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Hey there fellow travelers, Mark here with Walter's World, and today we're here in beautiful Bratislava, Slovakia. And today we have for you our the don'ts of visiting Slovakia. And I'm going to start with kind of a silly one, but it's a silly mistake all tourists make when they come to Slovakia. When they talk about Slovakia, they switch it up with Slovenia. So, don't forget Slovakia and Slovenia are two different countries. Now, they both are beautiful and have beautiful people, lots of great food, and they both have lots of mountains. However, they are two different places. So, I know sometimes even in this video I'll probably have accidentally say
Slovenia instead of Slovakia. It does happen, but don't think they're the same place. So, if you're buying your tickets to come here, make sure you know that Ljubljana, that's in Slovenia. Bratislava, that is here in Slovakia, okay? And to help it out, remember Slovakia is all about ice hockey, and Slovenia is all about basketball, all right? Now, another don't I have for you when it comes to geography things is um don't confuse Czechia with Slovakia. Now, remember there was Czechoslovakia, but that was decades ago. We had the Velvet Divorce. It was a very amicable divorce as well. We're still very close.
We still like to hang out. We still have little bit of jokes with each other when we're here, you know? Obviously, if you're talking about Czech versus Slovakia, one, you always have to mention that Slovakia is way, way better, especially in ice hockey, very key things. But, the thing is that the languages are very similar. Some of the TV channels go on both the same way. So, there's a long history of them together, but I will say don't think they're the same kind of place. Like, I would say Czechia is more beer, and Slovakia is more, you know, spirits. And if you're looking in terms of the people, it's much more religious and conservative here in Slovakia than it is in Czechia, okay? So, have a heads-up for that. And
then going into another geography thing with a neighbor, another thing I would talk about is um don't compare your time in Slovakia with your time in Hungary. Because Slovakia was actually part of Hungary for like a thousand years, and they have their independence. They got their independence from Hungary. They have their own kind of thing here. And so, there's kind of a very complicated history of Hungary and Slovakia. Also, there is a very, you know, a large minority of Hungarians actually here in Slovakia in the southern part. So, it is one of those things that it is one of those It's not testy, but it is one of those things you should be aware of when you're talking about the great time you
had in Budapest. Yeah, you just save that till you get over to Vienna, okay? Here and talk about how much you love Slovakia and how much of a good time you have it when you're here. Now, one of the things I want to tell you when you're coming to Slovakia, don't pass up on the nature. This is definitely one of those nature countries you want to go to. The High Tatras, yes, there's the Low Tatras, but let's be honest, you want to go to the High Tatras there. You want to go hiking there and all the things. Oh man, it's beautiful when you're going there. Skiing there in the wintertime, going to the lakes, seeing that, but honestly, the caves. There's like 6,000 caves here in Slovakia. You can go and explore a
lot of them when you're there. The Cave of Liberty is probably one of the most famous ones that's here. But also, the national parks you can go to. there's like what, nine national parks? The Slovak Paradise National Park's probably the most popular one you want to go see, but honestly, getting out to nature, going back to nature is one of the beautiful things you hear. That's why when you talk about when I talk about other places to go, you're like, "Well, there's Bratislava and Košice. What Well, what else is there?" Well, it's the nature you're going for when you're here. So, get out and enjoy it when you are here. And the infrastructure here lets you enjoy those kind of things. And
another nice thing about coming here to Slovakia, you don't have to worry about your safety cuz this place is a safe country to visit. Those pickpockets, yeah, they're staying in Vienna and Budapest. They're not really even here in Bratislava, okay? I mean, obviously, use your usual travel sense when you go around. Wallet in the front pocket, don't leave anything in your car, your rental car, blah. Those things, but in general, Slovakia, super safe to visit. Though, I will say, one safety thing I want to have for you, one don't I want to have for you is, don't forget to check the weather before you go hiking because in the mountains, the weather can change really quickly and there's a lot of horror stories of
tourists and visitors that maybe got hurt or didn't come back from their hikes. So, really, bring be prepared when you go for those hikes. Don't feel unprepared hikes. Don't forget to check the weather and don't forget to tell people like at your hotel or where you're going to go that hey, we're going to go do this hike today. And don't forget stay on the path. Do not go and explore because bad things can happen to you. Even though this is a very safe country, that's the only really kind of danger thing I really want you to know about. Now another thing you'll notice when you come into Slovakia is you notice you'll keep seeing more and more castles. I mean here in Bratislava you
got the Bratislava Castle, then like 25 minutes up the way you got the Devin Castle. I mean heck, when you're coming into the country you're probably past 12 castles on the way. I mean I'll just tell you this, don't bother counting the castles because there's too many. So make sure if you get a chance go and visit them. Some of them are castle ruins. Some of them have museums inside. Some of you can still see some of the you know the apartments that are in there. There's so many that are here that you could enjoy cuz this is really one of the highest percentage of castles per capita in the world and they're really beautiful to check out
and they're all over the country so you can do that. So don't miss out on those. Probably the most popular ones like I said the Bratislava one you'll probably visit, the Devin Castle, the Spis Castle is also the ruins there are really nice to visit as well. Um there's also like little towns you go to. You go to the Orava Castle. I mean literally there's like a hundred depending where you go. Some say it's 180. Some say there's 200. There's a lot. So don't count them, just go enjoy them when you're here. And also when you're going around the country, don't forget to look out for the wooden churches. Now you're not going to see the wooden churches here in Bratislava, okay? That's when
you're going out about and you're going to be in the country. You're going to be in the Tatras. You're going to be going around. That's where you're going to see them and they are beautiful to check out inside and out. Now if you're coming from Vienna where there's a lot of tourists all the time or you're coming from Budapest there's a lot of tourists all the time. You're used to having to fight over all kinds of stuff. Well I want to tell you this, don't worry about getting overrun by tourists here in Slovakia because not a ton of tourists come here. Whether you're just doing a day trip from Vienna to go to Bratislava or you're staying here longer you're going to go to Tatras Mountains.
