Boutique hotels in Slovakia

Slovakia is a country of mountains and old towns: the jagged High Tatras, castles on every other hilltop, UNESCO-listed wooden churches and mining towns whose squares have barely changed in centuries. Its boutique hotels are often set in restored townhouses and manor houses, and almost all come with a spa or a good restaurant.

Bratislava and the west

Bratislava, on the Danube beside Austria and Hungary, is compact and easy: a small old town of pastel palaces and café terraces, a castle and a lively riverfront. The spa town of Piešťany and the castle at Bojnice are easy trips from the capital or from each other.

Central Slovakia

Banská Štiavnica and Kremnica are medieval mining towns of steep lanes and Renaissance houses, and Čičmany is a village of painted timber houses. The Liptov region, between the High and Low Tatras, has lakes, caves and ski slopes.

The High Tatras and the east

The High Tatras are a compact alpine range with mountain lakes and some of Central Europe's best hiking. Nearby are the Spiš region, with the vast ruined Spiš Castle, and Levoča, with its walled old town and the tallest wooden altar in the world. Bardejov and Košice, farther east, have exceptionally well-preserved squares.

When to go

June to September is best for hiking and for the cities. Skiing runs from December to March, and autumn brings colors to the forested hills. Hotel prices in the mountains peak in winter and during summer school holidays.