What to See in Slovakia - Top Sights and Attractions

Massive church with Gothic architecture. The Cathedral of St Elisabeth is a Gothic cathedral in Košice.

It is Slovakia's largest church and one of the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe.

The record of the existence of Kassa (Slovak: Košice), dating from 1230, is connected with the existence of the rectory church. In the process of the settlement's transformation from a rural community into a town, all its periods of successes and failures have been reflected in St Elisabeth's Cathedral.

According to historical and archaeological sources, the present-day cathedral was built on the place of an earlier church also consecrated to St Elisabeth of Hungary. It was referred to in documents of 1283 and 1290, in which the bishop of Eger Andrew II exempted Košice parish from the dean's sphere of jurisdiction.^[5]

Large zoo for European and Asian fauna. The Košice Zoo is a zoo in Košice, Slovakia in the local city part of Kavečany. Encompassing 292 hectares, it is the largest zoo in Slovakia and the third largest in Europe, though visitors are allowed only in about one third of this area. Another area around the visitors area is preserves as the Carpathian Biom with many free living protected species of Slovak fauna and flora, including Imperial Eagle, Black Storc, and Raven. The zoo hosts about 250,000 visitors each year. Inside the zoo is a large Slovak Jurassic Park and many educational trails.

Animal collection:

As of January 1, 2020 the zoo kept approximately 1250 specimens in 280 species - the second largest collection in Slovak zoos.

Most important species in collection with high successful reproduction:

Cuban Boa, Humboldt Penguin, Toco toucan, Silvery-Checked Hornbill, Himalaya Monal pheasants, European Brown Bear (official World Guinness Book recorded of 5 cubs born and reared in one litter in the zoo in 2002), Przewalski wild horse (3 animals released back to wilderness in Mongolia), Blasboock, Kafue red lechwe, Siberian ibex, Alpine Chamois, European Bison, Hutsul horse (protected horse form of Carpathians).

Another important species in collection:

Dwarf crocodiles, Andean Condor, Kamchatka eagle, Australian sarus crane, Mantchurian Crane, Harbor seal, Red Panda, Pallas CAT, North Chinese Leopard, Maneless zebra, Siberian wapiti, Mishmi takin.^[11]

Catholic church in Levoča, Slovakia. The Basilica of St. James is a Gothic church in Levoča, Prešovský kraj, Slovakia. Building began in the 14th century. It is a Catholic parish church, dedicated to James the Apostle.

The interior features several Gothic altars, including as the main altar the world's tallest wooden altar at 18.62 metres (61.1 ft) by the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča, completed in 1517. The church, the second largest in Slovakia, also houses well-preserved furniture and art work. The steeple dates from the 19th century. The church was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments in 2009. It is also a Slovak National Monument. In 2015, Pope Francis declared the church a Basilica minor.^[17]

Temple in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia. St. Catherine's Church is a Late Gothic church in the town in Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia. It is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

The construction is dated between years 1488 and 1491 and the church was consecrated in 1500. Fifty years later it was promoted to the status of a parish church. The year 1491 is stated also as the year when the church was established. Older resources indicate that the construction began in 1443 or 1444, what corresponds to time, when citizens of Banska Stiavnica moved to the area of nowadays town, after the old town was destroyed. From 1580 to 1675, during the period of the Reformation, it belonged to the Lutheran church. In 1658 mass began to be preached in Slovak, which is why it is called "the Slovak church."^[18]

Castle in Čachtice, Slovakia. Čachtice Castle is a castle ruin in Slovakia next to the village of Čachtice. It stands on a hill featuring rare plants, and has been declared a national nature reserve for this reason. The castle was a residence and later the prison of the Countess Elizabeth Báthory.

Čachtice was built in the mid-13th century by Kazimir from the Hont-Pázmány gens as a sentry on the road to Moravia. Later, it belonged to Matthew Csák, the Stibor family, and then to Elizabeth Báthory. Čachtice, its surrounding lands and villages, was a wedding gift from the Nádasdy family upon Elizabeth's marriage to Ferenc Nádasdy in 1575.

Originally, Čachtice was a Romanesque castle with an interesting horseshoe-shaped residence tower. It was turned into a Gothic castle later and its size was increased in the 15th and 16th centuries. A Renaissance renovation followed in the 17th century. In 1708 the castle was captured by the rebels of Francis II Rákóczi. It was neglected and burned down in 1799. It was left to decay until it was turned into a tourist attraction in 2014.^[24]

Mountain in Slovakia. Stratenec is 4,962 feet AMSL high mountain in the Lesser Fatra.

