Slovakia is a worthy European destination without the crowds

Spis Castle a vast, 13th century structure that is now a UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest in Central Europe. (Erica Rosenberg)

uk canada goose outlet I always search for the road less touristed. Yet it was not without trepidation canada goose black friday sale that I drove with my spouse across the Hungarian plain from Budapest into Kosice, Slovakia’s second largest city. As the industrial outskirts gave way to a skyline canada goose clearance dominated by Communist era block apartment buildings, I grew convinced that I had made a terrible vacation choice. uk canada goose outlet

Canada Goose Outlet The windowless entrance to our pension on a grimy block was equally discouraging. The room was unremarkable, with modular furniture that transformed twin beds into a double, but left metal bars protruding from the walls. When I reported to the concierge that our refrigerator was not working, she answered, cheap Canada Goose “Most of them don’t.” Canada Goose Outlet

canada goose clearance sale I couldn’t say I hadn’t been warned. A Europe savvy friend advised me to skip Slovakia and head to Krakow. A 2015 DK Guide to Eastern and Central Europe describes Slovakia as “a relatively little known country, with few visitors,” and Lonely Planet devotes more than half of the thin coverage in its six year old Czech/Slovak guidebook to Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava. Only about 40,000 American tourists visit Slovakia each year, while its more illustrious neighbor and bordermate, the Czech Republic, draws hundreds of thousands. The majority of those who visit probably only stop in Bratislava en route to Vienna or Budapest. canada goose clearance sale

canada goose black friday sale [Lucky 13: The unsung arrondissement you need to visit in Paris] canada goose black friday sale

canadian goose jacket Early morning bikers on Kosice’s main street, Hlavna Ulica. The cafe terraces that line the street are bustling most other times of the day. (Erica Rosenberg) canadian goose jacket

buy canada goose jacket cheap Nevertheless, I canada goose deals had opted to bypass the relatively more touristed Bratislava and Western Slovakia to head http://www.mycanadagoosejacket.org for Eastern Slovakia where I arrived despondent. buy canada goose jacket cheap

canada goose coats on sale But just around the corner, down a graffiti defaced block with a single cafe, stood a stunning and massive Gothic cathedral anchoring the unexpectedly lovely and lively town center. For several car free blocks, Hlavna Ulica (Main Street) Canada Goose online was lined with dramatic monuments including its Canada Goose Outlet Baroque Plague Column, erected in 1722 to offer thanks for the plague’s end fountains, shops and buildings from the 13th to the 19th century. Cafes, serving up chocolate and ice cream treats as delectable and sophisticated as any in Western Europe, and restaurants, predominantly Eastern European but also Indian and Irish, offering permutations of dumplings and meat doused in sour cream and mushroom sauce, bustled with activity. Although the restaurants were typically staffed by tattooed, English speaking waiters, rarely, if at all, did I hear English spoken by the patrons. canada goose coats on sale

buy canada goose jacket Between the cathedral and the Baroque Revival State Theatre, a tree encircled musical fountain played Canada Goose Parka “Yesterday” and other familiar tunes; Canada Goose sale after sunset, colored lights illuminated jets of water pulsing to the music while families with gelato cones strolled by. canada goose store Climbing the cathedral’s steep, cramped stone spiral staircase afforded a bird’s eye view of the mosaic roof and the happenings below; one day, the plaza at the foot of the cathedral hosted buy canada goose jacket a bike stunt competition, the next, a protest of a corrupt official. Just off Hlavna Ulica, the repurposed synagogues were a poignant reminder of Slovakia’s past. As part of the Axis in World War II, it rounded up and deported tens of thousands of Jews, most of whom perished in canada goose coats on sale the Holocaust. buy canada goose jacket

cheap Canada Goose [Norway in the offseason: Overcast and underappreciated] cheap Canada Goose

canada goose uk shop Kosice exceeded my modest expectations, but Levoca was a small scale medieval marvel by any standard. Two hours to the northeast, through increasingly pleasant countryside, Levoca makes a great base for exploring castles and national parks. Founded in 1249, this walled town of 14,500 people has an intact center canada goose coats of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance structures painted in pastels. canada goose uk shop

canada goose In the town square sits a circa 1550 Gothic town hall and the St. James’s Church, with an altar carved by Levoca’s famous (well, relatively) native son, Master Pavol. A 16th century wrought iron cage of shame for unlucky locals also sits in the square. canada goose

