Slovakia: Day 6 - Day hike to Skalnate pleso (1751m)

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 6.

3/8 Day 6: Day hike to Skalnate pleso (1751m). Rained on the hike back to our accommodation. Pleso in Slovakian = mountain lake usually formed by glaciers. Left at 8.40am and came back at 4.30pm. 

Food
(1) Drink at Skalnate chata - Kofola 500ml EUR3,50
(2) Food at Skalnate pleso - Espresso lungo EUR3,80, a slice of cherry and chocolate cake EUR5,20

(3) Lunch at Skalnate Chata - ghoulash soup with bread EUR6,60

The Story

03082026: Today, we will hike to Skalnate pleso. Planned by my travel companions. I am not good for planning hikes in the mountains as I am unable to translate terrains from the map. 

First, breakfast - option to choose between omelette and sausages (I took omelette), sweet bread, yoghurt, tuna fish salad, and tea. I love the tea! I asked the staff if I could have coffee. She said that their tea is delicious. Besides, one has to pay for coffee as coffee is not part of the breakfast offer. The omelette was salty. Maybe the cook oversalted it. 

We started our hike around 8.40am.

According to the sign, it takes 1 hour 10 minutes to get to Skalnate pleso. Ok, not my timing. I took 1 hour 40 minutes. I cannot trust the signs anymore.

Along the hike, I heard helicopters flying above. We saw that they carried packages in a net hanging from the helicopter and then a short while later, when the helicopter came back, the net is empty. It is Monday and I think deliveries happen on Mondays. I made that conclusion because I did not hear helicopters the next day or the day after. Can you see the package that I marked in the photo?

Slovakia: Day 5 - Hike from Stary Smokovec (1010m) to Zamkovskeho chata (1475m)

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 5.

2/8 Day 5: Took 10.10am train from Poprad to Stary Smokovec (arrived 10.36am). Hiked for 2 hours 10 minutes from Stary Smokovec station (1010m above sea level) to Zamkovskeho chata (1475m). Chata means mountain hut or cottage in Slovakian.

Costs
(1) 1 train ticket from Poprad to Stary Smokovec - EUR5

Accommodation
(1) 1 room in Zamkovskeho chata (from website) - Shared room EUR300 for 3 persons for 3 nights, EUR100 per person. Tourist tax EUR3,50 per person. Half board (breakfast and dinner) EUR28 per day.

Food
(1) Drink at Mini Bistro at Stary Smokovec station - Kofola 500ml EUR2,50
(2) Lunch at Zamkovskeho chata - pork stew with dumpling EUR16,50, radler 500ml EUR5

The Story

02082026: Today, we will be in the mountains and we looked forward to the cooling air but I do not look forward to the hikes! I know it will be tiring but I did not know it will be extremely tiring. The terrain here is different. First, breakfast in Pension Jakub. The only upside in the accommodation is the breakfast. We did not have much sleep last night due to the heat (no fan or air-condition in the room) and the traffic noise (as we opened the window to let the relatively cold air come in). The breakfast spread was tempting and the food was good. The staff even offered wine for us! Apparently, it is normal to have a glass of Prosecco wine for breakfast.

After breakfast, we checked out and walked to the train station. There, we bought our train tickets to Stary Smokovec station. One can buy tickets from the train app or from the manned ticket counter. There is no time printed on the ticket. Instead, it is valid for the whole day until the next day 4am. The next train is 10.10am. 

Slovakia: Day 4 - Train from Kosice to Poprad

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4.

1/8 Day 4: Train from Kosice (12.09pm) to Poprad (1.35pm). 

Costs
(1) 1 tram ticket EUR1,20 (30 minutes duration) each - EUR1,20
(2) Train ticket from Kosice to Poprad EUR7,50 including booked seat that costs EUR1
(3) Sunblock SPF50 200ml from Lidl (train station Kosice) EUR14,99

(4) 3 bananas, 3 peaches from Kaufland, Poprad EUR0,91

Accommodation

(1) 1 room in Pension Jakub (from Booking) - Shared room EUR117,50 for 3 persons, EUR39,17 per person. Tourist tax EUR2,50 per person. Not recommended place of stay during summer. Had to open the windows to let in the relatively colder air but it was noisy from the traffic. 

