I work in a hostel in Costa Rica; one of the most tourist-friendly countries in the world. When I travel I need a place without tourists...particularly Americans. Slovakia is that place. Many people I know think it's Czechoslovakia, as if we're still in the Cold War. Thanks to my generous Slovak friends, I have found a lot more in this country than its small size would suggest. This summer I discovered the heart of Slovakia: Orava.
This is the view from high atop the Citadel of Orava Castle near Dolny Kubin, Slovakia. This is the highest as well as the oldest part of the castle. The oldest record of the castle construction dates back to 1267, but the location had been occupied for hundreds of years before. It would be quite difficult for any invader to scale this limey mountain.
The interior has been converted into a museum covering the history of the castle and the surrounding Orava region. The large dining room, the armory and the views of the surrounding countryside are particularly impressive. I found the design of the dining room chairs interesting for a special reason: alcoholic consumption.
The males would sit at the table and discuss war, politics and business over many glasses of beer and domaca slivovica. Meanwhile the females would quietly sit against the wall and get bored. The ladies' chairs have no arms, which gave them more reason to leave early and go to sleep. The mens' chairs have arms, which enabled them to drink all night and comfortably pass out in their chairs without falling over.
Besides the life of castle nobility, the museum also highlights the rural culture and nature of the Orava region. Here's the traditional 'kroje' that many Slovak sheepherders and farmers wore. Although it looks quite dated, people were still wearing these up through the 20th century. I would take this fancy suit over the American cowboy hat and boots anyday.
This is just a short part of what I saw on the 2 hour tour. Being the only American there also gave it a personal quality. Although I don't expect hundreds of American tourists to flood Slovakia for one castle, I do hope some of you will hop a ZSR Train to Orava and see what I have seen.
This is the view from high atop the Citadel of Orava Castle near Dolny Kubin, Slovakia. This is the highest as well as the oldest part of the castle. The oldest record of the castle construction dates back to 1267, but the location had been occupied for hundreds of years before. It would be quite difficult for any invader to scale this limey mountain.
The interior has been converted into a museum covering the history of the castle and the surrounding Orava region. The large dining room, the armory and the views of the surrounding countryside are particularly impressive. I found the design of the dining room chairs interesting for a special reason: alcoholic consumption.
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| It's a man's chair |
Besides the life of castle nobility, the museum also highlights the rural culture and nature of the Orava region. Here's the traditional 'kroje' that many Slovak sheepherders and farmers wore. Although it looks quite dated, people were still wearing these up through the 20th century. I would take this fancy suit over the American cowboy hat and boots anyday.This is just a short part of what I saw on the 2 hour tour. Being the only American there also gave it a personal quality. Although I don't expect hundreds of American tourists to flood Slovakia for one castle, I do hope some of you will hop a ZSR Train to Orava and see what I have seen.
Welcome to Slovakia.
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