Entry 3: Have I made a “check” pun yet? Oh wait we’re in Slovakia

26 September 2022

Over the course of our four-day excursion to Slovakia, we explored breathtaking natural locales, toured ancient historical sites, and learned about traditional cultural practices. First, we hiked through the Tatra mountains along the Slovakia-Poland border.

Group of hikers stands next to trail sign.
Left to right: Emerald, Ken, Miriam, Claudia, Nubia, Andrew, Jing Jing, Fátima, Lev, Bryn, Miller, Harald.
Location: A trail junction at the base of the Tatra mountains.
Activity: Embarking on the hike of a lifetime. Photo courtesy of Nancy.
Hiker group selfie with mountain view in the background.
Left to right: Jing Jing, Bryn, Miriam, Lev. Photo courtesy of Jing Jing.

The journey took approximately seven hours of intense hiking. I recorded 27,000 steps over 3.4 miles as the crow flies, though at times we hit 50+ degree inclines on hillsides covered in deep snow. Despite the heavy workout, the view was definitely worth it.

Hiker looks back at camera with wide angle mountain view in background.
Miller on the road.
Hiker group selfie with snow-covered rocks and an alpine lake in the background.
Left to right: Sofia, Kara, Fátima, Daphne, Nancy.
Activity: Celebrating victory over the mountain.
Hiker stands on top of a ridge with a wide view of sky, clouds, mountains, and trees behind her.
Jing Jing at the top of the world.
Hiker group selfie. All hikers except the photographer are sitting on a rock next to an alpine lake. Snow covers the ground around them.
Left to right: Andrew, Bryn, Catherine, Emerald, Stephanie, Lev, Miriam, Claudia, Harald, Miller, Tin, Nubia, Jing Jing.
Location: 49.1637058°N, 20.0280480°E.
Activity: Eating lunch and preparing for the journey back.

Next, we visited Spiš Castle, a ruin classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Cannons and defensive stone fortifications can still be seen within the walls.

Wide shot of students standing in castle ruins. The courtyard and keep are visible in the background.
Left to right: Miller, Claudia, Miriam, Andrew. Jing Jing runs in the background.
Location: The ruins of Spiš Castle, near the town of Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia. Photo courtesy of Fátima.
Two students making celebratory poses in the castle courtyard. A tower with a missing wall and a view of the countryside are visible behind them.
Hala and Nubia in the countryside. Photo courtesy of Nancy.
Three students stand far from the camera on a wooden platform with metal railings on either side. A small gated archway in the thick stone wall stands open in front of them.
Miriam, Claudia, and Miller on the platform leading out of the castle keep. Photo courtesy of Nancy.

Finally, we took a trip down the Dunajec river on wooden rafts. The experience was remarkably relaxing and lasted around 1.5 hours.

Students in a group selfie on a river with trees lining the banks on either side. Two other rafts and a view of snow-capped mountains can be seen behind them.
Left to right: Andrew, Miriam, Harald, Claudia, Miller.
Location: The river Dunajec on the border between Slovakia and Poland.
Activity: Rafting the time away. Photo courtesy of Harald.
Two students on a raft. Dense trees and rock formations are visible on either side and in the background.
Andrew and Miriam on the water. Photo courtesy of Harald.

At the end of the route, there was a small barrier marking the exact border between Slovakia and Poland. I can now say I’ve officially visited the latter country, if only for about a minute.

That’s all for this entry of the Prague Blog! Up next: A visit to the Center for the Treatment of Eating Disorders, and a Sparta Praha hockey game. Čau!

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