Basic information about this expedition

1-st day Bratislava • Svätý Jur ( An old town with big vineyards. ) • Pezinok ( Well known for its wines. In the 14-th century gold was cradled in the small river Limbašský potok here. In 1647 it also became a free royal town. In the 18-th century the gold mining stopped, but after the discovery of ores mining started again in the area of Cajla. ) • Modra ( This town developed since the 12-th century. Viticulture was the main part of its economy. In 1607 it became a free royal town with many German settlers. ) • Trnava ( A provincial, cultural and industrial centre, one of the oldest towns in Slovakia which gained the privileges of a free royal town as the first one in 1238. Since 1542 the archbishop's palace has been here. Trnava is often called the Slovak Rome because of many churches and monasteries. ) • Leopoldov • Drážovce • Nitra ( A provincial town, the centre of Ponitrie (an area around Nitra), the centre of universities, research and exhibitions in Slovakia. )

2-nd day 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. ) • Arboretum Mlyňany ( The largest and the oldest forest park in Slovakia with rare exotic trees from different parts of the world. ) • Zlaté Moravce • Topoľčianky ( A Classical manor house with a large English park and a Secession palace are interesting National Cultural Sights. ) • Partizánske ( Nowadays it is the centre of shoe industry. ) • Zemianske Kostoľany ( The second largest power plant in Slovakia using coal and lignite from Nováky and Handlová. ) • Nováky ( In 1938 a chemical factory started to be built here and in 1941 lignit mining started. ) • Prievidza ( The historical and economic centre of Horná Nitra, the centre of coal mining. Special egg decoration (straw) is characteristic for this town. ) • Bojnice ( A bath town, the illnesses of motional system and some neuralgic illnesses are cured here, mineral wells 30-48°C with the productivity 24 ls/s. )

3-th day Žiar nad Hronom ( Till 1955 it was called Svätý kríž nad Hronom. Now the most important centre of coloured metalurgy in Slovakia. ) • Hliník nad Hronom • Vyhne ( The oldest brewery in Slovakia-Steiger. ) • Banská Štiavnica ( An old mining town in the Štiavnické vrchy mountains. ) • Zvolen ( It is an economical and cultural center and since the 18 century it was the seat of Zvolenska county. ) • Kováčová ( It is a bath village, in which are cured diseases of motional and nervous system. ) • Banská Bystrica ( A district town, the centre of middle Slovakia and Universities. It is probably the most beautiful placed town in Slovakia. )

4-th day Slovenská Ľupča ( Above the village is Ľupčiansky castle which was built up in the 13-th century. It is one of the best preserved monument in Slovakia. ) • Nemecká ( In this village is a known lime-kiln in which more than 900 people were burnt to death during the 2-nd World War. ) • Podbrezová • Brezno • NP Slovenský Raj (National Park) • Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa ( The biggest ice cave in the Slovak and Czech Republic. In 1887 it was electrified as the first cave in Europe. ) • Stratená • Dobšiná ( In 1680 there was set the first metallurgical furnace in Slovakia. ) • Betliar ( A significant building is the Betliar's castle complex. It was a hunting Andrassy's manor-house and was announced to be the 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. ) • CHKO Slovenský kras

5-th day Krásnohorské podhradie • Turňa nad Bodvou ( There is a great lime-kiln built up next to the source of limestone in Slovenská kras mountain. ) • Turniansky hrad-castle • Moldava nad Bodvou • Košice ( It is a metropolis of eastern Slovakia, it is the second biggest town in Slovakia. It is the centre of industry, science, education and culture of the Eastern Slovakia region. There used to be a royal settlement Villa Cassa, already mentioned in 1230. The town was known as a free royal town since 1342. After Ľudovit Veľký had given the privileges of Budin to Kosice the importance of the town increased. Košice is the first European town with its own coat of arms. In 1860 Košice were joined with the railway line Miškovec - Budapest and in 1870 Košice - Bohumín railway line. That was a great impulse for further development of Košice. The most important historical and architectural objects of the town are in the middle of the square which was announced to be a nature preserve in 1981) • Budimír