Honestly, you can have a good time without being overrun anywhere in the country. Now I will say during the day on the weekends those day trippers from Vienna can be a bit much, but by 5:00 or 6:00 they're gone and you literally have the city as Saturday night. It's like you and the bachelor and bachelorette parties and that's it. I mean, it's really, really great. So, it gives you a chance to meet the locals, try the food, actually get into the restaurants you want to go to, which is super cool. Now, having said that there's not a lot of tourists, I still recommend if you're going to want to go hiking in the High Tatras like in the cool like summertime hiking season, book ahead. Also, for
skiing season, kind of book ahead for that one, too, just to make sure you have a place, but overall, I mean, it's so nice to be here because it's such a beautiful country and a lot of people haven't discovered it yet or haven't really like the mass tourism hasn't come here, so you can really enjoy Slovak culture, cuisine, people. It's really, really awesome, okay? Now, I know I talked about those day trippers from Vienna and I just want to tell you this, don't think Bratislava is just a day trip from Vienna cuz a lot of people they'll stay in Vienna then like, "Oh, I'm going to come for a cheap night or a cheap day here in Bratislava." I mean, yes, you can do that, but don't. Spend
more time when you're here. Yes, like I said, the castles that are here, the museums that are here, the churches, go to the cathedral. The cathedral seems so blasé when you see it outside, but inside it's beautiful. The Blue Church, you go see that, it's gorgeous and you go around and you can really enjoy yourself here in Bratislava. And again, you can save some money when you're here, which is very nice, but I'm going to talk about that on our next part, but honestly, day trippers, yes, you can be a day trip in Vienna just so you at least get here, but don't be a day tripper. Stay and enjoy this beautiful city or maybe stay a few days and go enjoy some more of the country. So, now
we're here at the UFO Bridge. I thought it'd be a good idea to tell you this one. Um, don't think that coming to Slovakia is going to bust your budget. I mean, people come from all over to go skiing in the Tatras, go hiking here, taking a day trip from Vienna to Bratislava to enjoy the affordable eating, drinking, and merrymaking. It's fantastic, but I'm going to tell you, don't think it's going to bust your budget when you come here. However, don't go and brag about it to the locals that, "Oh, Slovakia is so cheap." Cuz one, Slovakia isn't cheap anymore. Prices have risen. And the thing is, prices have risen a lot more than the salaries have. So, for the locals, it's not a cheap place to be. So, don't be
like, "Oh, I've got my German money. I've got my American money. I've got my British money. Everything is so easy to enjoy here." No, it's not as easy it was to enjoy. It's not cheaper here anymore, but it's still affordable. But, for the locals, it's not. So, it's one of those things you kind of want to be aware of when you are coming here because they do know people come here for a more affordable vacation. But, don't like brag about it when you're here, okay? Now, another don't I have for you is whenever you go into a shop, whenever you go into a restaurant, don't forget to say dobrý deň, okay? Dobrý deň is like good day. It's like a greeting when you go in. Cuz look, they know you're
not going to speak Slovak. That's not really a problem. But, but just by saying dobrý deň when you go into a shop or going into a store or going into a restaurant or getting the public transportation, ingratiate yourself with the locals. And that's why it's one thing you really need to know. Dobrý deň, it'll take care of a lot of your issues when you're there cuz they'll know right away when you're not from here. And they'll hear you say dobrý deň like, "Ah, you're so close, Mark, but we appreciate you trying, all right?" Cuz honestly, um like I said, don't think they're going to think that you know any Slovak, but they will appreciate that you tried, okay? So, some other things you might want to know. Prosím is please. Um ďakujem is
thank you. Áno is yes. Nie is no. Um and if you can't get all those, you know, the dobrý deň, the good day, that's a good entry one, but that's too complicated. Just think like you're a pirate and go, "Ahoj." Ahoj is actually hi. So, you can just do that. They'll appreciate that. But, um don't get confused when they say áno cuz áno actually means yes. So, you're like, "Is that right? Áno?" Like, "No, it's a no?" No, áno means yes. So, don't get confused with that. Now, another word you should know when you're here and it's very important is Na zdravie, which is basically cheers. I know I'm butchering it, but I'm pretty close. That's why I put the letters down below
to help you out. But, honestly, you're going to cheers here. And I want to tell you this, don't think that Slovakia is a beer country like Czechia. This is much more of a spirits country, right? And so, I got to tell you this, don't be surprised if they offer you a shot of slivovica. And slivovica is a plum brandy. It is the like national spirit when you're here. And I want to tell you right now, don't shoot it. It is a sipper. Cuz if you shoot it, imagine the cartoons like the fire shoots out like out of your mouth cuz yeah, it is strong. And they like their spirits and they like their strong spirits when you're here. So, don't be surprised if somebody offers you one. And don't forget you make eye contact when you