This limestone mountain covered with dwarf-pines is situated in west part of the main crest of Krivanska Mala Fatra mountain range.

It is accessible directly on the red marked trail between Maly Krivan and Biele skaly. From the mountain Maly Krivan it is divided by saddleback Priehyb and from Biele Skala by the saddleback Vrata.

You can also reach it by the blue marked trail from Krasnany via the valley Kur. The northern rocky part of the hill hides 443 feet (135 m) long Old cave of Stratenec and 207 feet (63 m) long Kukurisova cave. There is also 115 feet (35 m) deep chasm. There is no marked trail to the rocky part and the access is restricted to the tourists. The area of the peak and the northern slopes are part of protected area Suchy.

The opposite southeastern slopes of Stratenec lead to the sucanska valley. Stratenec can be reached from that side by the yellow marked trail from Lipovec or by the green trail from Turcianske Klacany via Suchy.^[25]

Cathedral in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. The Francis Xavier Cathedral, Banská Bystrica is a cathedral at Slovak National Uprising Square in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.

There was a first mention of a gothic chapel at this spot in the so-called Königsberger's testament from 1503. It was the only place of Roman Catholic worship during the 16th century, when Banská Bystrica was in the hands of the Protestants.

In 1647 a few Jesuits settled here and started the Catholic reform of the town and its neighbourhood. During the years 1695–1701 they built their own college on the Königberger's site. They started the building of the church in 1702 as a copy of the Church of the Gesu in Rome.

The construction came to a halt when in 1703 when the town was occupied by the anti-Habsburg troops of Francis II Rákóczi. The building resumed in 1709 and on 24 September 1715 the church of St. Francis Xavier was consecrated. At that time, the church was a baroque building with a single nave and six chapels. The façade lacked a tower. In 1773 the Jesuits had to leave the church when in July 1773 the Order was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV. The cathedral has been the seat of the Diocese of Banská Bystrica since 1776.

The two onion-shaped towers were added in 1844 during an extensive rebuilding. The nave of the church and the side galleries were lengthened and a consistory was added to the church.

Another modification was performed in 1880. The towers were rearranged and a romantic balustrade was added. In the 1970s the interior was refurbished and, together with the façade, was painted. The exterior was renovated in 1999. In 2003 a new pipe organ was installed.^[42]

Castle in Muráň, Slovakia. Muráň Castle, is a ruin of a medieval castle above the village of Muráň, in the Muránska planina National Park in Slovakia. The castle is noteworthy for its unusually high elevation of 935 m, making it the third highest castle in Slovakia. It also figures in several romantic legends about its owners. Murány Castle was built in the 13th century on a cliff overlooking a regional trade route. Its name was mentioned for the first time in 1271, when Stephen V of Hungary ceded the castle to Gunig comes.

One of its owners, the robber baron Mátyás Basó (or Bacsó, in Slovak: Matúš Bašo), transformed the castle into a stronghold of bandits who robbed merchants and looted villages. After a siege by the royal army, the castle fell in 1548 and Basó was executed. One of the oldest Slovak songs, "The Song About The Castle of Muráň", written by Martin Bošňák describes this battle.

Another owner was Mária Széchy, better known as "The Venus of Murány". This independent woman divorced her second husband to marry the love of her life, magnate Ferenc Wesselényi, the subsequent Palatine of Hungary. When Wesselényi was besieging Murány Castle, which was occupied by her relatives at the time, she managed to get his soldiers inside through trickery. In 1666, Wesselényi organized a failed coup against Leopold I, but he died before any major confrontation. Subsequently, Mária Széchy bravely led a defense of the castle against imperial troops. Outnumbered, she eventually surrendered to Charles of Lorraine in 1670.

After the Treaty of Szatmár, the importance of the castle declined, as did its general condition. It was damaged twice in the 18th century by fire, in 1702 and in 1760.

The area was part of Gömör, then Gömör és Kishont County of Hungary. In 1920, under the terms of the Treaty of Trianon it became part of the newly formed Czechoslovakia.^[43]

Evangelical church in Kežmarok, Slovakia. The Wooden articular church in Kežmarok is a wooden church in Kežmarok, Slovakia. The local Lutherans built it during a period of religious persecution, when they were allowed to erect only wooden churches. That is why even nails were made exclusively of wood. The construction was financially supported by Protestants from various countries, including Sweden and Denmark.

