Tag Archives: Stary Smokovec

Lakes, Slovak Republic

Our Eastern European October… part six

On Monday, October 5th, we awoke to gorgeous sunny skies in Stary Smokovec. I didn’t sleep so well in the bed, which had kind of a cheap mattress that left tingly pressure points on various parts of my body. Nevertheless, I was delighted by how beautiful the weather was. It was practically warm outside.

Bill got up and went to a small COOP grocery store, near where we’d had dinner the night before. The paid parking lot near the store was expensive, but the old guy running it was kind enough to let Bill briefly park for free, so he could pick up a few groceries for breakfast.

I was eager to see Štrbské Pleso, a glacial lake near the Kempinski Hotel. People had written about how beautiful it was, and I figured it wouldn’t be too physically taxing to go there. I would say the Vysoke Tatry area is a wonderland for athletic types who love to hike.

There are mountains to climb and ski down, caves to explore, lakes to swim in and walk (or run) around, and waterfalls to hike to and gaze at. There is even a handy tram that will take explorers to some of the more remote areas, although I’ve read that they are pretty well attended by visitors. If you choose to hike to a waterfall, it’s likely you’ll be joined by others with the same plan.

Unfortunately, I’m not as fit or as ambitious as I once was. It doesn’t take much to wind me these days. I’m not sure why, although maybe menopause has something to do with it. But I did muster enough energy to go to the lake and walk around it. The locals made it easy. There were plenty of benches for resting, and even a free public toilet to use. And when we were finished walking around the lake, we had a good choice of restaurants to visit for a hearty lunch.

Below are some photos from our morning at the lake. I’m very glad the weather was so agreeable! The first three are shots from the property where we were staying.

The toilets were a nice touch. They were clean, and free of charge!
This restaurant looked interesting, but it was closed.

There’s a path that goes around this lake. If you’re fit, you can probably make it around in under an hour. We saw a few young, athletic guys who ran around it a couple of times while we slowly made our way. We also saw a couple of girls racing each other. And we heard an elderly German woman praising the lake for not being too large. One Asian lady saw me coming out of the bathroom and asked if she needed to pay. I was happy to tell her it was free to pee!

I made Bill stop for a photo or two… and so I could catch my breath. I think you can rent a boat to row around in this lake, too. We saw a couple of people doing that.

I was reminded a little of Lake Bled in Slovenia, except it was less touristy, and didn’t have an island with a church on it. I also didn’t see any swans at this lake, although we did run into a few ducks. There was also a memorial at the lake that commemorated a World War II partnership between the United States and Russia.

Everything was so rustic. That part reminded me a bit of Croatia, and the Plitvice Lakes park, where it seemed like the whole area was set up for outdoorsy fun. It doesn’t compare to the incredible beauty of Plitvice Parks, nor does it offer the same stunning colors. But Štrbské Pleso is very beautiful in its own way, and is more manageable for people who aren’t very fit. As much as I loved our 2021 trip to Croatia and Slovenia, I don’t think I could do 7 or 8 miles in a day again in 2026… at least not without getting in better shape.

We decided to have lunch at a restaurant outside of the lake area. They had traditional Slovakian food, and played annoying music with a video on a loop. The food and beer were good, but the music was grating. Also, this was another place for people with smaller asses than mine. I don’t remember the name of this restaurant, but I do remember they charged 2 euros (!) to use the restroom. I’m sure it’s because they were tired of tourists coming in just to use the facilities. Still, it’s off putting when you have to pay to pee at a restaurant you’re patronizing. I’m sure all of the restaurants in the lake area do it, though.

I had ribs. They were pretty good, although I couldn’t finish everything.
Bill had chicken with potatoes and a salad.

We decided to drive back to the apartment as the skies started to dim a bit. I wanted to do some reading and writing, and Bill wanted to pick up some more supplies. As we were driving back, I marveled at how beautiful the scenery was, and how it seemed to me like Slovakia is a place with ambitions to be a great destination for outdoorsy types.

