We start this day in a medieval town of Levoča, said by many to be the most beautiful town in the eastern Slovakia! We agree – it’s amazing. As well as nearby Spiš Castle, the historic town-center of Levoča is in its entirety inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We enter the St. James Church, which is the home of the 18.6 meter-tall altar by Master Paul, the tallest wooden altar in the world!

Our tour continues to the town of Kežmarok, where a beautiful wooden church inscribed to UNESCO World Heritage List is located. This unique church was built only of wood, without using a single iron nail. Listen to the stories of the fights between the Catholics and Protestants and admire the fabulous interior. It can accommodate more than a thousand worshippers!

After a drive to the village of Červený Kláštor, we hop on wooden rafts and drift down the river surrounded by the peaks of Pieniny mountains. The tour on the raft is 14 km long and takes around 2 hours. Once you get into the raft you get welcomed by the tour guide who will direct the raft and also explain and describe what you see. These guys are locals who have rafting in their genes. They all wear old local clothes and black hats decorated with little white shells. The shells have special meaning, every shell stands for one voyage to the north and to the see. Raftsmen dressed in traditional goral costumes talk during a raft ride about local history, rare fauna and flora, as well as legends and tales connected with surrounding rocks.

We spend this night in Ždiar, a tiny and picturesque village, which is perfectly located in The National Park of High Tatras. You will be surrounded by the lofty peaks and marvelous wooden architecture typical of this beautiful mountain village. Locals living in the village are known as Gorals and wear their traditional folk costumes.

Today we explore the area around the town of Bardejov. Slovakia is a country of very strong Christian traditions. Each part of Slovakia has hidden jewels, which are characteristic for that area and are incomparable with others. Wooden churches and belfries are such jewels of Eastern Slovakia, as they are unique and typical especially for this territory. During our trip today we visit wooden churches in Hervartov (UNESCO), Lukov and Krive.

The churches were built between the 16th and 18th centuries. The most of them are located in small isolated villages. Wood is the main construction material. The wooden churches represent traditional construction techniques. Interiors of the churches are decorated with wall and ceiling paintings and works of art that enrich the cultural significance of the properties.

Then we make a stop in the town of Bardejov. Bardejov is an exceptionally complete and well-preserved fortified medieval center included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. We visit the majestic gothic basilica of St. Egidius (UNESCO), the Renaissance City Hall with late-gothic artistic and architectural details included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and a Jewish quarter around a fine 18th-century synagogue.

After breakfast, we visit a typical Slovak village called Vlkolínec. It is a remarkably intact settlement of 45 buildings with the traditional features of a Slovak village located in the mountains. Vlkolinec was included in UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993 as being the best preserved and most comprehensive unit of its kind in the whole region. You will have a chance to hear stories about our crazy Slovak traditions and see the life of ordinary people from the countryside.

Then we make a lunch break at a traditional sheep farm and taste some original Slovak specialties – don’t miss the chance to savor the unique Slovak cuisine accompanied by local beer and wine. Slovakia is a country of very strong sheep-breeding traditions, you have a chance to taste some of the best meals such as dumplings made with sheep cheese (bryndzové halušky), cabbage soup (kapustová polievka), Slovak goulash and much more.

Our journey continues to the open-air Museum of the Slovak Village, which is one of the finest of its kind. Traditional wooden rustic houses, farms, technical, social and religious buildings have been brought here and displayed for the eager public. There is a very extensive collection of remarkably preserved tools and house interiors of ordinary peasants from various regions of Slovakia giving you a revealing insight into their way of life. Most of the houses are made of wood and covered with a thick layer of clay. On our tour around the open-air museum, we will meet the local people, who present their craftsmanship and folk culture – smiths, tinkers, potters, farmers, lace makers or wood carvers. Listen to their stories and find out how they live. Even the folk musicians and dancers regularly find their way here – enjoy their performance in front of your eyes!

Today we explore Banská Štiavnica – a completely preserved medieval town. Thanks to the characteristic architecture and a rich mining history typical for this region, the town of Banská Štiavnica has been included in UNESCO World Heritage list. We agree – it’s one of the most charming places you have ever seen. Today you have the option of exploring the town’s stunning range of attractions at your own pace. We take a walk around the Trinity square, visit the Gothic church of St. Catherine from the late 15th century or the Town Hall before we taste the real jewel of Slovak beers in a local brewery. Here you will be served many different varieties of beer with long tradition – Lager, Weizen, Special Dark or Beer distillate – all made with special care.

After lunch, we will visit the open-air mining museum, where we pick up helmets, cloaks and lamps and enter the underground excursion in mines. Dressed up as real miners we will descend to one of its pits dated from the 17th century.

Before we finish the Folk Traditions tour we will have a chance to relax in the beautiful scenery of the mountains surrounding the town of Banská Štiavnica. This area is full of mining lakes that were built and connected to each other for the needs of the silver and gold mines and today they are very popular places for hikers and weekenders.

Our Folk Traditions tour ends at your desired drop-off point (airport, station, hotel) in Bratislava, Vienna or Budapest. Enjoy your return home with great memories from your journey in Slovakia!