Traveling around Slovakia is a unique experience, especially in Eastern Slovakia where you don’t get the river cruise and tour bus crowds stopping over for a quickie in Bratislava. Travelers in this are had to make an effort to get here: north from Budapest or south from Krakow.
I experienced the lovely city of Kosice (a 2013 European Capital of Culture) and used that as a base, exploring castles, caves, parks, and even a winery.
This video though, is from something I certainly haven’t done anywhere else: riding a wooden boat down a river that separates two countries. Here the Danajec river separates Poland and Slovakia, with a pedestrian bridge allowing the people of both to move across. On the Slovakian side, you board the boat and float an hour and a half through spectacular scenery of cliffs, rock formations, and forest.
There are a few different places to join up and head down the river. I went with Pension Pltnik, which would also be a good place to spend a night or two. Rooms are 26 to 33 euros, or you can pitch a tent outside for 3 per person and use their facilities.
This town by Pieniny National Park not a one-trick pony though. The ?ervený Kláštor monastery is an easy walk just outside of town and you can rent bikes to pedal the whole route the boat does for 4 euros. You can rent horsesAnd naturally there is no shortage of places to down a few Slovak beers and eat some hearty food.
As for location, this area is not far from the High Tatras Mountains, Slovak Paradise National Park (with great hiking trails), and a few castles.
Looks like a fun trip to add to my list when I go there next year. Even if you can’t understand anything the guide is saying.
I took this rafting trip in 2000. Highly recommended.