A little night cap before bed.

In my younger days, we might have tried to take an afternoon walk to one of several waterfalls in Vyoske Tatry. There’s even a tram that takes visitors part of the way there, so they don’t have to expend too much energy on a hike. Maybe if we make it back to this very enchanting area, I’ll pay a visit to the falls. I’d also love a chance to visit the caves in the area.

We decided to skip dinner, since we had a big lunch and some snacks we needed to consume. That was a wise choice, given how big and hearty lunch was. Meat dishes are a big deal in Slovakia.

In my next post, I’ll write about our visit to the “treewalk” in the area. Stay tuned!

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Czechia, Eastern Europe, Slovak Republic

Our Eastern European October… part five

Onward to Stary Smokovec, Vyoske Tatry…

On the morning of October 4th, we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and I heard a friendly British guy warning the waitress that some of his buddies would soon be descending on the hotel to play golf. That told me it was a good thing we were vacating the premises. Not that we have anything against Brits or golfers. It’s just that large groups in small venues tend to take over in an obnoxious way.

Chateau Cihelny does appear to be quite popular with Germans. Many of the people staying there were from Germany. In fact, a German couple saw us drive up in our car, with its plates from Wiesbaden, and proclaimed that we’re neighbors, as they were there from nearby Mainz.

I managed to finish reading my most recent book while we stayed at Chateau Cihelny, so I decided to write a review in the hour before we departed for Stary Smokovec, in Slovakia. Then, after we loaded the Volvo and checked out, we made our way east.

Early in our Sunday morning drive…

In retrospect, it was a good thing we decided to move eastward on Sunday. The Czech Republic has a lot of roads under construction, and on weekdays, they back up a lot due to more people on the roads and workers actually working. As it was, it took us over seven hours to reach our destination. I don’t actually have a lot to write about the drive, although I did see some magnificent scenery and vibrant autumn colors.

We got on a major highway toward Prague, and then drove onward to Brno. Bill had been in Brno the week prior for a business trip, and he had lamented about the terrible traffic and roadworks being done there. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad on that Sunday.

We stopped for lunch at a very crowded and chaotic rest area that had a KFC and a McDonald’s. We opted for KFC, but Bill got himself a wrap that he said wasn’t very good. I was smart and stuck with original recipe, although KFC doesn’t taste like it did in the 70s and 80s. Especially not in Europe, where they don’t even give you biscuits!

I did get some nice pictures, though, as we drove through some very pretty country in Czechia and Slovakia.

Below are a few last images of Czechia…

And then we entered Slovakia…

The border took us through Trenčín, a city in the western part of Slovakia that I remembered from my 1997 visit. There is a large castle there, and you can see it from the road. I remembered seeing it as we passed it on the railway, too. I managed to get a few shots of the castle as we passed. If you happen to be in the area, you can visit the castle.

After awhile of driving on a pretty decent Slovakian freeway, the GPS directed us to a two lane road that was undergoing some construction. Bill got confused about a turn he was supposed to make, and continued going north. It was about twenty minutes before he realized his mistake, and the GPS put extra time on our estimated arrival.

I am not a big fan of using GPS, myself, so I got out my iPad and looked up a map of the area. I told Bill to take a different road going east, which I hope would get us back on track. Fortunately, my hunch turned out to be right. We drove through a few picturesque towns, as the sun began to set. I was astonished by how gorgeous the scenery was. The weather was beautiful, and the colors were absolutely brilliant.

The pretty views made it somewhat easier to take when we were stuck in a long queue of cars on a two lane road. It took about ten minutes to get through the jam, before we were able to make a left turn onto the road that we were originally supposed to be on, before our little detour. It was good that we hadn’t gone that way, because it was even more backed up, and from what I could tell, not nearly as beautiful as our unexpected detour had been. I kept thinking to myself that sometimes the deviations turn out to be welcome surprises for the senses.

