Slovakia Castles & Lakes

Friday 13 July

We leave the campsite and head to the border to Slovakia. We’ve got some Hungarian money left so the intention is to get some fuel before we leave the country, but this didn’t happen, trying to find the cheapest we ran out of garages, we’ll have to change it at one of the currency bureaus instead.

We get to the border and there’s no one here, no one to make sure we’ve left Hungary and not a sole to welcome us into Slovakia.

We’re driving along the motorway, chatting having a good look at the scenery when we see a huge lorry tyre in our lane quickly creeping up on us a few seconds of panic we manage to avoid driving into it and hitting anything else in the other lanes as we swerved round to avoid it. This brought home just how easy a serious crash can happen on a very fast motorway.

We head straight to the campsite. It’s got mixed reviews but because we’re in the city we want to be able to leave Eugene and know everything will be secure when we get back. The campsite is Zlate Piesky Campsite in Bratislava it has a cheap rate with our ASCI card of £14 which is a good for a city site. The tram to the old town is just across the road and tickets only 90c each one way.

We manage to purchase tram tickets and head to the city.

We let our rumbling bellies rule our pockets and entered the first restaurant we came to, a Scottish pub, 32 euros later!! we head off in search of the Free Walking Tour.

Our group was a mixed bunch with the 2.5 hour tour being conducted in English by our English speaking Slovakian guide Marek. In the Old Town most buildings are well preserved and geared towards attracting tourists and there were loads of them around. The old town has many palaces which are now museums and galleries.

There are loads of cafes and cool eating places, you can’t possibly go wrong choosing where to eat, except us, I just wish we’d looked a bit further before rushing to the Scottish Pub. The walk up to the Castle gave a great view of the entire city and the River Danube.

After the tour we wondered around the city and had a few drinks before heading back to the campsite. We’re glad we didn’t miss the opportunity to visit Bratislava although it’s very small for a capital city it has charm and well worth a look.

Saturday 14 July

We get to Devin Castle and struggle to find somewhere to park our big boy without our arse being in the road. After a few twists and turns we settle on the grass verge and hope we don’t get blocked in by the idiots that seem to be parking nearby at all angles.

We appear to have arrived in the middle of some sort of food and wine festival which is great. Loads of stalls selling traditional food, craft beer and some delicious black currant wine.

For our lunch we opt for a potato & cabbage deep fried rosti type thing smothered in garlic and cheese, it was very tasty if not little greasy and for dessert a Belgium waffle layered with caramel and cream, delicious. I purchased myself a litre of black current wine which tastes a bit like cordial.

We get up to Devin castle gates just before midday, an hour later and the ticket desk would have been closed for lunch, the place is packed and they close for lunch!! 10 euros for the two of us not bad. It’s really hot today nearly 30 degrees and there’s very little shade on the incline up-to the castle. The castle has fantastic views with Austria just the other side of the Danube River.

Back in the carpark some idiot has parked so close I wonder if we’ll be able to get out but Keith expertly manoeuvres Eugene and we’re on our way.

We head to the lake at Velky Beil, it’s beautiful and being the weekend it’s busy. We find somewhere to park beside the lake that’s not in anyone’s way and settle down for the rest of the afternoon. After a lovely swim in the lake we pop over to the cafe for a cheap beer and watch the locals swimming and SUP boarding, it’s got a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

Everyone disappears about 9pm then the fishermen arrive with a kit load of gadgets including rod alarms which beep every time they get a bite on the line, and that is the only sound we can hear for the next few hours.

Sunday 15 July

We had a very quite night although you can hear the train which runs past on the other side of the lake, but compared to some noises we’ve had in the night we can cope with this and sleep though it.

We’re up early and get in a swim before the crowds appear. It’s about 28 degrees this morning and there’s little shade along this lake. We take a wonder into the town about 15 minutes away to get some bread and a few other essentials. It’s a very sleepy quiet town and we see only a hand full of people. We get back to Eugene and can hear an alarm initially we thought it was the fishing rod alarm from the fisherman sitting just below us, but when we open the habitation door it’s our blady carbon monoxide alarm again!! We really do need to get this seen too.

