Blue sky, crisp air and empty head. These are the reasons I love to travel, especially if it includes zero make-up, no heels and a loyal partner-in-crime. Maybe surprisingly, hiking, camping and outing is my ideal summer getaway, and on top, in Slovakia, one does not need to overcome any language barriers. And so we rented a camping car and conquered five national parks in five days!
Our trip started with a tourist vibe. We visited Piestany, a used-to-be-famous spa for treating rheumatism. Fair to say that there weren’t many patients walking around here, through the local lido was experiencing record-breaking turnout. Our trip continued via Bojnice, the Dolni Morava of Slovakia, the Brighton of Eastern Europe. Neither participant is a huge fan of crowds and anything tourist-related, we settled for a delicious lunch in a local brewery and continued our journey somewhere less loud, more peaceful – naturally! Seated comfortably in a camping car, we were freed from any worries regarding accommodation and reservations. We knew that where we reach, there we sleep (the only requirement being beautiful view and relative silence). Off we went!
First National Park of this trip, Muranska Planina. Though breath-taking surroundings, the emptiness of the location left us wondering – where did everybody go? With restaurants being rare and inhabitants ever rarer, we stirred away within 24h and headed towards Slovensky Raj.
An extensive water reservoir invited us to take a dip. Surrounded. By fish, fisherman, ducks and paddle boats, we enjoyed an evening swim before returning to our ‘mobile home’, settling down for a night of soothing breeze and silent stars.
Next days all followed a similar pattern. Waking up with the sunrise, having a breakfast in nature, getting out for a morning hike, choosing a new location in the afternoon and continuing the adventure in the evening. As such, we managed to visit Slovensky Raj, Slovensky Raj, Belanske, Nizke and Vysoke Tatry (no need translating the names here). Every time stopping for a morning hike and relocating in the afternoon.
Our adventurous trip ended in the High Tatras, where I even managed to bump into an old friend of mind by the Hincovo Pleso, proving that Czech tourists still favour this region. And that is great because I truly believe that one does not need to travel a thousand miles when the next paradise awaits a few kilometres behind the nearest boarder.
Slovakia, you have been amazing! Thank you for all your well-preserved nature and your wonderful people who treat the tourists like the locals. Cannot wait for a camping road trip vol. 2.
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