Slovakia

Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The Slovak landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains extending across most of the northern half of the country. Amongst these mountain ranges are the high peaks of the Tatra mountains. To the north, close to the Polish border, are the High Tatras which are a popular skiing destination and home to many scenic lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Slovakia, the Gerlachovský stít. The Slovak climate lies between the temperate and continental climate zones with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. Tourism in Slovakia offers natural landscapes, mountains, caves, medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts. One of Slovakia's main tourist attractions is the Tatra Mountains, particularly the High Tatras, the highest part of the Carpathians. They feature many rare plant and animal species and offer numerous ski, hiking and mountaineering opportunities. Rivers and streams in the mountains of Slovakia are often used for rafting and other white-water based activities and sports. Slovakia's karst areas offer an extremely high number of caves and their list is being expanded every year due to new discoveries. Thirteen caves are open to the public, the longest one of which is 9 km long. Some of them have been proclaimed UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.