We finally stopped for a pee break and some gas. Bill called our next host to let him know we’d be at panoraMic Mountain Residence within the hour. I chose this self catering accommodation because it got stellar reviews. I had considered booking at a hotel, and even thought maybe we’d like the nearby Kempinski, which overlooks a pristine lake. But the panoraMic Mountain Residence was a lot less expensive, and seemed to be right up our alley. It turned out to be a good choice, although we did have trouble finding it, once we got to Stary Smokovec. It was very dark on the roads, and we had no moon to help us with lighting.

Once we parked the car, feeling a bit punchy from the long drive, the host came out to show us our lodging. It was a very cozy apartment themed after the novella, “The Little Prince”, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I have never read that story, but if I’d wanted to on our trip, I could have. Our host had copies in many different languages.

Below are some photos from our lodging. It was the least expensive place we stayed on this trip. For three nights, I paid $545.

The host had this awesome masonry heater lit up for us on our arrival. We didn’t need it, though, because the temperatures were very pleasant.

Bill told our host that we were hoping to get something to eat, since we hadn’t had a chance to stop for dinner. He very kindly called up the folks at Stary Smakovic— a local restaurant– and they advised that we could come there, but we’d have to leave immediately. It was about 7:30 PM, and they closed at 9:00. The host was even kind enough to lead us to the parking area, which we’d already found as we were looking for his apartment.

Stary Smakovic offered a lot of meat dishes. They had steak, burgers, ribs, goulash, and chicken, as well as local delicacies. I suspect this restaurant is especially popular with men, given how the waitress was dressed. It did the trick for us. Bill decided to have a traditional Slovak dish made with sheep’s cheese. I went with a surprisingly tasty cheeseburger, although my chair reminded me that maybe I should have had a salad.

On our way back to the apartment, we encountered a magnificent buck with a full set of antlers. He was very close to our apartment. I hoped we’d see him again, so that I might get a photo of him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. He sure was majestic, though, and seeing him set the tone of the magical beauty in this part of Slovakia.

And now, I’ll close this post, so I can start the next one fresh, with plenty of photos of the rugged Slovakian Tatra Mountains…

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Czechia, East Germany, Eastern Europe, Polska, Slovak Republic

Our Eastern European October… part one

An introduction of sorts…

Well… as I wrote yesterday, we are now home from our epic autumn journey to Eastern Europe. I write Eastern Europe because our almost two weeks away took us to FOUR different countries! We visited Karlovy Vary, Czechia (or Czech Republic, if you prefer). Then, we went to Stary Smokovec, Slovakia (or Vysoké Tatry). From Slovakia, we moved on to Krakow, Poland. Then, we ended in Dresden, Germany, which was once part of East Germany.

As a child of the 70s and 80s, it always amazes me when we visit former “Eastern Bloc” countries. When I was growing up, these were places that were completely off limits to “westerners”. I never thought there’d be a time when we could simply drive to the former Czechoslovakia or Poland.

I thought East Germany would always be forbidden to someone like me. In fact, I remember writing a social studies report about the two Germanys when I was in the sixth grade, and being completely shocked that Germany was divided. I hadn’t known. And now, over 40 years later, here I am living in Germany, and visiting the East with ease! Not only can I easily visit the East, but I can also have a really good time there, because Eastern Europe is nothing like it used to be. But then, I guess it’s just a reminder that I’m getting old, and time is really flying.

I had some specific goals for this trip… and for the most part, my goals went unmet. I had wanted to visit Auschwitz, for instance. That didn’t happen. I thought maybe we’d go to Saxony Switzerland. It was not to be. I didn’t even get to see Frosty the Peacock! But now we have a reason to go back to these fascinating countries and see even more of what we missed. I already have a couple of itineraries in mind.

This trip ran from October 1-13th, which means that my October, so far, has been spent on vacation in Eastern Europe. We took a long break because it had been awhile since our last one, and Bill had some leave to burn. He’s been working very hard over the past few months, so his employer kindly allowed us almost two weeks away from Hessen.