The only stone part of the church is its sacristy, originally built in 1593 as a pub outside the city walls. In the 17th century, the Roman Catholic dynasty of Habsburgs persecuted Protestantism in the Habsburg monarchy, which included territory of present Slovakia at that time. The number of churches was limited to one in each free royal town, Kežmarok being one of them. The construction material had to be the cheapest possible (wood at that time) and a church had to be completed in 365 days. Furthermore, the site of a new Protestant church had to be chosen by a royal commission. In Kežmarok, a royal commission deliberately chose an ancient pub as a place of worship, in order to humiliate the local Protestant community. The pub was subsequently incorporated into a hastily constructed religious building as a sacristy.

The oldest parts are an epitaph from 1688 and a Renaissance baptistery from 1690. They are the only remaining parts of the first church. The second wooden church, erected in the Baroque style in 1717, completely replaced the first building. It has the shape of an equal-armed Greek cross. The space can accommodate 1,541 worshipers. According to a legend, circular windows were made by Swedish sailors contributing to the construction. The organ, completed in 1729, is known for its perfect sound despite having only wooden pipes.

The church has been protected by the state as an important historical monument since 1892. In 1985, the Slovak National Council (parliament) proclaimed it a National Historical Monument. An expensive reconstruction followed in the 1990s.

The church is one of only five Lutheran wooden churches remaining in Slovakia. The others are situated in Hronsek, Istebné, Leštiny, and Svätý Kríž near Liptovská Mara.^[45]

Museum. The Old Town Hall in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Levoča was originally built in the 15th century, and stands in the town's main square.

The original gothic building was destroyed in 1550 during a fire which ravaged the town, and only fragments of the original walls were preserved. It was further damaged by a fire in 1599. The town hall in its existing form was built in 1615 in a Renaissance style, with arcades on the ground and first floors, and a belfry was added in 1656–61. Wall-paintings on the southern facade represent the virtues of moderation, care, bravery, patience and justice. The whole was later reconstructed in 1893–95.

The building is now maintained by the Spiš Museum, Levoča a department of the Slovak National Museum. It contains the original town council chamber and a variety of exhibits relating to the town's history, including a popular 19th-century painting of the "White Lady", Juliana Géciová-Korponaiová, (1680-1714) who according to (inaccurate) legend betrayed the town to troops of the Austrian Empire in the early 18th century.^[47]

Educational institution. The Slovenská národná knižnica is a modern scientific, cultural, information and educational institution that serves all citizens of Slovakia and users from abroad. Slovak National Library is conservation and depositary library of Slovakia. SNL preferably collects, professionally processes, stores, protects and makes accessible domestic and foreign Slavic documents. Funds and collections of the Slovak National Library contain 4.9 million library items, 1.7 million archive documents and thousands of museum units.

Part of the SNL are also museums. Literary Museum collects objects related to Slovak literature, on which it presents a historical development of Slovak literature. Museum is also involved in presentation of the National Cemetery, gallery of graves of outstanding personalities from Slovak cultural, scientific and national life. Slavic Museum of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, located in manor-house of Pushkin family in Brodzany, dedicated to one of the greatest Russian poets, documents literary relations between Slovak and Slavic literatures. SNL also manages the historical library of the Apponyi family, located in Oponice castle.

Slovak National Library coordinated the development of the library system of the Slovak republic and provides modernization of library and information services. SNL directly cooperates with slovak and foreign institutions on international projects solutions. In 2010 the SNL became a solver of national project Digital Library and Digital Archive (DIKDA) co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Through the DIKDA project SNL makes public digitized works from its collections.^[49]

Basilica in Trnava, Slovakia. Saint Nicolas Church is a Gothic cathedral in Trnava, Slovakia. It was built between 1380 and 1421. The church is 60m long, 31 m wide, its sanctuary was 17,3m and the nave 18m high. The architecturally homogeneous Gothic basilica type temple, whose nave is nearby twice as high as the aisles, bears marks of the Danube style. The sanctuary of this massive brick structure faces east. Buttresses supporting the high walls alternate with Gothic windows decorated with original stone traceries. The largest Gothic window, adorned with rich traceries and stained glass, is at the church front.

Romanian-Hungarian humanist and scholar Nicolaus Olahus (Nicholas, the Vlach) and Croatian cardinal, diplomat and writer Antun Vrančić are buried in the church.^[50]