Food
(1) Breakfast at Gesto cafe - Omelette with spring onion, cheese and ham EUR4,90, cappucino EUR2,50
(2) Ice-cream at Gesto cafe - one scoop mango EUR1,50

(3) Drink at Stacniny Pivovar bar at Kosice train station - Kofola 500ml EUR2,50
(4) Lunch at U Septima, Poprad - Tagliatelle with mushroom and bacon EUR11,30, lemonade 500ml EUR1

(5) Dinner at Pension Jakub, Poprad - Kofola 500ml EUR3, sizzling entrecote with grilled vegetables and potatoes EUR22, orange juice 250ml EUR2,30

The Story

01082026: Today, we check out from our accommodation in Kosice. We had breakfast at Gesto Cafe. Walked for 30 minutes at 9am and it was already hot. 37 degrees as stated on an eletronic screen in front of a pharmacy. Phew. I thought to myself that I am not walking to the train station in this heat. I felt light-headed on the way to the cafe and thankfully, we were very near the cafe when I felt this. I chose to sit inside while my travel companions contemplated to sit outside under a shade. So, we all sat inside in the end. 

My breakfast - omelette and cappucino. 

Gesto cafe has also another business selling ice-cream and pastry next door. I just had breakfast but I needed the ice-cream to cool me down. So, one scoop of mango gelato for me. 

We walked to the tram station Hlavna Posta to take the tram to the train station Stancne Namestie. It takes 27 minutes to walk to the train station. I would have done the walk if it was 30 degrees. But it was 37 degrees! 

Here are the stops for the tram. Took a photo of it in the tram.

Reached the train station! We went to the customer service and bought our train ticket at 12.07pm from Kosice to Poprad Tatry. It will arrive at Poprad at 1.29pm. We booked a seat EUR1 just to be safe. The trains depart hourly. We were 5 minutes away from the next train departure but we did not want to hurry in case we missed the train so we took the next hour. 

Slovakia: Day 3 - Botanical garden, Kofola drink

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 3.

31/7 Day 3: Went to train station to check train tickets for tomorrow's destination, Poprad. Took tram to Botanical garden. Had local soft drink, Kofola during lunch. Dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. 

Costs
(1) 2 tram ticket EUR1,20 (30 minutes duration) each - EUR2,40

(2) Entrance fee Botanical Garden EUR5

(3) 2 Mixed nuts packet and 3 radler from Billa - EUR10,28

Food
(1) Breakfast at Pekarova Zena cafe - Poppy seed and cherry strudel EUR2,60, cappucino EUR2,80
(2) Random ice-cream place - two scoop pistochio and pomegranate EUR3, waffle cone EUR0,30
(3) Lunch at Karczma Mlyn - Zurek soup EUR4,50, kofola 300ml EUR1,50
(4) Coffee at Melody cafe - iced cappucino EUR3,90

(5) Dinner at Holo (Vietnamese restaurant) - stir fried rice noodles with chicken EUR7,50. Cheapest beer here at EUR1,90 for 500ml.

The Story

31072026: First, espresso to wake us up from our Airbnb's host espresso machine. Then, we looked for a cafe to have breakfast. We went to the nearest cafe that was opened and had good reviews. Lots of sweet pastries for breakfast. My travel companions wanted a sandwich. They think pastries for breakfast is weird. I don't mind.

I enjoyed my poppy seeds and cherry strudel. The travel companions had croissant-sort of pastry with blueberries on top. They are American blueberries because they are white inside. So weird to be using American blueberries when Slovakia has so many blueberries. We saw many of the blueberries bushes during our hikes in Tatra mountains.

Then, we went to the train station to check on tickets availability for our tomorrow's destination, Poprad. There is a customer service office and the lady behind the counter informed us that we can buy the tickets tomorrow. There is no shortage of tickets. Plus, it is an hourly train departure. We went to a pharmacy in the train station to buy electrolyte tablets that can dissolve in the water. We bought those as we will hike in the mountains and know that we will lose a lot of electrolytes through sweat. We brought from Sweden too but was worried if they were insufficient.

Slovakia: Day 2 - Kosice town

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 2.

30/7 Day 2: Walk around Kosice town based on recommended places in Free Walking Tour website. Tried local food, halušky at oldest restaurant in Slovakia. 