We probably would have come home on Sunday, the 11th, but we had a holiday yesterday– Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day, depending on your views. So, we decided to make the most of the extra day off and squeeze in Dresden, a city we had last visited in November 2008.

We had also visited Karlovy Vary previously, back in February 2009, but that was just for a few hours. The weather was freezing that day, so we didn’t get to explore much of the city. I also didn’t have my camera with me on that 2009 trip. Now, I have lots of pictures of Karlovy Vary and its environs! It was worth going back there for that reason, alone!

Anyway… enough with the intro. Time to get down to business! This will probably be a pretty long series. Most readers will lose interest after the first couple of posts. Nevertheless, I’ll keep writing. At the end, I’ll do my usual “ten things I learned post”, which people seem to appreciate more than the exhaustive blow by blows.

We did not do a lot of touristy stuff on this trip. Instead, we enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere, people watching, and taking lots of photos. We also ate rich food and drank a whole lot of beer. 🍺 For most of our trip, we enjoyed mild, and mostly sunny weather. The fall colors were absolutely stunning! Just the beautiful foliage alone was a feast for the eyes. But we also had some interesting interactions, ate good food, and picked up some fun souvenirs.

So, without further delay, on with the series. Here are a few fall photos to get things started… I took these on a drive we took on day three of our vacation, while we were still in Czechia!

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Czechia, East Germany, Eastern Europe, trip planning

Our fall vacation is now sorted and booked…

Today is the last day of the Rheingauer Weinwoche in downtown Wiesbaden. Bill and I are usually enthusiastic participants of that particular fest, which features lots of great food, entertainment, and thousands of wines.

But this year, we just haven’t felt like attending. We know what to expect there, because we’ve done it so many times in the past. It’s fun, but kind of “old hat”. Today, the weather is actually pretty nice. The sun is out, but it’s not super hot. I still didn’t feel like going, and Bill had to do some shopping at the commissary, anyway.

So I figured that since I’m not at the fest, awkwardly milling around, looking for a place to sit that won’t offend others… drinking wines that mostly taste the same… promising myself a hangover for tomorrow… I’ll just write about our upcoming fall vacation.

Bill has been working very hard at his job. He has a bunch of conferences coming up, some of which will take him out of town for days at a time. He’s going to Budapest again this year.

I went with him last year, but we decided I’d stay home this time. He’s got back to back conferences in Budapest, and the hotel he booked is in a less tourist oriented area. It does actually look like this year’s hotel might be better lodging than last year’s spot, even though it’s an Ibis. But it gets old trying to dodge the housekeepers, plus it’s no fun going to tourist spots alone, while Bill works.

Bill recently told his bosses that he really needs a vacation, so he arranged to take leave from October 1st until the 13th. Normally, we’d do a champagne bucket drawing to decide where we’d be going. However, this year, we both decided we wanted to do a road trip. I was particularly keen to visit Slovakia, because although we have technically been there, we’ve never done a proper stay there.

My first visit to Slovakia was in 1997, and I stayed in a university dormitory with friends. The second time I visited was a day trip to Bratislava from Vienna, back in 2015. I wanted to see a different part of the country, and maybe get some pretty photos of fall foliage. I also wanted to buy some art for the house, and have a nice rest in a spa.

Slovakia is not that close, if you’re going by car. That meant we had to decide where to stop on the way there and back. Initially, I thought I’d like to visit Gorlitz, which is a German border town where a lot of movies have been shot. I actually didn’t know that until I started looking for a good halfway point between Wiesbaden and the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and southern Poland.

But as I was looking at Gorlitz, I realized that it’s really an underrated gem, and there’s a lot to see there. I also realized that I wanted to visit nearby Bautzen, too. And although we went to Dresden in 2008, I think we’re overdue for a visit there, again. I realized that hitting all of those spots would eat up precious time we didn’t have, and we wouldn’t get much “bang for the buck”. That area really demands a separate, more concentrated look.

