SR: Smolenice – Castle Of Smolenice And Beautiful Surroundings

Beautiful Smolenice castle that will surely enchant you will find above the village of Smolenice in the eastern foothills of the Little Carpathians. Its romantic silhouette, rising above the splendid English park visitors has very attractive.

Castle tours for the public

If you would like to see, however, and its interior spaces, you must come here in summer. For the public is open only during summer holidays in July and August, every day from 10am to 18pm. Admission fortunately is not too high, so don’t worry you will stay poor, after buying tickets for all family. Your little princesses will have long to remember what, though the inside will not see any really valuable historical exhibits. However, you can admire a few corridors and stylish rooms. During weekends, you may be here and meet a real princess. Many couples because the castle and courtyard spaces used to create their wedding photos, Red Salon and facilities directly to express the most important - so I take.

Castle Park - relaxation in the surrounding green

Nice large park is suitable for walking or relaxing in a quiet environment. On warm days it looks particularly young families whose kids here can enjoy themselves to the full, young couples or lovers who just lounges on blankets under the bushy tops of trees. Also, I often visited by groups of friends, who like to spend their days off, whether by playing different games or just relax on the grass. Castle Park is an ideal place for a picnic and a starting or end point of many marked hiking trails.

Hiking and biking for everyone

If you fit as a top athlete, or rather belong to those lazy ones, like me, from nearby hiking trails so you can choose. Surrounding the castle provides many opportunities to really walking, or interesting routes for cycling. In the castle you can even rent bicycles. Perhaps the most appropriate starting point for hiking around the area are under lock and key crossroads, the signpost at the municipal office or station.

Half-day tour cross Smolenice Karst

To the really nice and undemanding walks include half-day hike Smolenice Karst, during which can´t get over about 200 meters. If you go by car here, you can park in front of municipal office in Smolenice. From there, go southwest along the green trail. Soon you find yourself on a rocky pavement that relatively steeply rising. Small rocks and limestone cave you will confirm that you really are in karst areas. From the edge of the plateau below the summit of Drina, which reaches 400 m above sea level, go down quite sharply, to the entrance to the cave Drina. Since it is the only cave accessible to the public on the western Slovak Republic, it certainly would have had during your trip visit. After the inspection is necessary to connect the yellow tourist sign, which will bring you down to park resort Jahodník. This again changes the colour, this time you continue along the green trail. This results in a northwesterly direction along the road up the hill across the valley. When you find yourself at the crossroads of the Devil's trough, turn the blue tourist sign (green would bring you to the Devil's trough), which will soon lead to a meadow called Vlčiareň. Here turn left and join the trail Smolenice Karst. The trail continues through the valley Hlboča, than through important archaeological sites Molpir, to take you back to the village of Smolenice.

Here just run down to the local pub for Kofola and schedule another interesting trip around the neighborhood.

Text: O. Maňáková

Photo: O. and O. Maňáková Mažgút