Slovakia

Slovakia can be crossed by car in a day, yet within that small area the landscape changes again and again. The granite peaks of the High Tatras, the limestone gorges of the Slovak Paradise, the vineyards of the Little Carpathians and the wooded hills around Banská Štiavnica are only a few hours apart, and each suggests a different way of staying.

Accommodation in Slovakia is at its most interesting when it belongs to the landscape around it: a treehouse among the trees, a timber cabin on a meadow, a converted bus or a tent with a real bed, a whole house in Orava for a group travelling together. Some places are small and quiet, others are made for friends who want one kitchen and one long table.

Liptov and Donovaly are regions of mountain valleys, the Tatras can end a day on the ridges with a sauna, and in the Štiavnica Hills old mining reservoirs, the tajchy, lie among the forests – several of them are used for summer swimming. Our selections gather stays where the place itself becomes part of the trip: a weekend for two, a family week or a few days away from the usual pace.