Not to miss

Vysoké Tatry

The Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras) are the only truly alpine mountains in Eastern Europe and one of the smallest high mountain ranges in the world. Narrow rocky crests soar above wide glacial valleys with precipitous walls while the lower slopes are covered by dense coniferous forest.

Enhancing the natural beauty packed into this relatively small area (260 sq km/100 sq mi) are 30 valleys, almost 100 glacial lakes and numerous bubbling streams. A network of 600km (372mi) of hiking trails reaches all the alpine valleys and many peaks.

August and September are the best months for high-altitude hiking; July and August are the warmest and most crowded months. Snow can begin falling as early as September and the higher trails are closed from November to about April, when skiiers flock to the area. The best centre for visitors is Stary Smokovec, a turn-of-the-century resort that is well connected to the rest of the country by road and rail.

Bratislava

Bratislava is Slovakia's largest city and has been the capital since 1969. Here the Carpathian Mountains, which begin at the Iron Gate of Romania, finally come to an end. If travelling by train, you'll see vineyards on the slopes of the Little Carpathians, where they meet the Danube River.

Many beautiful monuments survive in the old town, reminders of its past under Hungarian rule. The city is also home to several surprisingly rich museums. Franz Lizst visited Bratislava 15 times, and the opera productions of the Slovak National Theatre rival anything in Europe.

The old town and the castle are the best parts of Bratislava - the rest of the city is pretty drab. The old town is packed with interesting museums and palaces. Bratislava Castle, built above the Danube, was a frontier post of the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 5th century. Since the 9th century it has been rebuilt several times, most recently by the Communists between 1953 and 1962. Climb up for the great views and to check out the fascinating Museum of Folk Music within. The Slovak National Museum and the Slovak National Gallery on the river are also worth a visit.

Čachtice Castle

In the 17th century a mad Hungarian countess named Alžbeta Báthory (known as Bloody Liz to her mates) tortured and murdered more than 600 peasant women at Čachtice Castle (Čachtice hrad), where she was eventually imprisoned.

Legend has it that she bathed in their blood to keep her skin young, but that's largely been dismissed by scholars. A fire destroyed the castle in 1708 and the ruins aren't much to look at today, but atop castle hill you have great views of the adjacent regional nature reserve and an eerie, lonely feel.

There are no roads directly to the site, so getting there is by train, and travel is a bit tricky to coordinate between the villages and towns, so check return schedules at www.zsr.sk carefully.

Devín Castle

This castle, at the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, was the main Habsburg military bulwark. From here you can look across the river into Austria and south to Hungary just down the way. A small fort was built in the 13th century and a palace was added two centuries later.

The first walled buildings at Devín Castle date from Roman times, remnants of which you can still see.

The precipitous turret mounted atop a spirelike rock is known as the Virgin Tower. Legend has it that a lord of the castle fell in love, and ran off to his castle with a noble lady who shared his sentiment. When her uncle took to arms to get her back, she lept to her death from this perch rather than live without his love (yeah, right).

Frequent festivals are held on the castle grounds, check with Bratislava's information offices. There are several food stands and a hotel at the base.

Spiš Castle

The sprawling ruins of Spišský hrad are the largest in Slovakia, some claim in all of Central Europe. The fortress was first constructed in 1209, wrecked by the Tatars in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 15th century.

Although the castle burnt down in 1780, wandering through the labyrinth of half-height walls you get a good sense of how big the place really was. Few structures remain whole today, but there's a cistern, a chapel and a rectangular Romanesque palace, which holds the museum. Descend to the dungeon to see the meaty bits - it's incredible the torture devices the human mind can think up.

The hilltop views are spectacular, especially in summer when wildflowers cover the fields below. Throughout summer months the castle hosts medieval festivals, which consist mainly of music and mock battles.