Things to See in Slovakia

Wave after wave of mountains rise to a crescendo in the peaks that encircle the Vratná Valley. Malá Fatra National Park was created in 1987 largely to protect this prime piece of real estate. Heavily forested summers are a symphony of green in the popular park. Trails, ski lifts and a cable car put you right among the scenery.

The excellent Museum of Jewish Culture (Múzeum ´idovskej Kultúry) is in the grounds of Bratislava Castle. Displays on the history and culture of the region's much-persecuted Jews are in English and are deeply moving. Black-and-white photos show Bratislava's old Jewish ghetto and synagogue, which were demolished in the 1960s.

In the 17th century a mad Hungarian countess named Al¸beta Báthory (known as Bloody Liz to her mates) tortured and murdered more than 600 peasant women at achtice Castle (achtice hrad), where she was eventually imprisoned.

This castle, at the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, was the main Habsburg military bulwark. From here you can look across the river into Austria and south to Hungary just down the way. A small fort was built in the 13th century and a palace was added two centuries later.

The sprawling ruins of Spi¨ský hrad are the largest in Slovakia, some claim in all of Central Europe. The fortress was first constructed in 1209, wrecked by the Tatars in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 15th century.