Slovakia

Slovakia's capital since the country's independence in 1993, Bratislava is a mosaic of illustrious history: a medieval and Gothic old town, baroque palaces commissioned by Hungarian nobles, and the crowning castle, rebuilt to Renaissance finery. Slicing through the city are stark-angled, communist-era blocks and a futurist bridge. Recent years have added a cast of outlandish statues, boutiques and modish cafes, eagerly sought out by visiting stag party groups and day trippers from Vienna. Many arrive purely to enjoy the uproarious nightlife, from rowdy beer halls to hidden nightclubs. Despite the march of modernism, Bratislava still has nature on its doorstep. The city banks the Danube River, only a few kilometres from the Austrian border. Rolling north are the Malé Karpaty (Small Carpathians), their lowlands draped with vineyards. Flitting between postcard-pretty, steely and gorgeously green, Bratislava never fails to intrigue.

Bratislava

Welcome to Slovakia's untrammelled east, home to Andy Warhol history, hundreds of hidden caves, and the best wine region you've never heard of. Freethinking Košice, Slovakia's second-largest city, is the prime reason to visit, with waterfall-kissed Slovenský Raj National Park close behind. But discovering Eastern Slovakia's uncommon attractions is a big part of the fun. Start with mysterious wooden churches, sprinkled across the lonely villages around Bardejov, before venturing to the Slovak Vatican, an ice cave and mouldy medieval wine cellars. Sprinkle it all with coppery spa waters, the country's best castle ruin, and a few architectural gems like Levoča and Bardejov, and you have one unforgettable road trip.

Eastern Slovakia

It’s hard to overstate the majesty of the Tatras, whose 300-plus peaks form the loftiest section of the Central Carpathian Mountains. Together with the Polish national park of the same name, Slovakia's Tatra National Park is a Unesco-protected biosphere reserve. The Slovak side has the lion's share of the reserve, 740 sq km of beech and spruce forests, deep-blue glacier lakes and alpine meadows spangled with wildflowers. It's a vast playground for native fauna like marmots and chamois (mountain goat-antelopes); also at play are human hikers tackling hundreds of kilometres of trails, and skiers who flock to High Tatras resorts in winter.

Stretching for 57 corrugated kilometres, the Tatra Mountains have a restful side, too: unwind in spa-and-lake getaway Štrbské Pleso, or make merry at the lesser-touristed eastern edge of the range, the Belá Tatras, where highlander folk culture is vividly expressed.

Tatra Mountains

Equal parts pretty and gritty, Košice captures attention with its old town, a jewellery box of Gothic towers, medieval bastions and baroque sculpture. The pride of Eastern Slovakia's largest city is its central square, which boasts the country's greatest concentration of historic monuments. Since Košice's tenure as European Capital of Culture in 2013, the cultural scene has continued to bloom: offbeat bars, Soviet city tours and vegetarian dining share the limelight with well-established draws like the showstopping Gothic cathedral, philharmonic orchestra and, yes, ice hockey. Košice is also a convenient anchor for day trips to Eastern Slovakia's more enigmatic attractions. Within a two-hour drive of the city you can discover the gnarled limestone caverns of Slovak Karst National Park (southwest), Andy Warhol history in Medzilaborce (northeast) and peaceable Tokaj wine country (south and east).

Košice

The High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry), the tallest range in the Carpathian Mountains, occupy a near-mythic place in Slovak hearts. Instantly recognisable, the crooked summit of Mount Kriváň (2495m) has become a national symbol in literature and popular culture, with some Slovaks swearing it's their national duty to climb it. Twenty-five peaks reach higher than 2500m and the tallest mountains – like Gerlachovský štít (2654m) – attract the most hikers, revealing Slovakia as a nation of adventurers. You won't be alone tramping between the High Tatras' waterfalls, alpine meadows and more than 100 ultramarine lakes. In winter, snow transforms hiking trails into ski areas, mostly small and family-friendly. Most of this jagged range is part of 1949-established Tatra National Park (Tanap), the country's oldest national park. Together with an adjoining protected area across the border in Poland, the High Tatras form a Unesco-protected biosphere reserve inhabited by brown bears, chamois and golden eagles.

High Tatras

Gateway to the High Tatras, Poprad is an excellent base for hiking or skiing day trips. By car or train, there are plenty of destinations where you can hike around lakes and through gorges or play in powder at winter-sports resorts. Rail links to Starý Smokovec and Štrbské Pleso are a cinch, and Slovenský Raj National Park is only a 15km drive south. Poprad has its own attractions too, with spa-and-swim complex Aqua City and the Spišská Sobota district, where well-preserved Renaissance buildings radiate charm. Galleries and some outstanding dining are also options for those all-important rest days (your calf muscles will thank you).