Costs
(1) Ticket to go up the 50meter tower at Saint Elisabeth's Cathedral EUR3

Food
(1) Breakfast at Gesto cafe - Salmon omelette EUR6,90, cappucino EUR2,50
(2) Cafe Slavia - 500ml Radler EUR3,30

(3) Lunch at Pivovar Hostinec - alcohol free beer EUR4, grundle fish with mayonnaise EUR5,90, halušky (gnocchi with sheep cheese, bacon, sour cream and Viennese onions) EUR9,50

(4) Gelato at Fresa Natural Gelato - one scoop pistachio EUR2

(5) Drink at Kembridz outdoor bar - 500ml radler EUR2,20

(6) Kebab from a kiosk - kebab box (meat with salad, and no rice or bread) EUR6,40

The Story

30072026: The morning started great with a cup of espresso. Our Airbnb has an espresso machine and the host provided coffee beans too so we could have a cup each morning we were there. 

After coffee, we went out to look for a cafe that has breakfast. It is about 25 minutes walk to the cafe that we found on Google Map. This is the building that we stayed. There is a lift in the building. 

On the way, we passed by a sort of medical building. It does not look like a hospital. It reminded me of a clinic. I found it weird that there are many steps into the entrance of the building when it is a medical building. Because I think if one is injured or have weak legs. I guess there must be a back door behind the building. 

Slovakia: Day 1 - Arrival in Kosice

For the summer holiday of 2026, I spent 17 days in Slovakia. It was supposed to be 18 days but we spent a whole day in 3 different airports (Stockholm, Warsaw, Vienna) because the first flight was delayed and we could not get on the connecting flight in Warsaw and the next available flight had a stopover in Vienna. We spent 9 days in the nature - Tatra mountains and a cave in Liptovsky Mikulas. No beach this year but we were by Danube river in Vienna to take a dip. We had clear weather during our travels but it was scorching hot in the towns - Kosice, Bratislava and Vienna. When we were in Bratislava, temperatures were between 35 and 37 degrees. We experienced a day with rain during a hike and luckily, the accommodation provided facilities to dry our hiking boots.

I was informed that Slovakia is an affordable country as there are not many tourists yet. Not really, in my opinion, on the affordability. Only the small towns are but not the capital and certainly not Vienna in Austria. We flew back from Vienna as all flights from Bratislava had a stopover in Vienna. Also, it is just a one-hour train ride from Bratislava to Vienna and it is an hourly train too. How convenient is that! It is true, though, that there are not many tourists. Most of the hikers in the mountains are locals as I heard them speaking to the restaurant staff in the local language. But in Bratislava, I can hear the English-speaking tourists asking for the bill to pay. 

Here is how the travel route looked like:

Fly to Kosice (3 nghts) -- train to Poprad (1 night) -- train to Stary Smokovec (High Tatras) -- hike to accommodation at Zamkovského chalet (3 nights) -- hike to accommodation at Hotel Sliezsky Dom (3 nights) -- train to Liptovsky Mikulas (3 nights) -- train to Bratislava (3 nights) -- train to Vienna (1 night)

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 1.

29/7 Day 1: Flight from Stockholm to Kosice. Taxi to accommodation.

Costs

(1) Flight ticket Stockholm to Kosice - Polish Airline SEK1133. We flew back with Austrian Airlines.

(2) Taxi (offered by the Airbnb host) from airport to accommodation - Shared EUR10 for 3 persons. EUR3.33 per person.

Accommodation

(1) Airbnb at Kosice, 3 nights - Shared room EUR243,52 for 3 persons, EUR81,17 per person

Food

(1) Dinner at Jamie Oliver restaurant in Vienna International Airport - Chicken al Mattone: Breaded chicken EUR23,50, cappucino single shot 7g EUR5,40

The Story

29072026: Our flight Polish Airlines was delayed from 10.40am to 12.30pm due to technical problem. So, we missed our connecting flight at Warsaw which departed at 1.25pm. We arrived at Warsaw at 2.15pm and went to Polish Airlines custmer service to ask for the next available flight. Next available flight is at 5.20pm and will land in Vienna at 7pm and the flight to Kosice will depart at 10.30pm and land in Kosice at 11.20pm. Goodness... a WHOLE day spent in airports. We had no choice but to accept the offer. The initial itinerary was that we will arrive in Kosice at 2.30pm. 