cheers and you always cheers first before you drink, all right? And there might be other ones aside from the plum brandy. You might see with juniper spirits, might see apple. Like just now I had was apple and it was 67. Woo! It was a strong one for sure. But yeah, that's one of those things and it's a good way to like, hey, know the locals when you're here and you know, don't be surprised they're like, hey, you're taking one for the road. Thanks for enjoying our country. Cheers, you know, nazdraví. So, just be aware that there might be a little bit of a spirit action when you are here. Now, if you want to have something that's from local around here, don't forget to have the Kofola. This is
basically the Coke from back in the day. Um it does taste a bit different. Liam was not a fan. It is definitely more of bitter kind of thing than a very super sweet drink. So, just be aware of it. I love it. She loves Now, another local treat I don't want you to turn your nose up at is um don't turn your nose up at the local cheeses because there are a lot of fantastic cheeses here. There's all these mountains. So, you got this mountain sheep cheese which is really, really good. And probably the most famous one is the bryndza. And bryndza basically where you'll see it in is probably the bryndzové halušky which is the little potato dumplings mixed with the sheep cheese with the bacon bits
on top. It is the national dish when you're going to have when you're here. You have to have it. It's so good. I love it. I really, really enjoyed it. I really like it. I want to have it again and again. But that bryndza cheese is um it's a bit strong for some people. It can pack a bit of a punch and you'll see it not just in the you know the dumplings kind of stuff sometimes inside of dumplings as well not just like as a topping. It does come into a quite a few food things but it is good. Don't turn your nose up at it though. You might want to turn your nose up at it. It actually is pretty tasty. You want to have that. And honestly just don't don't pass up the cheeses at all because like you can get the fried
cheese when you're here and you're like oh yeah fried cheese like have with my beer. Yeah you can have with your beer but also it can come as a meal you have the fried cheese and fries. Yeah why not? Let's just clog all the arteries so I can die happy here with my spirits and my food when I'm here with my cheeses. But also there's a grilled cheese you would have when you're here. Not like a grilled cheese sandwich but actually a sheep cheese that they basically grill up. Oh this so good. And they have jam with it. Yummy. You want to have that with you here so don't pass up the cheeses. Now I know I've been telling you about all these like good don'ts when you come here to Slovakia. I think I need to talk
about a little bad don't and I would say this don't expect the most friendly service when you come to Slovakia. Now I will say it is more um efficient professionalism than it is over the top friendly service you kind of stuff. Cuz what you have to realize the Slovaks in general are pretty reserved people like they value honesty over politeness. So if you ask them what you should get they'll be like well you're fat don't eat that eat this instead or hey you know like Justin was getting ice cream for Liam and she didn't know what this candy was. He's like it's a famous candy in Europe. What are you stupid? I'm like wow. You know not trying to be rude but just pointing out the fact that everybody knows this
candy and you don't weird. But there is very much directness when you're here. So I don't want you to take the directness wrongly. They just prefer honesty instead of over politeness so be aware of that. And the service sector when it comes out is you just don't expect really like friendly outgoing service or fast service. Just think efficient professionalism it will help you out. And sometimes what that's nice about if you ask them hey what's actually a really good dish here? They'll be like get this And they're not trying to like make extra money off of you, so that's pretty nice, okay? Um other things I want to say with the service, though, if you really want to see the service shine, um yeah, don't validate your transportation tickets. Yeah,
whether you're here in Bratislava or you go around the country, you're going to buy your tickets, you know, and you need to validate them when you get on, you know, the trams or the buses. And if you don't, believe me, the guys that are there and the ladies that are there to check tickets will nail you with a fine. And you'll really get to see good Slovakian service when they yell at you for, "I don't care if you don't speak Slovak, you need to have validate this ticket. I don't care if you're a tourist, you're going to pay the fine." Just be aware of that one. And the thing is, I know going with these kind of negatives, that service kind of thing. I think another thing I want to mention