6-th day Prešov ( The economic and cultural centre of Šariš. In the 17-th and 18-th century it was the centre of Šaris county. Solivar is a part of the town. It is a complex of objects for mining and cooking salt since the beginning of the 17-th century. ) • Kapušany • Kapušiansky hrad ( This castle was built up in the 13-cetnury to protect a royal road from Prešov to the North. ) • Hervartov ( In the middle of this village there is an old wooden church built up in 1500. ) • Bardejov ( The centre of Horný Šariš. In 1247 the area "terra Bardfa" was mentioned for the first time. Bardejov is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. ) • Bardejovske spa ( There are 17 mineral wells in this bath town. ) • Gerlachov • Plavečský hrad ( This castle was built up to protect the comercial road to Poland. )

7-th day Stará Ľubovňa ( The biggest screw factory in the Czech and Slovak republic built in the period of industrialisation. ) • Haligovce • Pieninský Národný Park • Spišská Stará Ves • Spišská Belá ( The main producer of broadcloth in the Hungarian Empire. ) • Strážky ( There is one of the oldest manor-house in Slovakia which is situated in a lovely English park. ) • Kežmarok ( In 1380 it became a free royal town. It has had its name since the 13-th century after the best sold product - cheese (Kässe) - that's why Kesmark. In 1531 Evangelic lyceum was founded and in the 19-th century gained the world importance. ) • Veľká Lomnica • Poprad ( For the first time mentioned in 1250. In 1300 the town was mentioned as Stráže pod Tatrami. Since 1923 it has been a district town. It has got the highest airport above sea level in Europe! )

8-th day Starý Smokovec • Štrbské Pleso ( A tourist centre with the highest above sea level height named the same as the lake - Štrbské pleso. ) • Važec ( Until the big fire in 1931 all the houses were wooden, built in a distinctive style. ) • Východná ( Mentioned for the first time in 1269, colonised again by shepherds in the 15-th century. Lively folklore and unique architecture. ) • Liptovský Mikuláš ( On 18-th March Juraj Jánošík was executed here. Since 1677 the centre of Liptov county. ) • Bešeňová ( A strong mineral well between a village and the barrier wall. ) • CHPV Bešeňovské travertíny • Ružomberok • Kraľovany • Zázrivá ( It came into existence during Walachian colonisation in the 16-th century. It used to be the centre of shepherds in this period. ) • Terchová ( Juraj Jánošík, the national hero, was born here in 1688. It used to consist of more than 120settllements. ) • NP Malá Fatra • Varín • Žilina ( A district town since 1997, an important railway junction. It got its town privileges in 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. )

9-th day Kysucké Nové Mesto • 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. ) • Čadca ( The economic and cultural centre of the Kysuce region. ) • Turzovka ( The houses with decorated gables are still preserved here. ) • Makov • Bytča • Súľovský hrad • NPR Súľovské skaly • 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. ) • Lednické Rovne • Ilava • Vršatecké Podhradie • Vršatecké bradlá ( There is a configuration of the limestone cliffs which are part of klippen area. ) • Dubnica nad Váhom • Nová Dubnica ( An original town came into being as a settlement for the workers of a machine factory. ) • Trenčianske Teplice ( A bath town came into being near warm wells which are mentioned for the first time in 1379. )

10-th day Trenčín ( A district town, economic, historical and a cultural centre in Trenčianska valley. There is a castle above the town. 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.".) • Nové mesto nad Váhom • Vrbové • Čachtice • 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. ) • Brezová pod Bradlom • Senica ( The economic centre of the northern Záhorie. The most important is a factory which produces artificial fibres - Slovenský hodváb, built in 1945. ) • Dojč • 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. ) • Plavecký Mikuláš ( In the 11-th and 12-th century the "Plavci"- the guards of the Hungarian borders- lived here. ) • Plavecký Hrad ( The ruin of the castle on a steep foothill of the Small Karpaty. Since 1641 till 20-th century it belonged to the Pálfy's family. ) • Plavecké Podhradie ( It lies on the area of "plavecký" karst in the central part of the Small Karpaty between the villages Rohožník and Prievaly, on the area of 35 square kilometres, with lots of nice valleys and 11 caves. ) • Rohožník • Jabloňové ( At the end of the 17-th century silver, gold and then pyrites (Pernek) were mined here. ) • Stupava • 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