Basic information about this expedition

1-st day Bratislava • CHKO Záhorie • Záhorská Bystrica • Stupava ( The economic centre of the region Záhorie. ) • Lozorno • Kuchyňa • Rohožník • Plavecké Podhradie ( It lies on the area of "plavecký" karst in the central part of the Small Karpaty with lots of nice valleys and 11 caves. ) • Plavecký Hrad • Plavecký Mikuláš ( In the 11-th and 12-th century the "Plavci"- the guards of the Hungarian borders- lived here. ) • Lakšárska Nová Ves • Borský Mikuláš ( The first written proof of this village comes from 1394. Hutterits, who are known for their Hutterite ceramics, settled here in the 16-th century. ) • Šaštín-Stráže • Senica ( The economic centre of northern Záhorie. ) • Jablonica • Brezová pod Bradlom • Bradlo ( The highest peak of the hilly country Myjavská pahorkatina, wood-less and erosion-modelled rock. There is a monument of Milan Rastislav Štefánik on the top. ) • Vrbové • Piešťany ( Well known bath town where diseases of motional system are cured. There are many exotic kinds of trees and plants, thermal lakes with lotus flowers and a thermal swimming pool Eva on the bath island. ) • Moravany nad Váhom ( Moravian Venus was found here. It is a small statue of a woman engraved into a mammoth tusk approximately from 23,000 B.C, found in 1923. ) • Čachtice ( Hutterits settled here in the 17-th century. It was decided that the middle-slovak dialect would be accepted as a literary language in Slovakia here in 1847. )

2-nd day Nové mesto nad Váhom • Trenčín ( A district town, economic, historical and a cultural centre in Trenčianska valley. Above the town is a castle. At the end of the 13-th century it became the estate of Matúš Čák who reigned over large countries and became "the master of Váh and Tatry." ) • Trenčianske Teplice ( A bath town came into being near warm wells which are mentioned for the first time in 1379. The healing waters are comprised of 5 wells and their temperature is between 36,4 and 40,2 oC. ) • Nová Dubnica ( An original town came into being as a settlement for the workers of a machine factory. ) • Dubnica nad Váhom • Ilava • Vršatecké Podhradie • NPR Vršatecké bradlá ( There is a configuration of the limestone cliffs which are a part of klippen area. ) • Ladce ( Cement mill and lime-kiln have worked here since 1889. ) • Beluša • Považská Bystrica ( The centre of machine industry. There was a big earthquake in 1858. In 1928 machine plants for producing weapons started to be built here, in 1945 changed into Považské závody. ) • Považská Teplá • Bytča • Makov ( A village between Javorníky and the Turzovská vrchovina hills divided into 50 settlements. ) • Turzovka ( The houses with decorated gables are still preserved here. )

3-th day Čadca ( The economic and cultural centre of the Kysuce region. ) • Krásno nad Kysucou • Vychylovka ( In this village is a museum of the kysucký region and one part is a unique section of the former forest railroad, which is the only of this kind in Europe. ) • Kysucké Nové Mesto • Žilina ( A district town from 1997, an important railway junction. It got its own town privileges since 1312. The first organisation of the Evangelic church in Slovakia came into existence here. The great economic development of the town started after finishing the railway line Košice - Bohumín in 1871. ) • Strečno • Hrad Strečno ( Built up in the middle of the 14-th century to protect toll, which was taken in a foothill. ) • Varín • Terchová ( A cultural village with a distinct folk music and songs, well preserved original rustical architecture. It used to consist of more than 120 settlements. Nowadays there are about 70. In 1688 Juraj Jánošík - the Slovak national hero was born here. ) • NP Malá Fatra • Martin ( The economic centre of the region Turiec with a great machine plant. In the middle of the 19-th and beginning 20-th century it was the centre of the Slovak national and cultural life. ) • Vrútky • Krpeľany • Kraľovany • Ružomberok

4-th day Bešeňová ( A strong mineral well between a village and the barrier wall. ) • Liptovský Mikuláš ( On 18-th March 1713 a national hero - Juraj Jánošík was executed here. He was hung on a hook under his rib. On 18-th March 1848 The Requests of the Slovak Nation were announced here. ) • Liptovský Hrádok • Hybe • Východná ( The first written proof is from 1269 and was colonised by the shepherds in the 15-th century. The folklore and the rustic architecture in this village is still very alive. ) • Važec ( Till destructive fire in 1931 everything was made up from wood built up in an original style. ) • Tatranská Štrba • Štrbské Pleso ( A tourist centre with the highest above sea level height named the same as the lake - Štrbské pleso. ) • Starý Smokovec • Tatranská Lomnica • Poprad ( For the first time mentioned in 1250. In 1300 the town is mentioned as Stráže pod Tatrami. Since 1923 it has been a district town. It has got the highest airport above sea level in Europe! ) • Janovce • Spišský Štvrtok ( Near the village is an archeologic locality named Myšia Hôrka. There are remains of the fortified settlement from the beginning of the middle bronze period. ) • Levoča ( Mentioned for the first time in 1249, developed into an important centre. Since 1271 the centre of self administration of 24 Spiš towns. The Gothic church Svätého Jakuba with the highest wooden altar in Europe made by the Master Pavol from Levoča. )