though is, just because the service is like that sometimes when you're here, don't think the Slovaks won't help you out. I mean, I'll be honest with you, I've traveled a lot, Austria, Poland, Czechia, you know, here in Slovakia, Hungary. And I'll be honest with you, the Slovaks have been the nicest people to us. They've told us what to eat, where to go, how to help out, helped us with our kids. Like, one of our Slovak friends literally was carrying our kid around the city when he passed out. I mean, it was hilarious and they were so friendly and they're so fun when you get to know them. That's why I don't want you to think that service kind of gruffness translates into the people,
because the Slovak people are awesome. I've had so many great times traveling with my Slovak friends, coming here to visit them. Karol, dude, you're awesome, man. I miss you, man. Peace. You know, like, you just have so many great people when you're here. And I just feel bad cuz the service gives it kind of a bad vibe and I don't want you to have that cuz they will be super helpful and super nice. I love them. Now, let's go back to the tourism kind of stuff. Now, I know I'm filming this in Bratislava. I mean, we've got the UFO bridge behind me, but I think it's also important to mention, um don't just come to Bratislava. I mean, Bratislava is beautiful with the architecture and the castles and down
the way you got Devin Castle as well. I know we talked about the castles and stuff, but honestly, you have so many beautiful things here in Bratislava, but throughout the country, go and explore. Yes, go in the High Tatras and go hiking up there. Do your winter skiing when you go up there. Heck, go to, you know, some of the smaller villages around and take that in. Heck, go along the Danube. Take a riverboat cruise when you're here in Bratislava to see a little bit more. Even just go a little farther out cuz the nature here is beautiful and it's very mountainous. So, you want to explore that. But, also, you go to places here. go to Košice. And Košice is
basically, if you go to the eastern side of the country, it's like the eastern cultural capital that's there, which is really pretty. You know, you can go see the cathedral there near there. That's really nice. You've got Banská Štiavnica, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They got these beautiful baroque buildings that are there. There's an old mine there you can visit as well. I mean, it's beautiful. There's a lot of places you can go around the country, not just Bratislava, okay? Now, other little don'ts I want to kind of talk about when you are here. One, uh don't forget to check timetables because churches, museums, stores, they might have different hours than you're used to
back home. Like, the Blue Church here in uh in Bratislava has very interesting hours. Like, it's open in the morning and then late in the evening for services basically kind of times, but not during the afternoon. Other places, hey, you know what? Some stores might close like at 6:00 or some might be closed on Sundays. Museums, Mondays not a good museum day when you're here. So, it's a good idea to don't forget to check the schedules if you're going around. Also, I just a kind of a logistics thing, don't forget, um they use the euro here, okay? So, if you're coming from Poland with the złoty or you're coming from Hungary with the forint, when you come here, you have the exchange houses. And I want to tell you
this, don't just blindly go to any of the exchange houses. Look and check the actual Go online and see the actual exchange rate and see what the exchange rates they're offering are cuz probably your best bet if you're coming from Poland or whatever, like, exchange the money you have left over if you're not going back. But, they just use ATMs here to get out cash. That's going to be your best way to do it. Remember, don't do the conversion. You have that, but plenty of ATMs, don't worry about getting money out. You're going to be able to find those. So, that's pretty cool.
Other things I would say in terms of the don'ts, one of the big ones is because we're here in Central Europe and this is very much the heart. You look at a map of Central of Europe and right there in the middle is Slovakia. Don't call it Eastern Europe. Okay, just don't. They don't appreciate that. Like people really think, "Oh, well, Vienna is the heart of Western Europe." Vienna is literally like 45 minutes down the way from me. Like an hour down the way on a bus, right? So, you're in the heart of Central Europe, not Eastern Europe cuz Eastern Europe has that connotation of communism and the bad times. That's one of the things that people don't really like. So, remember, don't call it
Eastern, call it Central Europe. And the one thing I want to say is don't call it anything else but a beautiful country cuz Slovakia, those mountains and the villages and the towns and the capital like here in Bratislava, it is a gorgeous place to visit. Even if the cheese might smell a little bit, you're going to enjoy every bite and every sip of all the spirits and all the fun you have when you're here. Anyway, I wish you all the best. If you have other don'ts for visiting Slovakia, please put it down in the comments below so we can help other travelers enjoy this beautiful country. Bye from here in Bratislava.
