Tourist Attractions & Monuments Slovakia

Timetable

Most stores are open Monday to Friday without interruption until 5pm in the provinces, and later in the capital. Some shops, including small local mini-markets, are open on Saturday mornings from 7am to 1pm. Generally speaking, shops open and close earlier than in France. You'll need to get used to this to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

For meals, lunchtime starts at 11 a.m. and service is often continuous, but restaurants close early: it's very hard to find restaurants open after 10 p.m., and it's even difficult to get service after 9 p.m.

To be booked

You don't really need to make a reservation except for accommodation in high season, especially for the Christmas holidays or long weekends, or if you want to take the cable car up to Lomnický štít, the summit of the High Tatras (online reservation at: www.vt.sk).

Budget & Tips

Many of the country's museums and castles open their doors to visitors free of charge on the first Monday of every month - find out more on the relevant websites. Otherwise, visits to the main sites are not very expensive (€2 to €8). Children, students and pensioners benefit from reduced rates, and admission is often free for children under 6.

There are various formulas available, such as the Bratislava City Card (€18/25) (http://card.visitbratislava.com) or the Orava Pass or Liptov Region Card, which offer substantial savings on entrance fees to sites and on certain restaurants and partner accommodation.

Main events

Among the country's major events are the Bratislava City Days, a major historical costume festival held at the end of April. Košice hosts a film festival in June, Art Film Fest, but the biggest cultural event is undoubtedly the Pohoda Music Festival, which takes place every July on the site of Trenčín airport. Over three days, concerts by big-name stars (Fatboy Slim, Liam Gallagher...) follow one another, an important date for Slovak youth.

Guided tours

There are various ways to discover Bratislava: on foot, by bike, in an old car, on a small train, on a Segway... A multitude of operators, individual guides and agencies offer their services. The small historical centre of Bratislava can be easily visited on foot. As for the rest of the country, small local structures are mainly dedicated to active, sports and nature tourism.

Tourist traps

Scams are rare, as almost all guided tours leave from the tourist office or are operated by approved independent agencies or guides.