We received a box of snacks and a bottled water from Polish Airlines customer service. Not exactly my kind of snacks. Oh well. A snack that has sort of rubbery long sausage, protein bar, dried apple chips, pretzel chips, porridge-liquid form with cheesecake flavour (weird eating this). 

When we landed in Vienna, we had dinner at Jamie Oliver restaurant. Chicken al Mattone - Breaded chicken. This dish is defined as "chicken under a brick," ´which is a traditional Italian dish—originating from Tuscany—where a flattened, spatchcocked chicken is cooked under the heavy weight of a brick or cast-iron skillet. That explains the seared lines on the chicken - it comes from a cast-iron skillet. 

Purpose of this method of cooking - The weight keeps the skin in firm contact with the hot cooking surface for maximum crispiness, while pressing the meat down helps it cook faster and stay extremely juicy

Had cappucino. The waiter asked me if I wanted a small or large coffee. I asked if there is medium. The waiter asked me back what do I mean by that and I said the size of the coffee cup. The waiter said the small and large refers to 7g or 14g which is single or double shot. I was confused. Maybe in German, single or double shot is referred as small or large. For me, small or large refers to the size of an object. I took a single shot. The double shot tasted more bitter. My travel companions took that.

Dinner was tasty. There is no free water provided to the meal. Bottled water is expensive on the menu. So, I skipped the drink. Plus I had a bottled water. 

Finally, we see the electronic screen that shows flight to Kosice. I was happy. There were barely any passengers in the airport. I guess not many flights take the night slot.

Touched down in Kosice! Super relieved that it went well in the end. Our Airbnb host offered to pick us up for a small fee so we accepted it. We checked that taxis also offer EUR10 for the same distance. 

Croatia: Day 15 - Flight from Zagreb to Stockholm

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 15

15/8 Day 15: Flight from Zagreb (18:05 hours) to Warsaw (19:20 hours). Continued with another flight from Warsaw (20:50 hours) to Stockholm (22:25 hours)

 
Cost
(1) 1 tram and 1 bus tickets (30 minutes duration) EUR0,53 each - EUR1,06

(2) Flight ticket from Zagreb to Stockholm with Polish Airlines SEK1997. Shared a luggage SEK402/3 - SEK2131

Food
(1) Breakfast at Desiree Cafe EUR5,80 - Breakfast set: Toast with ham and cheese, cappucino and fresh orange juice
(2) Lunch at Kvatric EUR19 - Istrian pasta Pljukanci with beef steak, sundried tomatoes EUR15, shared bread EUR1, Hidra lemon 500ml EUR3,50
(3) Coffee at Srebjnak 1947 Cafe - Kremsnite EUR1,70 (the cheapest I have seen and I did not have one), cappucino EUR2,30
(4) Drink at airport - Radler 500ml EUR5,90 (expensive since it is in the airport)

The Story
15082025: Today, we check out from the apartment. We had the same breakfast from the same place as yesterday. 

We checked out and took tram 12 from Stop: Badaliceva to Stop: Kvaternikov Torg where we will take the bus to the airport. We bought our tickets from the app - by scanning the QR-code in the tram. You can see a sticker with a QR-code by the door. We scanned the code 3 times as we bought 3 tickets.

Croatia: Day 14 - Nikola Tesla Technical Museum

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 14

14/8 Day 14: Visited Nikola Tesla Technical Museum. Had local food - strukli. Found the best kremsnite, according to us. 

Cost
(1) Entrance ticket to Nikola Tesla Technical Museum EUR6

(2) 2 tram tickets EUR0,53 (30 minutes duration) each - EUR1,06

Food
(1) Breakfast at Desiree Cafe EUR5,80 - Breakfast set: Toast with ham and cheese, cappucino and fresh orange juice

(2) Lunch at La Struk EUR17,17 - Strukli with truffel pasta EUR9,50, shared strukli with walnuts and honey EUR9,50, summer seasona drink with mint and lemon 500ml EUR4,50

(3) Ice-cram at Hotel Dubrovnik - EUR2,50 per scoop

(4) Drink pause - Radler 500ml EUR3,30

(5) Coffee pause at Zagreb Cafe EUR5,40 - Kremsnite EUR3,20, cappucino EUR2,20

(6) Dinner at Torikaya Ramen Bar EUR20 - Tan-tanmen (ramen) EUR16, kombucha lemon ginger EUR4

