\‘C.\.
Cheaper beer than Prague
Last and b} no means least: the atnber neetar. lirugal tra\ellers are former searehing l‘or the next eut- priee alternatiVe. and this is eurrenth a eontender l‘or that eroxx'n. All the lamous ('/eeh brands are a\'ailable as well as the local brews. and there‘s no shortage of plaees to sample them. Bratislax'a has more paxement eal'es and bars than even the most dedieated eonsumer eould Wish to sample and. for alter-hours entertainment. a nttmber ol' \enues
ol‘l'er li\'e _]a// or a sliee ol
roek'n'roll. Slt)\‘;tk—st}le. Slotak l’ub is a ea\ernous beer-hall all'air \x'hieh. as its name suggests. is a popular meeting plaee l'or loeals. .\lean\\hile Radost t()behodna. 48) and .\'u Spirit Bar t.\ledena. lhl pro\ e Slmaks are also alix'e to more eutting-edge sounds. Drinking with the Ioeals. a pint generth eomes in at less than St) penee. and that's just in the eapital. Else“ here it‘s eheaper still. Just as \VCll. as _\ou might be spending some time sheltering l'rom the elements. Well at least the beer priees won‘t remind you ol' home.
THIS SMALL NATION HAS FINALLY PUT ITSELF ON THE MAP
TRAVEL
&
Heading out to the countryside w sampling t9 er (below);/an<f steps in ,Bratislava (bottom)
FACTFILE
Getting there and around l -t ".'.".'/.'..tfélisH‘fi.’Ltrltt‘ ll, ruiularl, tu l3r.‘ttrslrr.a lrurh l utuu. tr rr .irutturl '5‘." u return, lltt:li:"${t’.l‘fl)(ilrtllll‘1ll.‘.")lifiitlt tinthur; aruuurl .‘.‘llllllt filugakta, .‘.’ltr<,‘l' hovers moat plat/:1; r,l Iltb:l‘:‘.i Accommodation Bur met {ltitl’lllllltl)(lJlll’JYl “,éttt hr: har'l to Trurt Bl'r’tlltsléi‘.’;: lhr: eastwat .‘xa. tr‘ arugula rea‘muahl, l)ll(;i:tl l)ll'~.<litt rmnt't’. rill'l pensions l‘) thruurih the liralrilaur lulurruatruu Sum/x: this“hrattulam we .'./lt|(,ll also ltétS a taauatt tr‘ trrr: ',:t, centre. Fur aurrruthlur; a l)! ’1Iif‘:t‘:t:’. Tr, Bum Granta. .‘xhrrgh mtler', walnut, t. a further (Lt'lllU‘: twat rhuurwl urt thu Danube. lr()ltt around '2 9+“, for a «luutlln. l-ur more information .rturt: '.'/.'.".’/.lfl'étilSiéi‘HilttANSI/1H1. Activities Central UHtltSlEl/Et car: i/: easrly rta/rriatwl Uh fuut. mural. [.8 'li‘: ideal .va, to take Ill thr; rw/lreual streets and parerrreut mate"). the Old Town Hall 'P'tttlétClEtlll‘: Square; l‘} 0pm: (latl, excel/t Winona/"r iU/llt turxrrtviprh. The Slmak NililUltU‘ Galler, arid most other riallerre‘, éjtl’I museums open (jarhrf'ipru. but all arr: Close-(i to the [Jill/W, 0n Manda/c. Dem Castle is accessed t); a farm; (tail; twat semae dos/h the Danube. lea/1hr; from the hyrlmforl terr'rihal «E 2 retumr. For ftlli details Utl cultural activates. nightlife and merits. CHOCV out .‘/.‘.v'.'./.hratrs)lamgutrlef/Jru Pourarl. iCUl hours from Brahma/a
by llatlt. IS the base fOV (:XIJlUrlli’} llt‘; High Tatras. A small electric rail/m; connects Poprao to all the titalfl resorts. from where a network of ‘.'/ell-rriarl<e0 trails head trim the mountains.
7—21 Set, 27,-"; THE LIST 101