5-th day Spišské Podhradie • Spišská Kapitula • NKP Spišský hrad • Spišská Nová Ves ( In 1407 it was given town privileges. Since 1412 until 1772 it was in Polish pawn. ) • Markušovce • Rudňany • Spišský Štiavnik • Slovenský Raj NP • Hranovnica • Vernár • Stratená ( An original mining village and there is a plastic by the master Pavol from Levoča in a chapel. ) • Palcmanská Maša ( A reservoir built in 1956. ) • Dobšiná ( Dobšiná is an old mining town. Here was set the first metallurgical furnace in Slovakia. ) • Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa ( The largest ice cave in the former Czechoslovak Federation Republic. In 1887 it was electrified as the first cave in Europe. ) • Nižná Slaná • Betliar ( A significant building is the Betliar's castle complex is a hunting Andrassy's manor-house. It was announced to be National cultural heritage. It is stated in renaissance-baroque style. ) • Rožňava ( An administration and economic centre of Gemer's iron-ore area. A former mining town is already mentioned in 1291. Sine 1410 was a free royal town. The Turkish invasions caused the mining decline. During the era of capitalism the iron-ore mining started again. ) • CHKO Slovenský kras • Plešivec

6-th day Tornaľa • Rimavská Sobota ( An administrative and economic centre of Gemer. In 1883-1922 it used to be a seat of Gemerská county. ) • Rimavské Janovce • CHKO Cerová vrchovina • Hajnačka • Hrad Hajnačka ( Built during Tartar's invasions. In the 16-th and the 17-th century it was fortified again and became an important point of a defensive line against the Turks. In 1703 was burnt down and was not rebuilt again. ) • Fiľakovo • Lučenec • Halíč ( In Halíč, there were two manufactures, majolica was made up in one of them since 1767 and the cloth in second one. ) • Modrý Kameň • Senohrad • Bzovík ( This village is known for its fortification- Bzovicky castle which central part is composite of the former Cistercian's church and cloister. ) • Devičie • Sebechleby • Žemberovce • Brhlovce ( There are sank rocks houses in an andesite massif and in tuffs on one street. ) • Pukanec • Banská Štiavnica ( An old mining town in the Štiavnické mountains. The oldest documents about metal-mining are from 1075, the oldest town's name from 1217. In 1737 the mining school was established here which was promoted to Banská Akadémia in 1763, the first University of this kind in Europe. )

7-th day Sklenné Teplice ( A bath town, named after a glass smeltery which existed here since 1340 and after a warm mineral well. ) • Vyhne ( The oldest brewery in Slovakia, in the 18-th century world-known baths. ) • Hliník nad Hronom • Žiar nad Hronom ( Now the most important centre of coloured metalurgy in Slovakia. ) • Handlová ( A town in the Handlovská valley, the centre of lignite mining, energetic, chemical and consumer industry. ) • Ráztočno • Prievidza ( The historical and economic centre of Horná Nitra, the centre of coal mining. Special egg decoration (straw) is characteristic for this town. ) • Bojnice ( It is a bath town. Diseases of kinetic system and nervous disease are cured here. A romantic chateau is built up on a tufaceous cliff. ) • Nováky ( The village was mentioned for the first time in 1113 and in that time belonged to the Bojnický county. ) • Zemianske Kostoľany ( There is the second biggest thermic electric generating station in Slovakia. ) • Osľany • Partizánske ( Now it is a centre of shoemaker's industry. ) • Bošany • Topoľčany ( The name of the town is probably from Slavic word "topol", which means a warm well. ) • Kamenová

8-th day Výčapy-Opatovce • Nitra ( A provincial town, the centre of Ponitrie (area around Nitra ), the centre of universities, research and exhibitions in Slovakia. The first settlements in the 6-th or the 7-th century. The town Nitra mentioned in 826, makes Nitra the oldest town of the Czech and the Slovak Republic. ) • Kostoľany pod Tríbečom ( There is St. George's Church in the south part of the Lysec hill, above the village, the oldest preserved monument in Slovakia. ) • Drážovce • Sereď • Trnava ( A provincial, cultural and industrial centre, one of the oldest towns in Slovakia which as the first one gained the privileges of a free royal town in 1238. The archbishop's palace has been here since 1542. Trnava is often called the Slovak Rome because of many churches and monasteries. ) • Budmerice • Modra ( Viticulture was the main part of its economy. In 1607 it became a free royal town with many German settlers. Its traditional pottery ( modranská keramika ) has been developing since the 17-th century. ) • Pezinok ( Well known for its wines, in the 14-th century gold was cradled in the small river Limbašský potok here. In the 18-th century the gold mining stopped, but after the discovery of ores mining started again in the area of Cajla. ) • Svätý Jur ( An old town with big vineyards. ) • Bratislava

• daily programme and management of every single route consider the interests and the requirements of every participant of the expedition

• tourist outings respect the abilities and claims of every participant of the expedition

• it is possible to make changes of the programme, but it needs to be done after an agreement with the guide within the selected alternative

• each route of the expedition is accompanied by professional guide