Keith blows out the flue on the back of the fridge again and we search the Internet for a dometic service agent, but there doesn’t appear to be one in Slovakia. We’ll just have to keep our eyes open for a motorhome dealer when we’re driving and see if they can point us in the right direction.

We spend the afternoon chilling under the only tree near us until about 5pm when a fisherman asks us to move off the grass so he can get to his fishing spot! We decide to leave and head further north.

Our free spot for the night is in the carpark at Cerveny Kamen Castle. The gates are locked at 8pm and opened again at 7am.

We get to the castle just after 6pm and take walk around the grounds for free. The castle is considered the most beautiful in the Small Carpathians and one of the best preserved castles in Slovakia. It’s famous for the setting in moves such as Dragon Heart. For us it didn’t represent what a castle looks like, it’s more like a very posh fortified residence.

Monday 16 July

We’re up early again, don’t know what’s going on we don’t usually wake up before 9am but this morning we’re all done and heading out the gate by 9.15am.

Today we wanted to go into Trnava, but unfortunately we couldn’t find anywhere to park other than Lidli, so a quick shop and we’re off again.

We find a beautiful lake near Horna Steda. We find a spot and spend the afternoon chilling in and around the lake. It’s really hot but we can hear the thunder in the distance and it’s getting closer as the sky darkens. We make a run for Eugene whilst it pours down for 10 minutes, sunshine back, back out and chill.

By 8pm everyone has left apart from a small group of lads who have been quite loud during the day. One of the comes over to us for a chat, his English is limited but we have a very funny conversation with him and he teaches us a few Slovakian words. He tells us him and his friends are good boys they are chillin out with alcohol and a bit of weed. I ask if they are cooking on the fire they have made, he’s really confused “no, no, no lady only weed, no cocaine.

Tuesday 17 July

The boys party right though the night and we’re up at the crack of dawn, well nearly 7.30am. After a quick cuppa we get in the lake for a morning swim and a wash it’s lovely hardly anyone around apart from the boys who appear to be sleeping it off, so now it’s peaceful.

After breakfast we decide to give Eugene a long awaited wash, he is absolutely fifthly and we can’t remember the last time we gave him a wash it must be at least a couple of months ago and every time we wash him it rains.

Today we’re going to Trencin which is north-east of Bratislava to look around Trencin Castle. We find somewhere suitable to park at the sports centre, get the pushangs out and head into the town. The climb up to the castle is a bit of a hike with quite a few steps, so we take our time and take in the views of the city along the way. The castle dates back to the 11th century and is the centre piece of the town and it’s a lovely castle, we liked this one.

We get back to Eugene just as the heavens open so we decide to leave and look for somewhere to park for the night. Our first stop wasn’t suitable so we pressed on for another 40 minutes to a carpark near L’uboocina. It’s has a lake, which looks more like a disused quarry and is the home of the local swimming club. There are signs around saying no camping and no swimming. We ignore the signs for no camping as long as we’re parked and don’t have any camping stuff out we’re not doing anything wrong.

It’s still chucking it down but that doesn’t stop the hordes of people arriving and taking a dip in the lake. The police arrive and drive in and out a couple of times during the night but don’t seem to be bothered that we are here or the swimmers in the lake.

Wednesday 18 July

It absolutely poured with rain all night and it’s still pouring now. We are in the valley between the Small and the High Tatras Mountains and all around us we can see the clouds below the mountain tops. The temperature has dropped to 16 degrees and overnight it was 8 degrees.

We decide we’re going to do a cave today because it’s raining. We arrive at Demanova Freedom Cave and the carpark is packed. The guardian shows us to a space out the way of everyone. We’re just about to head to the cave when the guardian gives us the ticket for the parking a hefty 10 euros, we nearly tell him to bugger off but it’s taken us 15 minutes to get our wet weather gear on.

We take a hike to the entrance of the cave and pay the 16 euros for the two of us. The tour is an hour long and conducted only in Slovakian, there must be at least 50 people in the group including very small kids who end up crying for most of the tour.

