Hello everyone. We visited the north of Slovakia, to Liptovský Mikuláš for a 3 day holiday recently. We arrived here from Bratislava and settled into our room almost three hours later. We stayed at a guesthouse called Squash. Our room was quite small. It had a wardrobe, a hanger, a closed fridge, a TV, a table and separate beds. The view from the window was of trees. We had to take a photo of the room before settling in because, as usual, we forget to do so later.
The city is named after its patron saint, Saint Mikuláš. The first records of the city date back to 1286. Liptovský Mikuláš is surrounded by mountains and is located almost 600 meters above sea level. Currently the population of the city is just over 30.000.
We went to the central square. In the heart of the city, on Savior's Square, stood the Cathedral of Saint Mikuláš, also known as Saint Nicholas. The church was built in the 13th century and is now the main tourist attraction of the city. Opposite the cathedral was a building called the Gloomy house which looked more like a town hall. There was also a stage here, possibly for weekend events. The building had a clock tower filled with flags, but it looked a bit worn out. Apparently the square was closed to traffic, but cars were still entering and there were bike parking areas too.
In 1713 the famous Slovak bandit Juraj Jánošík was executed here. He is known as the Slovak version of the English Robin Hood. They executed him publicly by hanging him from one of his ribs. During our tour of the Mala Fatra nature reserve we had the opportunity to visit Jánošík's cave. It is one of Slovakia's important tourist attractions. I would like to talk about our trip to Mala Fatra in another post.
There is a fun tiered fountain for children here, stretching along the street.
Liptovský Mikuláš is also known for the signing of the demands of the Slovak people here in 1848. This was the first public call for the region, then known as Upper Hungary, to become a separate political entity. There is now a museum dedicated to this event. Next to it are the Evangelical Cathedral and the P. M. Bohúň Gallery.
As soon as we arrived in Liptovský Mikuláš the weather seemed to improve. We even saw a bit of sunshine, but then the rain started again. It had been following us all the way from the moment we left Bratislava. The weather forecast for the next two days was not very promising either. But we did not let it dampen our spirits and tried to make the most of our time.
Rain and weather greatly affect the city. While we were at the square it rained a bit by the fountain and the place where children had been running around earlier was now empty. We had a meal and realized there was no point in waiting for the rain to stop. We put on our raincoats and continued exploring. Here away from the city center, behind the trees, there was a building that looked like a gymnasium. It resembled Hogwarts or a semi-castle.
While walking through the narrow streets of the old town, we could suddenly see a dilapidated building. These buildings were side by side with restored old buildings.
We also came across a beautiful mural. The city of Liptovský Mikuláš is located in the midst of mountains and almost 600 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by the High and Low Tatra mountains and the Great and Small Fatra nature reserves. For this reason the city is considered a suitable place to live in terms of clean air and environment.
There is also a rather peculiar structure here, a pizzeria. It looks like a small triangular piece, almost like a slice of pizza.
Liptovský Mikuláš is located on the Váh River. We walked along the river and this river flows into Liptovská Mara. Liptovská Mara could be called the Slovak Sea when compared to the size of Slovakia. We planned to cycle around this reservoir the next day.
The next day rain was expected all day. However we didn't carry our bikes for 300 kilometers for nothing. We had breakfast while cycling along the river and toured the city. We saw two fishermen on the river. Despite the bad weather they were fishing. We were also cycling in this weather. Due to the city's sewage system, there was a distinctive smell. We cycled about 15 kilometers and got caught in very heavy rain. It was impossible to even open the navigation. We got completely soaked and returned to our hotel to watch movies on Netflix. In the city center we discovered electric bike charging stations that could be used for free.
On our third day we were lucky with slightly better weather. After breakfast we went to Tatralandia, the largest aquapark in Slovakia. This is the most popular aquapark in Slovakia and has many entertainment venues. It has a large parking lot and is quite close to the Liptovská Mara reservoir. Tickets are cheaper if you buy them in advance. The aquapark has dining areas and restaurants, but don't have high expectations. The food is not very good. Howevr we came here to have fun and there was a lot to do. With more than 20 water slides it is exciting for children and adrenaline enthusiasts. Some slides are indoors and can be used year-round. There are many entertainment areas, animators, slides and pools for children. They even built a pirate ship indoors. It's possible to find a fun activity here for every age.
There were more serious slides further on, higher and faster. Up to four people can go down these slides at once and they have inner tubes that are carried up by automatic belts. However these also have the longest queues. We went up to the top and saw many sun loungers, most of which were empty because it was a weekday and there were fewer people. However at the bottom, where the slides and thermal pools were, there were more people. The thermal water was a bit cloudy because it was from a thermal spring. There are three pools at the top: one very shallow for children, the second of medium depth and the third suitable for swimming.
There is also a large grassy area, two volleyball courts, a giant chess game area, a football field for children and an inflatable water-filled football field. From the top we could see the great views of the mountains. The temperature of the thermal water is 40 degrees and you can stay in it for a maximum of 20 minutes.
Next to the aquapark is an upside-down house, with the interior also completely upside down. There is also an airplane and a helicopter. The Liptovská Mara reservoir was built over 10 years, from 1965 to 1975. Nine villages were submerged and railway lines and highways were relocated. Its maximum depth is 45 meters making it Slovakia's largest water reservoir.
After that we went to the Havránok open-air museum. It is located on the opposite side of Liptovský Mikuláš, on the shore of the Liptovská Mara reservoir. This museum includes a Celtic settlement and a medieval wooden castle discovered by archaeologists in the 1960s. Currently the Havránok Museum is a reconstruction of a settlement.
Another important point was a church by the water. It was first mentioned in 1288. Only the central tower and foundation remain. Surrounded by natural landscapes it is right by the water. At the end of the road there was a large dam where people were camping.
It was time to return to Bratislava. Although the weather was not always good, we were very satisfied with the trip.