Slovakia
Gloopily thick hot chocolate, and a counter piled with cookies and cheesecakes, are excellent reasons to idle in vaulted Cafe Gavalier, which is tucked into a 16th-century Renaissance house. Hipster regalia from neon pug dogs to mock-antique chairs freshen the atmosphere, making it as popular with Instagramming locals as tourists.
Gavalier also has accommodation (doubles from €80) in rooms elegant and contemporary in style but retaining the building's original arches.
22.38 MILES
A museum dedicated to WWII history and Banská Bystrica's role as the beating heart of the country's anti-fascist resistance is harboured in a looming…
26.41 MILES
Gazing at fairy-tale Bojnice Castle stirs fantasies of knights and maidens in even the world-weariest travellers. Blushing sandstone towers and…
1.01 MILES
The apex of baroque art in Slovakia is on a volcanic hill, 2km northeast of Banská Štiavnica's old town. Ornate chapels guard artwork showing scenes from…
0.07 MILES
Marching around this noble stronghold is a riveting history lesson. Visitors scale stairs and stride across rampart walkways, peering into the 13th…
0.09 MILES
Peer at apocalyptic frescoes, star-shaped vaults and stained-glass windows inside this 15th-century Gothic church. The south wall of the chancel shows a…
0.05 MILES
It’s impossible to miss this fancy baroque sculpture featuring seven saints. Planted in the heart of the Holy Trinity Square, which is lined by burgher…
0.65 MILES
Don a mining helmet and dangle a lamp on a 1.5km stroll into Slovakia's history at this former working mine, 1.5km southwest of the town centre. This…
Folk Music Museum & Puppet Theatre
22.36 MILES
An oddball pairing of musical history and retro puppets is on show on the upper floor of the local library. The collection of 250 folk instruments offers…
0.05 MILES
It’s impossible to miss this fancy baroque sculpture featuring seven saints. Planted in the heart of the Holy Trinity Square, which is lined by burgher…
0.07 MILES
Marching around this noble stronghold is a riveting history lesson. Visitors scale stairs and stride across rampart walkways, peering into the 13th…
0.09 MILES
Peer at apocalyptic frescoes, star-shaped vaults and stained-glass windows inside this 15th-century Gothic church. The south wall of the chancel shows a…
0.35 MILES
Hurriedly built in the early 16th century, when the town was menaced by the Ottomans as they waged war on the Hungarian Kingdom, this former lookout tower…
0.65 MILES
Don a mining helmet and dangle a lamp on a 1.5km stroll into Slovakia's history at this former working mine, 1.5km southwest of the town centre. This…
1.01 MILES
The apex of baroque art in Slovakia is on a volcanic hill, 2km northeast of Banská Štiavnica's old town. Ornate chapels guard artwork showing scenes from…
22.34 MILES
One of the old town's crowning constructions, Banská Bystrica's baroque clock tower was built in 1552; climb it for views over the central square.
8. Folk Music Museum & Puppet Theatre
22.36 MILES
An oddball pairing of musical history and retro puppets is on show on the upper floor of the local library. The collection of 250 folk instruments offers…