Initially we weren’t that impressed with the cave but 15 minutes in we completely changed our minds. The cave descends down to 120 metres and is a cool 6 degrees. The cave is 1400 metres long with an underground river flowing at the bottom and small lagoons dotted around, it’s really impressive.

We leave the cave and it’s still hammering it down.

Our next stop is Liptovska Mara Lake. There’s a few fisherman here and a few people brave the rain to visit the church in the carpark. The rain just won’t let up.

Thursday 19 July

We had a quite night expect for the continued rain. Just as we’re getting up the carbon monoxide alarm goes off again, we are totally fed up of this now. Keith’s next fix is to take the fridge out so he can take the flue apart and clean it. An hour of pulling, pushing and shoving the fridge is out and back in, hopefully this will see us through the next week or so, fingers crossed.

We need to find a water source, we topped up in Bratislava on Saturday and haven’t been able to find any since, this means we last had a shower on Saturday! We have washed in the lake so we’re not that smelly really. Keith finds water source in Lovoka, on one of the apps that we’re using so we head there.

We get to the GPS points for the water source and it turns out to be a fire hydrant, bugger.

We park up for free below the medieval town walls at Lovoca and walk into the town. Our first stop is the telephone shop for a SIM card because ours is running out. The lad serving us speaks English he tells us the city is getting ready for a weekend of celebration starting tomorrow, and we can see the huge trucks setting up a stage and beer tents. We ask him about a water source/fountain. He tells us there is a water source just along the road and puts the GPS points in Keith’s phone.

We take a walk and find the water source opposite the fire hydrant we were at earlier, doh. We get Eugene drive round to the water source fill up, back to the carpark, shower and head into town.

Lovoca is one of the few Slovakian towns to have its ancient defenses still intact.

The high medieval walls surround the old town buildings and cobblestone alleyways. The old town being a UNESCO site.

In the centre of the town is the ‘cage of shame’ where naughty boys and girls were publicly shamed.

Friday 20 July

Its still raining, its been nearly 48 hours non stop and we’re fed up with it.

We’re up early, fill up with water again and head off to find a laundry.  We’ve got a weeks washing and some of it has been soaking wet for nearly 4 days, so it desperately needs doing.  We find one 8km away and head off.  When we get there we find its a commercial laundry and they don’t do public washing.  But the very nice man there says he can do it for us wash & dry in 2 hours.  So we spend the next 2 hours wandering around the shopping mall.

Next we head to Spis Castle.  The ruins of this beautiful castle is one of the largest castles sites in central europe.  It sits high on the hill and can be seen for miles.

We manage to get a spot in the carpark with is really busy, and we have our lunch whilst the rain decides if its going to stop.  An hour later, the rain has stopped, sun is out and its back up to 26 degrees.

We spend nearly 3 hours walking around this castle which is absolutely beautiful and its one of our favorites so far.

We move from the carpark to the carpark down in the town.  There’s a 24 hour car wash in the carpark and the boys and their expensive high performance cars come and go revving engines and showing off until 11pm when its nice and peaceful.  We have a good nights sleep.

Saturday 21st July

We take a walk around the town before leaving for our next stop in the High Tatra Mountains.

Our intention is to spend the night at the carpark at the bottom of the Ski lift at Vysoke Tatry but the roads all around and the car park were chock a block with cars, you’d be lucky to find a space for a motorbike let alone 7.5 metres.

We’ve been talking about going to Poland this week because they have a motorhome service dealership and they do Dometic fridges, so we decide to leave Slovakia earlier than planned and head to Poland instead.

The drive through the High Tatras Mountains was breathtaking.

Slovakia has been much more expensive than we had anticipated, they use the Euro and most things are not any cheaper than the UK or other parts of Europe.  Fuel is cheaper about 1.20 a litre, but food shopping is expensive.  We’ve paid over 8 euros each to get into the castles and caves and a whopping 9 euros for parking.  9 days in Slovakia and we only used 1 campsite and just as well because our spending was £49 per day.

We liked Slovakia, loved swimming in the lakes and really enjoyed visiting the castles.

Thanks for coming along on our trip and I hope you enjoy this post.

A la Perchoine

Shirena & Keith

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