Canada Goose sale Colorful umbrellas are creatively suspended over an arcade in Kosice’s center, a medieval downtown with modern touches. (Erica Rosenberg) Canada Goose sale

canada goose coats Despite its iconic status in Slovakia, you’ve probably never heard of Spis Castle. A 20 minute drive east of Levoca, the sprawling ruins of one of buy canada goose jacket cheap Central Europe’s largest fortresses a UNESCO World Heritage site first appeared in the distance as a mysterious white smudge in the lush hills. Gradually, the walls and ruins perched on a ridge became discernible. The castle, parts of which date from the 11th century and which housed 2,000 people in the 17th century, overlooks multihued fields, red roofed villages and rolling hills with a backdrop of snowy mountain ranges. Traipsing around the 10 acres of atmospheric ruins and taking in the views can take several hours. canada goose coats

Canada Goose online Nearby national parks, although not exactly untrammeled wildernesses, showcase Slovakia’s significant natural assets. Swarming with local hikers, Slovak Paradise National Park (also called Slovensky raj) is loaded with user friendly amenities and covered with signage and hiker assists. We did the popular Sucha Bela trail, which follows a stream and waterfalls via hair raising gorge side catwalks and metal ladders. Acrophobics, beware. As I nervously waited in a line of 50 or so people to climb the first intimidating 90 foot ladder, mere inches from a waterfall, Canada Goose Jackets I watched fearless 5 year olds and dog toting adults scampering up. This was my last chance to turn back: Heading the wrong way on the trail henceforth could incur fines. Canada Goose online

[In Portugal’s mountains, an ecotourist haven rises from abandoned stone villages]

uk canada goose canada goose outlet I somehow mustered the courage to continue. After several hours of hoisting myself up on chains and praying that the ladder rungs would hold, I emerged at the top of the canyon where, to my delight, mountain bikes awaited. For about $10, you could rattle down the mountain on squeaky braked, rusty bikes and be back at the base in no time to enjoy a fried dough snack at any of the park’s several cafes. uk canada goose

canada goose clearance Thirty minutes northwest of Levoca, the ski resort town and former Soviet playground of Stary Smokovec serves as a gateway to hikes in the rugged, Alp like mountains of Tatra National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. For less ambitious hikers, a funicular railroad delivers you (and hordes of others) to a closer base to canada goose access delightful walks to waterfalls and into the mountains. canada goose clearance

canada goose store Climbing the tower stairs of St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral in Kosice rewards visitors with canadian goose jacket views of the city’s architecture, ranging from 12th century structures to Communist era high rises. (Erica Rosenberg) canada goose store

Canada Goose Online And the best was yet to come. Pushing southeast to complete the Slovak circuit, we arrived in canada goose clearance sale Banska Stiavnica. (Not to be confused with Banska Bystrica, which is rumored to be worthy of a visit and unlike Banska Stiavnica, made it into DK’s guidebook.) It is a perfectly preserved medieval town whose main street winds its way up to the cobblestoned town center, Trinity Square, and whose charms, culture and food rival those of any Italian hill town. Canada Goose Online

cheap canada goose uk Set in a valley, it has two small scale castles on either side the 13th century “old castle” and the 16th century “new castle” both with panoramic views. The town celebrates its mining history with museums. Because our pension was built over a mini mine museum of its own, we skipped them. But we did take in an organ concert of Bach compositions in a 15th century church and a medieval festival that fittingly took over the town square, complete with armored knights, blacksmiths, stilt walkers and makers of chocolates and dumplings, all of them dressed in period garb. cheap canada goose uk

canada goose factory sale Medieval towns, natural beauty, cultural riches, magnificent castles, great food, a thriving cafe culture all at affordable prices and with no tourist crowds. Maybe it’s time those guidebooks got an overhaul canada goose factory sale.