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A CECTA SPECIAL REPORT |
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SLOVAKIA |
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CECTA was fortunate recently to have been given the opportunity to explore and enjoy all that Slovakia has to offer. From the luxury of the newly acquired Danubius Spa hotels in Piestany to the extraordinary hospitality of the Slovak people who invited us, unannounced, into their own private wine cellars. Matej and Zana of Via Carpathia, organised and orchestrated the CECTA visit. They not only opened our eyes to this magical country but also took us into territory that tourists and dare we say travel writers, would not know existed. Small hamlets and walks away from the madding crowd, hotels and restaurants with food to compete with the best in the world and service to match. From London we flew, courtesy of Austrian Airlines, to Vienna the most convenient gateway to the Slovak Republic's capital city of Bratislava, just a 40 minute drive, through the simplest of border crossings. The capital city is the most visited destination in Slovakia. Compared with other European capitals it is not big but its history is impressive. Traces of Celtic and Germanic tribes, Romans, Avars and Slavs from prehistoric times can still be found here alongside the memories of famous composers, poets, painters and rulers from medieval times. The lively historic centre can accommodate almost all tastes in cuisine, fashion, art, theatre, opera and ballet. Slovakia can also be reached easily from Prague with connecting flights with CSA, Budapest with Malev and Krakow with LOT Polish Airlines. Our first stop was the Hotel Kamila, Cierna Voda, a refurbished manor house owned by one of Slovakia's most famous actresses, Kamila Magalova. Her young and enthusiastic team offered a quality service and were proud to show their comprehensive conference facilities, mini golf course, equestrian centre and a bridal suite approached from a landing with a baby's crib and pram outside to encourage them to return! It was here that we had our first taste of poppy seed cake - scrumptious! Our drive
in the late afternoon took us to Cerveny Kamen castle, built circa 1240
when it created a border fortification between the Hungarian empire
and Czech kingdom. Just beside the castle is an impressive bird sanctuary
with many species of birds of prey. Piestany is the perfect setting not just for the Health Spa enthusiast but for a get away from it all conference or business meeting. There is no shortage of business facilities, and service in the hotels is good with attentive staff. It is a haven for rest and relaxation and well placed to enjoy the surrounding countryside. The next stop was the site of Trencin Castle, in Western Slovakia, perched on a hill above the town and dating back to Roman times. Trencin boasts a wonderful hotel, The Tatra, where we were fortunate to stop for lunch. Although a hundred years old The Tatra has been tastefully re-constructed and sitting just below the Castle has an enviable location. The service, food and the hospitality at this 70-room hotel needs to be experienced to be believed. Definitely one for the Zagat guide. We drove through beautiful villages and towns past ancient chateaux but with no time to stop as Via Carpathia had planned, unbeknown to us, a walk in the Lesser Fatra National Park that we will spend the rest of our lives dreaming about. None of us were experienced walkers and none of us were young, except in heart! Hazardous yes, dangerous no. The route was well signposted and Zana our guide ensured that there was no chance of us getting lost on this experience that was not for the feint hearted. We walked and scrambled along a river bank, crossed quaint bridges through gorges, climbed iron ladders alongside cascading waterfalls and over seething torrents gushing down from the mountaintop. It was spring so they were in full flow. The scenery was dramatic as well as beautiful, flora abounds and the viewing spots, many looking down on to cascading waterfalls, have been chosen with great care and imagination. At one stage we were so close to a golden eagle, we felt if we put out our hand we could touch it! We stayed overnight in Breznica at the pension Sedliacky Mlyn. The town is almost on the Polish State border. Originally a water mill, the pension is constructed in a country chalet style and is much more grandiose than the normal pension. The water mill has been retained and reconstructed and the owners have gone to great lengths to ensure that their guests have a unique experience, good food, (the best garlic soup ever) good wine and wonderful Slovak hospitality. Then to the High Tatras, without realising the treat that was in store for us. We started with the grand tour of the resort. Our eyes were opened to an ambitious modernisation programme that is revitalising the hotels and the whole infrastructure of the region without changing in any way its historical character. We stayed at the Grandhotel Praha . This hotel with almost a hundred years of history and tradition is a legend in Slovakia. Opened in 1905 it is situated in the centre of the High Tatras at the foothill of the second highest peak. We dined in the evening in their traditional dining room hosted by the Slovak National Tourist Office. The service was impeccable and the menu offered traditional food and excellent local wines. Along with
so many hotels in the region the old and the new blend together beautifully,
with a modernisation programme which has retained much of the old architecture
and design.
We continued
on our journey to Banska Bystrica where we were accommodated at the
Hotel Lux five minutes walk from the centre of town. And another surprise.
Several of the party had left items of clothing behind in the various
hotels/restaurants we had visited and neatly waiting on the reception
counter of the Hotel Lux were parcels that had been forwarded containing
the lost garments. Where else in the world could this happen? It said
a great deal for the service experienced at all venues It also said
a great deal for the Slovak postal services. The town of Banska Bystrica is a delight. The main square filled with shops and restaurants, old and new, has been restored with great skill retaining the character of the past whilst creating a wonderful friendly atmosphere. This was an old mining town that has retained many of it historical buildings with its own town Castle known as the Barbakan and a clock in the Church tower that on the hour sends out a peel of music that echos around the town square. Charming.
But the village of Sebechleby is one of the world's great wine secrets; deep under the ground lie many barrels of nectar. Although, we had to confess, across Central Europe both Hungary and the Czech Republic in particular, we had often entered the private domain of the local wine experts and their hidden wine cellars. A particular memory was the cellar of the Mayor of Mikulov who entertained us the whole of one afternoon a year ago. But this was very different, suffice to say that we were wined and dined with a level of hospitality the like of which we have never before experienced. People who we had never met, who were not prepared for our visit to their village, insisting we sample all their wines and to finish off a taste of home brewed Slivovitz. It reminded us that the hospitality and the people of the Countries of Central Europe are still one of the biggest attractions. Csiko Csarda
restaurant in Zeliezovce, is a must for every visitor to Slovakia. We
were now nearing the Hungarian border for our journey back to Vienna
Airport, and this was to be the last meal, but not quite the last supper.
We expected a snack, we had a feast. Service of which the best restaurants
in Europe would be proud, food and wine par excellence, and yet this
restaurant was voted only number two in Slovakia. It just proved to
us that we can and will dispense the myth that the countries of central
Europe are not for the connoisseur of food and wine. Slovakia is open
for business. |
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e-mail for more information: info@cecta.org |
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