Slovakia Road Trip: Bratislava Airport to High Tatras
This 472 km route across Slovakia runs from Bratislava Airport east to Košice, then to the medieval town of Bardejov, Spiš Castle, and finally the Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras in the mountains. It covers the country's capital, its second-largest city, a UNESCO-listed historic centre, and a major castle complex in about 17 minutes of driving time.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Bratislava Airport
- End
- Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras
- Stops
- 6
- Video author
- Project Time Off
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Bratislava Airport — Start of the second day, where the couple rent a car.
- Košice — Slovakia's second largest city in eastern Slovakia, reached by driving east across the country.
- St. Elizabeth Cathedral — Described as the easternmost Gothic church in Europe.
- Bardejov Town Historic Centre — Described as the best preserved medieval town in Europe and a UNESCO site.
- Spiš Castle — Large castle rising above the hills of eastern Slovakia, once guarding the northern frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary.
- Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras — Mountain hotel where the couple stay in Slovakia's highest mountains.
Useful for your trip
- Transport
- Bratislava is small: the old town can be seen in about 2–3 hours, per the video.
- Transport
- Rent a car at Bratislava Airport to drive east across the country toward Košice, Slovakia's second largest city.
- Tip
- Košice has one of Europe's longest pedestrian streets, Hlavná ulica (main street), which is good for an easy walk.
- Tip
- St. Elizabeth Cathedral in Košice is described as the easternmost Gothic church in Europe; it took about 100 years to build.
- Timing
- Bardejov is described as a quiet, uncrowded UNESCO-listed medieval town; the video visited on a weekday afternoon and found few crowds.
- Transport
- Spiš Castle: park well away from the castle and walk up; the climb is windy and steep, and is hard with a stroller or baby.
- Tip
- Spiš Castle had very few tourists during the visit, so it felt nearly empty.
- Where to stay
- Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras is a renovated 18th-century former hunting lodge in the High Tatras with mountain views from the rooms.
- Tip
- The High Tatras are cold even in summer; bring warm clothing for mountain areas.
- Tip
- Štrbské Pleso, a glacial mountain lake in the High Tatras, is a scenic stop reachable on a mountain day trip.
Video on this route
We Travelled to the Most Underrated Country in Europe | 4K