Midway along Slovakia's northern border with Poland and just north of the Kosice region, the Tatry are the highest mountain range of the Carpathian Mountains that stretch across much of Eastern Europe. They're packed with craggy peaks (more than two dozen of which break 2,500m/8,200 ft.); forests of beech and spruce harbouring wildlife including antelope, brown bears, wolves, and lynxes; alpine meadows; impressive caves; more than a hundred spectacular lakes and waterfalls; and charming towns/villages where history and/or folk traditions live on, particularly the likes of Ždiar, Spišská Sobota, and Štôla. Opportunities for hiking, biking, mountain biking, ATVing, wildlife spotting, whitewater rafting, and other outdoor/adventure activities abound, and the main town Poprad (3½ to four hours by road or rail from Bratislava, with plenty of grey Soviet-era concrete but also a nice historical centre full of colourful 18th- and 19th-century buildings) is also a good and well equipped base for some fine skiing and other winter sports.Another major all-season mountain resort, by the way, is Jasná, just under four hours south of here, which our writer, a veteran skier and winter-sport blogger,  says is her favourite among spots in Eastern Europe to hit the slopes.

Read more in our post Slovakia Is an Under-the-radar European Gem.

 vencavolrab