Hungary
and Slovakia June/July 2004
20th June. Fly from Birmingham to
Budapest via Schipol (Amsterdam).
Check into the Radio Inn hotel.
BUDAPEST [HUNGARY]
Known as
the Queen of the Danube, Budapest is one of the loveliest cities in Eastern Europe.
It has an amazing variety of architectural styles – Roman fortresses lie next
to still functioning Turkish baths, and Gothic and Baroque structures stand
side by side with stunning Art Nouveau buildings. And through it all flows the
beautiful Danube River, which is the heart of the city and which separates the
old city of ‘Buda’ from the newer commercial area ‘Pest’.
One thing
that you should definitely not miss in Budapest is the stunning Dohany Street
Synagogue. This is the largest synagogue in Europe and is a stunning Byzantine
Moorish style building faced with white and red brick, covered in ceramic tiles
and topped with two onion dome towers. There are also hundreds of churches
including the fabulous St Stephens Basilica and a wide number of museums
covering different areas of Budapest’s historical and cultural heritage.
From the
magnificent Castle Hill and stunning neo-Gothic Matthius Church which crowns
Buda to the unmistakable claret spires and dome of the Pest parliament building
across the river and the fabulous selection of restaurants and cafés serving up
delicious Hungarian food, it is difficult to decide how to spend your time in
Budapest!
24th June. Train from Budapest to
Bratislava, bus to Levoca (Slovakia).
Check into the Hotel Barbaken.
LEVOCA [Slovakia]
This is a
lovely small town, packed full of stunning Renaissance buildings and with an
old city almost entirely surrounded by original fortified walls. The most
impressive building to visit is the old Gothic cathedral that dates back to
1400 and is the second largest in Slovakia. Inside you can see the largest
wooden alter in the world, standing an impressive 19m high.
SPISSKY HRAD
25th June. Day trip from Levocca to
Spissky Hrad (Castle).
The
UNESCO World Heritage listed ruins of Spissky Hrad date back to the early 13th
century. The imposing fortification stands atop a rocky promontory and was once
one of the most important Gothic castles in Europe. It was destroyed by fire in
1780 and thus abandoned until the 1960’s when it was declared a national
monument and opened to the public. There is a small museum inside the castle
and lovely views of the surrounding countryside from the hill.
26th June. Bus from Levoca to Stary
Smokovec. Check into Hotel Smokovec.
STARY SMOKOVEC (1,017m)
Not far
from Poprad, Stary Smokovec is a beautifully situated alpine town. In winter,
the town is a popular ski resort, nestled beneath the slopes with incredible
views of the surrounding mountains. Out of season, the snow melts revealing
lush pine forested scenery all around. The main street offers supermarkets,
shops, restaurants and many wonderful cafés serving delicious cakes.
HIGH TATRAS TREKKING
The High
Tatra Mountains are some of the most impressive (and the highest) in Eastern
Europe, with a dazzling array of jagged peaks, snow covered summits, glacial
lakes and dense pine forest. The entire area is a National Park and is
criss-crossed with walking trails some of which offer truly spectacular views.
Your tour leader will lead an optional trek along these stunning trails amid
thick pine forest and rocky waterfalls.
30th June. Bus from Stary Smokovec to
Bratislava.
BRATISLAVA
Bratislava
is Slovakia’s capital and largest city. Here the Carpathian Mountains, which
stretch 1200km from the Iron Gate of Romania, finally slope down to the Danube.
The Austrian border is almost is almost within sight of the city and Hungary is
just 16km away. Many beautiful monuments survive in the old town to tell of its
past under Hungarian rule, and Bratislava’s numerous museums are surprisingly
rich. The opera productions of the Slovak National Theatre rival anything in
Europe. Bratislava isn’t as swamped by Western tourism as are Budapest and
Prague – yet!