I hadn’t originally thought of going to Czechia, since we’ve been there a bunch of times already… Valentine’s Day weekend 2009, we went to Chodova Plana and visited Beer Wellness Land, Chodovar. We had a great time, although that was when we learned we would be leaving Germany a year earlier than expected. 🤬

Anyway, after spending a couple of hours deliberating, I finally decided to look for a hotel in Karlovy Vary (also known as Carlsbad), a beautiful spa town in Czechia that is close to Chodovar. Bill and I did a day trip there in 2009, and I was impressed by how grand it was. It’s also where we met Nikolaj Korelov, the Russian artist who painted my favorite piece of art from our travels.

I actually wouldn’t have minded going to Chodovar again, and having a beer bath and a massage. They’ve really built up and expanded that place since 2009, and added a beautiful pool complex. The restaurants are nice– unless things have changed a lot. But I wanted to see more of Karlovy Vary and get some photos. I forgot to bring my camera on that 2009 trip, so I don’t have any good pictures from then. Karlovy Vary is a beautiful town. I’m sure in October, it’s a lot prettier than it is in February!

So, we will spend three nights in Karlovy Vary at Hotel Chateau Cihelny, a property located just outside of the city. There’s a train there, that will get us to Karlovy Vary in eight minutes. It’s also near a golf course (not that we play), and trails for walking.

After our stay in Czechia, we will move on to Slovakia, where I have booked three nights at panoraMic Mountain Residence, a self-catering apartment in Stary Smokovec, a touristy area in the Tatra Mountains. The apartment, which is our cheapest spot, gets rave reviews. That’s why I chose it over the much pricier Kempinski Hotel. I think we’ll enjoy it, because we’re mainly hoping for peace and quiet, forest views, and maybe some gentle hikes.

From Stary Smokovec, we will continue to Krakow, Poland, a city neither of us have yet visited. People have repeatedly recommended Krakow, although I had a hell of a time finding a hotel I liked. I finally settled on Kanonicza 22 another self-catering apartment located in the heart of the city. We will be parking at a nearby garage. This property has three apartments. We took the Duke Suite, which was the only one still available.

I picked Krakow because I heard it’s beautiful, but I also think we’ll try to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is about an hour’s drive from Krakow. I know it will be a very somber, depressing experience visiting that museum, but I really think it’s important to go there and see it. I’ve read a lot about the Holocaust, but nothing beats actually going to the place where this terrible history occurred and seeing it firsthand.

I looked into staying in Oświęcim, where the museum is actually located, but again, had trouble finding a hotel I liked. And we did want to see Krakow itself. If it turns out we like the area, maybe we’ll go back… I thought about staying in Zakopane, too, but that’s in Poland, and I did want to stay in Slovakia, just to say I did.

After three nights in Krakow, we’ll move on to Dresden, and stay at Hotel Suitess, a lovely small luxury hotel we stayed in back in November 2008. I thought long and hard about booking the Kempinski there, too, but it was so much more expensive than the Suitess. We know where the Suitess is, and we know it has all we need. Why spend so much more for the most basic room at the Kempinski, when I can book us an upgraded room at the Suitess for so much less? Yes, the Kempinski has a pool and a sushi restaurant, but I’m not sure that’s worth several hundred euros more.

A few November 2008 era photos from our first Dresden trip.

I think this will be a great trip that will spawn plenty of memories. I hope to find some more art for the house, pick up some Chodovar beers and Il Santo water, and get lots of beautiful photos. If, for some reason, we aren’t able to get to Auschwitz, we’ll just come back… and maybe pair that with a trip to Gorlitze, Bautzen, and the surrounding area. I am still intrigued by those towns and want to do a trip that focuses time on that area. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that before it’s time for us to leave Europe.

I will say this… we’ve been here so long, and done so many great trips. I feel very fortunate to be so spoiled for choices. And no matter what, we really can’t lose. We always have a great time, no matter where we go. But I did want to do something that doesn’t involve huge cities. I think I have succeeded in these plans. Wish us luck as I research things to do and places to dine. 😁

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