Slovakation

A week-long vacation in Slovakia was just what this weary traveler needed after an exhausting journey around the Caucuses. Time in Slovakia reignited my wanderlust, soothed my soul, and restored my faith in humanity. I exaggerate not! The country is beautiful, and most people are friendly and kind. What a truly wonderful seven days that was. I already wanted to go back before I’d even left yet, haha.

There were two main components to the visit: first, a half marathon, and second, a handful of days of hiking in the High Tatras mountains.

The half marathon was in Košice, Slovakia’s second-most populated city, after the capital Bratislava. The Košice Peace Marathon is the world’s oldest continuously-running marathon, the oldest in Europe, and the third-oldest in the world. I don’t foresee ever running a full marathon, but they offer a half marathon option as well, which is what I ran. I joined some Prague-based running friends, including a great Slovak buddy who grew up in Košice. It’s a nice race with a flat course, and due to its tradition and popularity, there were over 19,000 racers in various events over the weekend, and supporting non-runners lined the entire course cheering us on. There was fantastic energy and organization, and I finished with my fastest time yet, almost two minutes quicker than my previous best time. And for the first time I never walked during the race, so I was pleased. Mostly Kenyans have won the full marathon over the past two decades, and from my hotel I saw the marathon leaders running by (they started well before the half marathon start). It’s still unfathomable to me that a human can run over 42 kilometers (26 miles) in just over two hours! In 2020 during Covid, the Kenyans couldn’t come, and so the winning time was almost 20 minutes slower than usual, haha. Košice itself is a very pleasant city with a beautiful core.

After a couple of nights in Košice, I rented a car and drove up to the High Tatras mountains, a stunningly beautiful mountain range along the border with Poland. There are 29 peaks in the range over 2500 meters (8200 feet), with the highest peak being over 2700 meters (8700 feet). I resided at a cute bed and breakfast in a small village at the base of the range, driving my car each morning after breakfast to a parking lot and hiking a different set of trails for 30-35 kilometers (19-21 miles). I absolutely loved each day. Perhaps I need to be concentrating on spending time in nature instead of in big cities! 

Each of the four days of hiking was different, with no route repeated. I had bought a High Tatras hiking book in advance of the trip, and had attempted to figure out which routes to take, but the book really wasn’t helpful. It didn’t even have a map! So instead I used various hiking apps to scope out different routes, determining the distance, difficulty, and expected time, along with what sights were located along the way. In the end, AllTrails was the best source of day hike recommendations, but Mapy.com was by far the best for following along during each hike because Mapy clearly shows the trail color, making it simple to just follow the signs along the journey. Hikers do need to be diligent though, because many routes are much more challenging and even treacherous, with some requiring climbing gear or even a certified guide – a Slovak sherpa! I heard often from friends in Prague that unfortunately it is not uncommon for Czechs to die in the High Tatras from lack of preparation given that Czech mountains are more like hills.

One of my favorite aspects was that after 3-4 hours of hiking, you often end up at a chalet with delicious food and drink options! So I’d hike all morning, work up an appetite, and then stop in at a chalet for something like goulash and a coffee. Fantastic! And then after some more hours of hiking, one ends up back at the bottom of the mountains in a village with more restaurant options for finishing up the day with some cheesy gnocchi and a beer, for example. Hard to beat. I used my very limited Czech to order, and the Slovaks understood me, haha. My bed and breakfast hosts told me I spoke great Slovak, which was hilarious because I don’t really speak Czech, much less Slovak! 🤣 Only once in Czechia has a Czech person complimented something I said in Czech that I can recall. But in Slovakia I was complemented twice for my Slovak within one week! (It also happened in Košice.) You can see why I like the Slovaks, haha. I always seem to have great serendipity in Slovakia, like during a previous visit in 2022, for example:

I’ve experienced other surprisingly cool things in Slovakia, like a Swedish conversation Meetup group and a race from a castle to Bratislava.

While some of the photos included below might appear to be paintings, I assure you that these are the real views in this wonderful place.

Tourists from all over the world descend on Georgia, and yet the High Tatras region is so much more enjoyable, while mainly hosting just Slovaks, Poles, and Czechs. It’s so off the travel radar that I hesitate telling you about it. I can hardly wait to return to the High Tatras. I enjoyed my solo hikes, but I want to bring someone with me next time so as to share this amazing experience! Let me know if you want to join. 😁

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Today’s dad jokes:

First a pretty good one from ChatGPT:

My holiday in the High Tatras mountains was breathtaking. Mostly because I’m so unfit.

And one from me:

Someone told me I should visit the Low Tatras instead of the High Tatras, but I replied that skipping the High Tatras in favor of the Low Tatras would be just hill-arious!

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Today’s music video:

Have you seen all the AI cartoon videos being produced encouraging Canadians to resist bullying?

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Today’s Stoic quote:

“Don’t stumble over something behind you.” ~ Seneca