The floodplain forests that were created by the Danube river in the Bratislava Region are a unique habitat in terms of both fauna and flora. One can get to know the beauty of this area in various ways, such as walking or cycling, but rafting and paddling might be the most fun of them all. Besides the main course of the Danube, which is for quite advanced paddlers, its numerous side branches are especially suitable. These include, for example, the Little Danube, which extends to the Trnava and Nitra regions, or the Mosoni Danube on the Hungarian side. The Little Danube is around 120 km long and paddling on the stream is rather calm and safe, therefore a popular activity for families with children. One port and a popular starting point of the Little Danube river experience is already in one of the Bratislava boroughs - Vrakuňa.
***
On the southern side of the Štiavnica mountians, in the village of Uhliská, one can lodge in an atypical hexagonal hotel. The hotel consists of only one room, with a capacity of two beds, nonetheless, these provide a unique connection with nature. Dušan Budinský built this unconventional hotel following the philosophy of apitherapy. Apitherapy is an alternative therapy that uses products that come directly from honeybees. The hexagonal structure of the little hotel with one room should resemble a bee cell. Many visitors come by to look at the unusual construction, others, who stay for a night, look for peace and connection with nature. The so-called bee-hotel is built from natural materials, coated with linen colors and allegedly sleeping in this tiny house is beneficial to health, since honey and pollen particles contained in the air have a positive effect on the mucous membrane of the bronchi.
***
Tourists who choose to explore the beauty of the Plavecký Karst on the outskirts of the Bratislava region during the summer can enter a freely accessible cave from the Quaternary period, but also experience a scenery reminiscent of Croatian Dalmatia. Both sights are part of the nature trail. The entrance to the trail is from the village of Plavecký Mikuláš and the Deravá skala or Hollow rock cave is the first stop. It is located in Mokrá dolina or Damp valley. Plavecký Karst is one of the eight karst areas of the Little Carpathians, there are about 150 cave formations, and Deravá skala documents how caves were formed in the northwestern part of the Little Carpathians. Those who follow the route of the nature trail can discover large karst holes at Amon's Meadow, or take a little historic detour via Plavecký Castle or the former Celtic fort Pohanská.
***
And the last tip shall guide you to the northern Slovak region of Orava, to the open air museum in Zuberec, under the majestic Roháče mountains. Not only is the museum with its wooden houses from various parts of Orava a beautiful place to spend a day or two, but there are also a lot of accompanying events going on in its premises. For example, every Sunday during the summer holidays one can observe demonstrations of traditional crafts, like pottery, wood carving, wire work, production of honeycomb candles, etc. Demonstrations take place from 11am to 4pm. Moreover, the 2pm slot on Wednesdays arise dedicated to traditional musical and dance folklore, so make sure you do not miss that.
