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INTRODUCTION BE SPONTANEOUS

Welcome to our farm in beautiful Modrý Kameň, Slovakia. We are Yvon and Sabine! From spring 2019, holiday cottages will be available to you and your family.

In addition to the tranquility of our holiday farm, the village offers quite a wide variety of suitable family activities for our guests, from swimming pool, to lake, to castle and hiking trails. Please read more about your options in Modrý Kameň on our website. Slovakia is a beautiful country. Its magnificent mountains, meadows, folklore, and history, speak powerfully to the romantic, to the mystical, and to the adventurous soul.

In this brochure, we offer sightseeing and leisure tips that are worth your time. Our selection are personal favourites that will satisfy history buffs, nature lovers, and travellers with a thirst for adventure. We have included links, and directions from our village.

We wish you safe travels and a fun, memorable stay in Slovakia! Yvon & Sabine

Photo Modrý Kameň by Sabine/NaturalSlovakia.com Cover photo pixabay.com 3

THE MYSTICAL CAVES Slovakia’s mountain ranges house hundreds of caves and caverns. Thirty of them are open to the public. Most of the caves boast beautiful formations of stalagmites (below) and stalactites (above.) Before visiting a cave, we recommend you check the Slovak Caves Administration for all current access information. Five were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Dobšinská Ice Cave - Directions Domica Cave - Directions Gombasek Cave - Directions Jasovská Cave - Directions Ochtinská Aragonite Cave - Directions Other caves open to the public include Belianska Cave, Demänovská Cave of Liberty, Demänovská Ice Cave or Bystrianska Cave.

A personal favourite is located only 85km from our farm. The Harmanecká jaskyňa ice cave used to provide shelter for locals in inclement weather. Since 1950, 2.7km of cave corridors have been discovered, of which over 1km is open to the public. To reach the cave via a path from the car park, requires a 50 minute walk with an altitude difference of some 250 meters. Travel directions here.

Photo above by Juloml (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons By Jojo, en:Jojo_1, pl:Jojo (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons 4

HISTORY CASTLES To list all of Slovakia’s castles here, would be impossible. There are hundreds in various styles of architecture, building materials, state of ruin, and of course… beauty. Some are so unique that we listed them under the folklore section of this travel guide. Castle at 151km – directions – opening hours Built on a rock 540meters high above the Orava river, the castle has seen many incarnations through the centuries, ending in its current neo-gothic and renaissance building style. Castle at 111km – directions – opening hours One of the loveliest in Slovakia and perfect for a daylong city-trip in combination with exploring the castle. Kremnica at 74km – directions – opening hours Kremnica is a fortified, medieval village built atop the historical gold ore mines of Slovakia. Visit the village, castle, and beautiful church. Castle at 51km - directions – opening hours Inspired by 14th century Italian renaissance architecture. Combine with any one of these city visits Banská Štiavnica at 55km directions – see more info here This Unesco village, quite uniquely, has two castles: the old and the new. Noteworthy for the true castle enthusiast who doesn’t mind the L E A R N M O R E drive, it might be interesting to visit Spiš Castle, which in square meters of castle and grounds combined, is the largest in Europe. Closed in winter.

Photo pixabay.com 5 High Tatras

Slovak Karst Slovensky Raj

Nízke Tatry Muranska Veľká Fatra Planina Malá Fatra

Pieniny Low Tatras More information and GPS coordinates here 6

CULTURE TRADITION Slovak tradition and folklore is rooted in a long heritage of song, dance, embroidery, and costume. That ancestry as well as nature are revered is evident in the many folklore festivals and the preservation of Slovakia’s most interesting treasures. We are listing some noteworthy festivals here, though please research upcoming locations and dates. Folklore festivals May: Bratislava May Festival (concerts on the Danube) June: Bratislava Coronation Festival (medieval) June: Zamagurie Folklore Festival in Červený kláštor June: Euro Folk Abov Folklore Festival in Rozhanovce June: Bratislava Viva Musica! Festival (Classical, jazz & world music) June/July: Východná Folklore Festival in Myjava (craft market, folk dancing) July: Folklórne slávnosti pod Poľanou (song, dance and crafts) July/August: Jánošíkove dni (new folklore music traditions, crafts) August: Zemplín Festival in Michalovce (singing, performing, food) September: Salamander Days (celebrating miner’s traditions) October: Gaštanové slávnosti in Modrý Kameň (craft market, music, activities) Architecture: Hronsek, a wooden castle Directions from Modrý Kameň (67km) Unesco Village Čičmany with its charming wooden folk houses Directions from Modrý Kameň (142km) To complete the feast for your senses, see also our list of delicious traditional Slovak food here.

