In a place along the Podunajska area in Povazie and the Smaller Carpathians is Cachtice. It’s a lovely village around 7 km away from Nove Mesto nad Vahom with a population of over 3500.
First mention of Cachtice is about 1248 during the reign of King Bela IV. It became recognized as a town in 1392, but it’s real charm comes from its history. Cachtice is best known as the place where Cachtice Castle is.
Here in this remote castle, Elisabeth Bathory, who was a Countess is the center of a legend that has her murdering hundreds of young women. However, she is also known for her help in the enactment of Slovak literary.
Aside from visiting the Cachtice Castle, there is a small museum that is also worth a look which will give you a clear view of the history of this quaint village.
Spissky Hrad
This is one of the must see in Slovakia, and even in Europe. It is awesome in its splendor as being on the biggest castles in Central Europe. The legend of this castle is equally intense in its romance.
The story goes that two twin brothers were fighting over the love of a girl from the area who was only known as Zorica. One of the brothers built the castle as a monument of his love for Zorica. These two brothers, Bystron and Dragovit were given the task of building castles on separate rocky hills but in the same valley.
Zorica fell for Bystron and accepted his proposal for marriage. Not willing to be the loser, Dragovit managed to convince Zorica to choose him instead, which she agreed. In his anger, Bystron set his brother’s castle on fire hoping to kill them, but only succeeding in driving them away from the area forever. In his rage and monumental loss, Bystron spent most of his time creating the huge castle.
This legend attracts more tourists than the what history will reveal about the mighty Spis castle. Nevertheless, it is a testimony to the incredible craftsmanship and endurance of Slovaks. Today, it is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and its magnificence is hard to describe. You must see it in all its ruined beauty.
High Tatras
If you enjoy skiing, this is definitely a place you would want to go to. This is one of the smallest mountain ranges in the world. Just going there is an adventure on its own.
High Tatras may not be as commercial as the Alps, but then neither is it priced as high. In fact you could enjoy a fairly decent budget vacation here in this part of Slovakia. Not many people come here so the route to the slopes may be a little less modern. However, once you get there, the view is amazing!
There are two spots you can try visiting, weather permitting. These are Starý Smokovek and Štrbské Pleso. You may want to bring some snacks from a nearby city since these areas are a little bit off the beaten track.
