Experience the horrors of war and spirituality in the northeast of Slovakia
The beauty of temples is mixed with bunkers and tanks.
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The road from Medzilaborce to Svidník is curvy, but dotted with sights worth stopping for. For instance, in the village of Miková, the birthplace of Andy Warhol's parents, there is a newly opened memorial room that resembles a modern museum.
The exhibition focuses on the famous artist's mother, Júlia, who supported him even when he was already a well-known pop art icon in New York. The exhibition was initiated by jeweler Petra Toth, since the municipality does not own any objects from the Warhols. It tells the story of Júlia's emigration and life in the USA. The entrance fee is voluntary, and there are souvenirs available for purchase. However, the birthplace of Andy Warhol's mother is no longer in the village.
Churches and cemeteries
As we travel from Miková, we come across several wooden churches in the villages of Miroľa, Bodružal, and Ladomirová. These churches are usually located right next to the road and are on UNESCO list, so it's worth making a stop to admire them from the outside as well as from the inside.
For those interested in military history, we recommend visiting military cemeteries such as the one in Hunkovce. One cemetery is the final resting place for almost 3,100 German soldiers who died during the Carpathian-Duklian operation v 1944, while the other is where fallen soldiers from the First World War are buried.
Tanks, planes, towers
In front of Svidník, there's a monument to Dukla tankmen. While visiting, we met a group of bikers from Lithuania who were interested in taking pictures of tanks. They were particularly intrigued by a Soviet tank competing with a German one, where it was clear that the German tank was losing the fight.
Not far from there is Death Valley, an outdoor museum featuring military equipment scattered across the meadows. These meadows were the site of heavy fighting during the Second World War as part of the Carpathian-Duklian operation. The Soviet Union troops and the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps fought through the Carpathians for many weeks in the fall of 1944.
Although they eventually broke through the fierce resistance put up by the Germans, it came at the cost of high casualties, with over 60,000 Soviet and Czechoslovak soldiers losing their lives in the fight.
Additionally, near the village of Kružlová, there is a watchtower shaped like a bullet casing, offering a great viewpoint to see the entire Death Valley.
Another observation tower is located directly on Dukla, on the Polish-Slovak border. It stands 50 meters high and underwent complete renovation last year. The tower provides a splendid view of the Slovak and Polish territories, where the battles with the German fascists occurred in 1944.
Tourists can also explore military history in the town of Svidník, which houses a Military History Museum. The museum features an outdoor exhibition with tanks and planes in the park. Visitors can also view military uniforms, badges, clothing, and authentic frontline film footage.
Swimming in the city of war monuments
If you are not interested in military history and prefer sunshine and water, you can visit the local water park in Svidník. The park is called Aquaruthenia, named after the Ruthenians, a minority living in the region.
Aquaruthenia has been in operation for over two decades and continues to grow with new pools, wellness facilities, and children's attractions. The swimming pool area is mainly focused on families with children, offering artificial waves, water slides, and playgrounds.
Most visitors are local, but there are also Poles due to the park's proximity to the border. According to Jozef Kráľ, the owner, there are days when the number of Polish visitors exceeds that of locals. To encourage visitors from abroad to stay longer, the aquapark has started offering accommodation this year, in addition to the car camping that has been available for several years.
Kráľ adds that stays of two to three days are common and, during the summer, visitors can be found at the park on weekdays as well as weekends.
Cooperation does not work perfectly
According to Kráľ, there is still great potential for cooperation among entrepreneurs in the tourism industry in the northern region of Slovakia. He believes that the key is to have a coordinating entity that is respected by entrepreneurs.
Slovaks could learn from the Poles in terms of their willingness to collaborate in business and in effectively utilizing European funds, according to the businessman. Over the past decade, the Poles have made significant progress in tourism both quantitatively and qualitatively, he says.
Additionally, there are big plans for the future in the aquapark. The intention is to cover some pools so that visitors can swim there even in bad weather. There is also a plan to renovate and expand the area's attractions to have more visitors.
In Medzilaborce, you can enjoy a bath at the Typton Hotel, which also offers the unique experience of beer baths in tubs. The hotel is renowned in the city, predominantly because of the Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art.
During our visit, we encountered a group of Italian cyclists who were delighted to find a pizza place. The hotel also rents out bicycles, making it an ideal choice for this kind of tourist. In the surrounding forests, there are long cycle paths that stretch all the way to Poland.
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