Photo Pixabay.com CITY VISITS 7 Banská Bystrica

Situated in the picturesque river valley at just 74km drive from our farm, Banská Bystrica is a lovely city for a daytrip. There are restaurants, cafes, museums, and theaters, including the State Opera. Popular with locals and tourists alike, it draws crowds in summer and winter because of the city’s easy access, well-marked hiking trails, and its proximity to ski resorts. There are also many shopping opportunities, including two large shopping centers.

This city visit is perfect to combine with our suggestion below, and perhaps in between.

By GSouthFace - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3250829

Banská Štiavnica

Considered the most beautiful city of Slovakia, Banská Štiavnica is a 55km drive from our farm. Medieval, with charming architecture and cobblestones, this town of 10,000 inhabitants was proclaimed a Unesco World Heritage site in 1993. As a former location for silver ore mining, there are museums dedicated to the history of this activity.

Geographically located in the basin of an ancient volcano, wrapped in magical serenity with narrow, tiered streets, this town is perfect for the artistic and the romantic soul. More information here.

Both cities are also near fantasy theme park Habakuky.

Photo: pixabay.com 8

SPORTS ADVENTURE In addition to the many national parks with opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, climbing etc., there are many (larger) ski resorts within an hour’s drive from the farm, and the Slovakian day-ski-passes are very affordable. Slovakia offers a slew of sporting activities at any experience or age level. The adventurous soul is front and center in our adopted country! • Skiing with 126 resorts General Info • Banská Bystrica Donovaly 99km. Directions • Horseback riding and tours • Litava 26km info • Aqua parks and thermal pools General info • Besenova spa at 131km • near Modrý Kameň • Mountain biking Interactive Map • Fishing: unless you are a member of the Slovak Fishing Association (Slovensky rybarsky zvaz), please obtain a fishing license at a local fishing shop. • Fly-fishing areas • Slovakia fishing program • Ballooning companies info here (they can come to you) • Paragliding site info with live weather updates • Theme parks: Habakuky 98km. Directions and Tatrapolis World of miniatures Directions • Picturesque hiking and waterfalls at 75km info

Photo By Pudelek (Marcin Szala) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons TRADITIONAL FOOD 9 SLOVAK DISHES Bryndzové Halušky – fried potato dumplings, sheep cheese (Bryndza) and bacon is considered the national dish here, but there is much more to enjoy! SOUPS Kapustnica – soup made of sour cabbage and smoked pork sausage Fazuľová polievka – bean soup with root vegetables Cesnaková polievka – with potatoes in chicken broth Guláš – Goulash soup, a world-wide favourite STAPLES Zemiakové placky – potato pancakes fried in oil with garlic and flour (like rösti) Granadír – pasta with potato Vyprážaný syr – breaded and fried cheese Bravčový rezeň – pork schnitzel as we all know and love Lokše – potato pancake OTHER SPECIALTIES Traditional cheeses: bryndza, alsoparenica, ostiepok, korbacik Treska v majoneze – cod/mayo/vegetable salad Valašský trdelník – Wives hollow cake Jaternica – blood sausage Klobasa – sausage (smoked or dried) SWEETS Palacinky – pancakes Dolky – small, thick pancakes (like American pancakes) Ryzovy nákyp – sweet rice pudding Zemlovka – sweet white-bread Parene buchty – steamed dumplings filled with jam, with sweet toping Siroke rezance – pasta with poppy seed Perky – Jam-filled pasta with a sweet topping Sisky – fried dumplings with jam

Photo pixabay.com 10

Pardon our building site! We are working hard to restore our lovely farm in Slovakia and to offer self-catering cottages beginning in May 2019. Please contact us for information about our future accommodations & services, or follow our journey on our blog, Facebook and Instagram.

NATURAL SLOVAKIA/ NATUURLIJK SLOWAKIJE Modrý Kameň, Slovakia

0031 (0)6 23595159 [email protected] NATURALSLOVAKIA.COM Telephone and Whatsapp Send your enquiry via email. More information about our We’ll respond within 24 hrs. location and services in Slovakia.

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