How to get from Košice to Bratislava? Foreigner shares his experience. (Illustrative photo.) (source: Marko Erd, SME)
Foreigner who will remember the town of Vrútky forever
Traveller Joel Tamara has recently captured his train trip from Košice to Bratislava with his camera. To his surprise, trains often have delays.
In fact, the foreigner mentions these "time issues" multiple times in his video, including the Slovak town of Vrútky - an important junction that, Tamara says, is notorious for train delays.
Conversely, Tamara was pleasantly surprised by a free bottle of water handed to him on a train. Yet, as he notes, it was a Czech train running between Prague and Košice. He has experienced no such service on Slovak trains, which are operated by the national carrier ZSSK.
You can learn more on what to expect from Slovakia, Slovak railroads and people in his YouTube video.
Historical trains
Despite the delays, using trains as a means of transport during the summer holidays is a safe bet.
The Slovak Railway Museum and the Club of Historical Trains prepared plenty of events in the months from April to December. For example, in July, visitors and historical train enthusiasts will have the opportunity to board trains that look like they were taken from a classic detective movie.
On July 15, there is an event scheduled starting from Liptovský Mikuláš and travelling to Rajecké Teplice and one other event starting in Trenčianska Teplá to Radošiná. The day after, on July 16, another event commemorates the rail route of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, first Czechoslovak president. The trip will start in Trenčianská Teplá and end in Horní Lideč, the Czech Republic.
You can find more beautiful train trips here.
In the Tatras, too
If you happen to be in the Tatras, you will have the chance to see and enjoy historical trains as well. Starting on July 15 and July 16, there will be historical trams roaming the rails of the Tatras. You can hop on in Poprad to travel on to Starý Smokovec and Tatranská Lomnica and back. Both stops are also great spots for an easy but enjoyable hike. The trams are usually equipped with wide clear windows and travel at a slow pace, allowing tourists to enjoy the sights to the fullest with minimal effort.
If you want to take a sight-seeing tram trip, here’s a map of all Tatra trams.
Don’t forget to validate your ticket like you would for public transport after boarding the trams.
The railway in Čierny Balog is a must when visiting the region. (source: Ján Krošlák, SME)
TIP: While we're at the topic of history, read about the first car appearance in Slovakia.
Activities
English, Ukrainian, Slovak – erasing barriers
What does it look like if a Slovak person meets a Ukrainian person? What if English is not enough to communicate? A theatrical collaboration between Czech and Ukrainian theatre students comments on the humanity of creating a common language space between Slovaks and Ukrainians. Actors beg the question on what the two languages have in common along with culture, way of life and understanding one another.
The play takes place at Diera Do Sveta on July 30 at 17:00. This cultural centre can be found in Liptovský Mikuláš, northern Slovakia.
The Happiness Festival
This summer, Bratislava is full of activities. The soonest one is music festival Radosť (Happiness), an open-air festival. Radosť takes place at Zlaté Piesky, which is a popular summer resort in the city. The line-up consists of mostly techno-artists from Slovakia and Greece.
Zlaté Piesky are a great place to cool down as well. (source: Gabriel Kuchta, SME)
TIP: Always ready! Krav Maga in Bratislava lures in all that are interested in self-defense. Foreigners can give it a try, too.
TIP: For less intense activity, try giving the traditional pottery workshop in Košice a look.
Travel
Bojnice, Bojnice, Bojnice
This week’s travel belongs to Bojnice. With night walk-throughs through the castle starting, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the castle. There are a bunch of nightly events, but the tours are most inclusive to non-Slovak speakers. You can catch them on July 19-20. The whole place will light up in a soft atmosphere, reminding visitors of the fairy tales and legends tied to the castle.
It is said that Bojnice castle legends are tangled with pettiness, gossip and more – all with quite tragic endings. Word has it that visitors are still able to hear the screams of souls wronged on site. The most popular is about a woman dressed in a black dress. She carried a baby in her arms and jumped out of the castle’s tower after she allegedly lied to her husband about their child.
Zoo
Bojnice has less grim stories to tell, however. Close to the castle, visitors will find a zoo open from 9:00 to 19:00, every day from April to September. Other than the usual animal enclosures, a butterfly garden is open from July 1, every day from 9:30 to 16:30. The zoo has organised many events for July. On July 14, the day will be dedicated to reptiles and July 21 belongs to animals that pasture.
Spa relaxation
Other than a castle riddled with horror stories and cute animals in a zoo, Bojnice is also home to a spa. The local spa area, for example, makes for a great walk and a spot to grab food. There’s also a little coffee shop surrounded by water, creating a nearly fairy-tale atmosphere.
After some rest in the spa, you could take a walk to a viewpoint, about 40 minutes away from the town. You will get there following yellow hiking marks.
Bojnice castle hides legends, gossips and more. (source: Ján Krošlák, SME)
TIP: Hungry? This old Bratislava recipe will have your mouth watering. Kapustníky recipe found in a fine-aged book still hold up with taste today.
TIP: If it is too hot for cooking, you might enjoy making Slovak style egg spread, which requires minimum effort in an exchange for great tasting bread spread.
Upcoming events
July 19 – August 31. Bratislava. “Leto pod palmou” or “Summer under a palm tree” in Nová Cvernovka is a long-running event filled with movies.
July 26. Spišská Nová Ves. Gallery of Spiš Artists (GUS) will launch a “3 in 1” exhibition titled Limits of Surrealism. The launch party starts at 17:00.
August 18 – August 20. Bratislava. Lovestream Festival 2023 has a world-known line up including Imagine Dragons, The Killers, Martin Garrix and more.
With summer here, more and more music festivals come up. (Illustrative photo) (source: Jozef Jakubčo, SME)
BEFORE YOU GO
WHAT TO BE CHEERFUL ABOUT: This week's brew of positive news is about breaking stereotypes. Read about a Roma family that runs a restaurant or a woman that pilots a plane.
WHAT TO DO FOR FREE: Join a group of foreingers in a walk to some of the Bratislava lakes.
WHAT TO DO IN BRATISLAVA: Grab a bike for Petržalka bike-tour and enjoy some concerts. More in our top 10 events for foreigners.
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
