Jessie Ware. (source: Gabriel Kuchta)
Travel
Beautiful meadow into Las Vegas?
As Czech company Dinopark pondered the idea to invest in the Liptov region, the locals stepped in. The company has proposed turning the meadows near Žilina Region town Liptovský Ján into an educational park dedicated to the life of dinosaurs. The company chose the area because of its strategic position in the centre of Slovakia. Dinopark would present 45 dinosaur models and occupy around 14 hectares of land. Locals and activists oppose the idea, as they fear tourism traffic increasing and therefore destroying the peaceful overview of the area. Learn more about the Dinopark debate in our story.
Ways to appreciate Liptov
As the locals suggest in discussions concerning building Dinopark, Liptov is full of natural sights that are waiting to be discovered. The municipality of Liptovský Ján is just a stone’s throw away from the wonders that National Park Low Tatras (NAPANT) has to offer. Liptovský Mikuláš spreads nearby from the municipality, offering more services and places to visit.
Liptov Hiking and skiing
From Liptovský Mikuláš, visitors can go straight to the valley Demänovská Dolina, which is a crossroad of possibilities for hiking, relaxing or a little bit of a challenging adventure. The area is situated in the heart of a valley surrounded by mountains and peaks.
You can reach Ďumbier, Chopok which is connected to the popular skiing resort Jasná, Poľana, Dereše and Krúpova Hoľa. Trips to these peaks can be difficult for beginners but active nature lovers will be satisfied. A four hour long trip over seven kilometres will get you to Sedlo Siná, Siná and back to Demänovská Dolina. Another skiing resort awaits skiers in Žiarce ski resort.
A closeup on a bat living in The Cave of Dead Bats, Slovakia's only high-mountain cave, located in the area of Ďumbier, Low Tatras. (source: Ján Krošlák, Petit Press)
Liptov's quirks
Families with kids or people keen on quirky fun things will appreciate Liptov's portfolio of strange and unique experiences.
One of such tourist attraction is the 'upside down house' furnished completely upside down as the name suggests, with cartoon character themed decor that draws kids in.
Animal lovers will get their money's worth over at the 'Zookontakt' contact zoo, a family park. Visitors there get a chance to see wild animals up close. Beware of the strict rules, though, as there are rules to obey in order to navigate yourself around the park safely and not disturb or harm the animals.
Less quirky but equally fun is the aqua park 'Tatralandia' with slides and pools for the whole family. After day of hiking, there’s also a spa to enjoy and relax in.
Tamer, more peaceful side of Liptov
Besides all the tourist attractions and beautiful mountains, Liptov is home to Liptovská Mara reservoir, the beloved Slovak 'sea'. While winter might not be the best time to take a swim, it is a lovely place to walk around and enjoy the fresh air and breathtaking views.
National Park Low Tatras during the winter. (source: Ján Krošlák, Petit Press)
More of our travel stories:
TATRAS:How the Guardian sees the High Tatras. Read the writer's perspective on sights and skiing.
SOUTHERN SLOVAKIA: New attractions lure curious tourists in to revel in the sights from lookout towers near Šiatorská Bukovina.
BRATISLAVA: Check out our Top 10 events for foreigners in Bratislava for this week!
Exhibitions
National Gallery's freshest exhibition.Last week, the Slovak National Gallery reopened for the public again. Visitors may enjoy the new exhibition about Slovak painter and artist Stanislav Filko put together by the national gallery's curators. The monography features neo-avantgarde takes on time, ideas, and objects.
Ján Skaličan's 'Eyewitness' lures visitors in to discuss the urgencies of the climate crisis, contemplating chances and consequences of wrongdoings done against nature. The artist begs the questions of individuality, engagement and how to deal with the issues of climate. Skaličan maps the suffering of nature suffering.
Profillo: An insight into artistic glass making and the finery of the craft. Artist and head of Glass studio at Bratislava's Academy of Fine Arts Patrik Illo prepares a rich exhibition mapping his transition from student to professional life, portraying melancholy, identity, and poeticism.
Learn how to swim, or draw attention to urbanism of Bratislava, that's how one could describe the exhibition 'Petržalská Plaváreň' (Petržalka's Swimming Pool). Fine Arts graduate Filip Bielek proposes changing the perception of Bratislava's city district Petržalka, transforming its image from a socialist-like hooligan filled district to an urban hotspot.
After reopening, the Slovak National Gallery fills up with visitors. (source: Dano Veselský - TASR )
Košice travel
Košice's Eastern Slovak Museum opens its gates to tell the story of Slovak nomads. Known for their knack for making, creating and adapting, poor people had to make-do with what they have. Their stories have been recognized as a national and world intangible cultural heritage of UNSECO. Enjoy photographs capturing the unique nature of nomads through the Slovak art of 'drotárstvo', a unique craft in which the wire was processed without the use of soldered or welded joints.
Nature, minerals plants, history! All that and more waits for those who want to learn more about the structure of fauna and flora of the Karpaty in the Eastern Slovak Museum. Geologists can dig into more than a thousand mineral and rock samples along with over 140 botanical samples.
If you cannot get enough of plants, head over to the Košice Pavol Jozef Šafárik University's botanical garden. Other than the regular exhibition, the botanical garden opens its gates to greenhouses that house orchids out of which some can be even purchased to start your own little garden.
Košice's Saint Elizabeth's Cathedral is usually on every tourist's bucket list. (source: František Iván, TASR)
Music
Originating from an underground music scene, Slovak band Korben Dallas is heading off to tour all around the country with shows dedicated to their newest album 'Deti Rýb' (Children of the Fish). Catch them in a town near you!
All music and few words. The combo of Slovak, Canadian and Czech artists takes over Žilina's Stanica in a joint concert of The Ills and Alpha Strategy. Full guitar and bass sounds accompanied by heavy drums are the staple of Slovak band The Ills while the Canadian/Czech band offers an alternative independent music project.
Slovakia's music festival Lovestream returns in August with headliners like The Killers, Jason Derulo, Jessie Ware and Imagine Dragons. The festival will be held in Bratislava-Vajnory. In the previous year, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Dua Lipa headlined the festival. It is still in the process of announcing the rest of the lineup for its second year.
What to listen to
To get in the mood for the tour, listen to one of the songs from Korben Dallas' album 'Deti Rýb' titled 'Teória Všetkého' (The theory of everything).
That's it for this week. Take care, and have a restful weekend!
-Mária
Do you have any tips? You can reach Mária at maria.jurikova@spectator.sk
