The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest.
Right in the heart of Europe, Slovakia is a land of castles and mountains, occasionally punctuated by industrial sprawl. More than a quarter-century after Czechoslovakia's break-up, Slovakia has emerged as a self-assured, independent nation. Capital city Bratislava draws visitors to its resplendent old town and tankard-clanking drinking culture. But Slovakia shines brightest for lovers of the outdoors. Walking trails in the High Tatras wend through landscapes of unearthly beauty, with mirror-still glacier lakes.
Almost an alternate realm, Slovakia's less-visited east is speckled with quaint churches. Within its national parks are landscapes battle-scarred by the clash of river and stone. Beyond eastern metropolis Košice, a boutique charmer of a city, the Tokaj wine region unfurls across the thinly populated countryside.
Despite a storied history and varied topography, Slovakia is small. For visitors, that can mean fortresses, hiking, and beer-sloshing merriment – all in the space of a long weekend.
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