The Story

14082025: My legs were so tired today after yesterday's long walk to the beach. Eyes were tired too which could be from sleeping directly under the airconditioning. We searched on Google Map for a breakfast place and found Breadclub which unfortunately don't offer breakfast. As per its name, it sells bread only. The bread looks very tasty! We walked to a few cafes and found out they sell coffee only. The 'drink-coffee' culture is strong in Croatia. There don't seem to be a demand for food together with coffee. Very different from in Sweden where coffee is usually accompanied by something sweet - the fika culture. 

Finally, we found a cafe that serves breakfast! So happy that we don't need to walk further under the heat. Thank you for existing, Desiree Cafe! 

Croatia: Day 13 - Dovac market, walking tour and Plaza Jarun

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 13

13/8 Day 13: Breakfast at Dovac market. Walking tour from 10-1130am. Went to Plaza Jarun (beach) to take a dip in warm water and we showered off with cold water. 

Cost
(1) Walking tour tips - Shared EUR24

(2) 2 tram tickets EUR0,53 (30 minutes duration) each - EUR1,06

Food
(1) Breakfast at Broom 44 EUR16 - Shaksuka EUR13, cappucino EUR3

(2) Walnuts from the market EUR10 per kilogram - Shared 300g EUR3

(3) Drink pause at Tolkien House Bar - Sour beer 300ml EUR3,50

(4) Lunch at Stari Fijaker EUR20 - Chicken with mushroom sauce (popecci a la Fijaker) EUR16, radler 500ml EUR4

(5) Coffee pause at Vincek cafe - Kremsnite EUR2,70, iced coffee latte EUR2,30

(6) Drink pause at Macao Bar, Plaza Jarun - Hidra 500ml EUR3,50

(7) Dinner at Basta Gourmet EUR16,50 - Chicken salad EUR13, peach tea 250ml EUR3,50

The Story

13082025: Our morning activities started with breakfast at Dovac market. It was a lovely morning walk as it was not scorching hot yet. We passed by a giant tie in town and eventually, I found out that the idea of neckties originated from Croatia. 

Summary of the history. Once upon a time, Croatian soldiers wore scarves knotted in a special way and joined the French army. French became inspired and made a fashion out of it. The word 'cravat' comes from the Croatian word 'Hrvat'.  

Behind the giant tie is the town's funicular which is under renovation so we could not ride on it. Sad. 

Yay, we reached Dovac market. Sellers have set up their stalls. It was empty yesterday evening when we walked through it.

We found a random cafe located in one of the buildings surrounding the market. It was nice to see the market's activities. It got hot quite quickly.

Croatia: Day 12 - Drive from Plitvice to Zagreb

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 12

12/8 Day 12: Drive from Plitvice to Zagreb. Started 930am. Drove to Korana river to take a last dip. Arrived at 1230pm. Returned the car. In Zagreb, walked to Art Pavilion, Zrinjevac Public Park and Mirogoj cemetery.

Cost
(1) Petrol in Zagreb EUR1,43 per liter - 18.46 liter for EUR26,40

Accommodation

(1) Apartment in Zagreb, 3 nights (from Airbnb) - Shared room EUR187,06 for 3 persons, EUR62,35 per person. Cheapest accommodation for our Croatian trip. EUR20,78 per person per night. Most expensive was in Dubrovnik EUR41,18, followed by Plitvice EUR40 and Makarska EUR39.

Food
(1) Buffet breakfast in the accommodation - EUR10
(2) Lunch at Pivnica Budweiser, Zagreb EUR21,20 - Pasta with beef and vegetables in truffle sauce EUR17,50, Radler 500ml EUR3,70
(3) Coffee break at Slatka Prica - Cappucino EUR2,20, Kremsnite cake EUR3
(4) Water pause at Bar 45 - Hidra 500ml EUR3,50
(5) Dinner at Restaurant Asia EUR16,77 - Shared meal - duck EUR18,90, pork with vegetables and sweet sauce EUR9,90, seasonal vegetables EUR7, rice 2 portions EUR4, Hidra 500ml EUR3,50

The Story

12082025: Today, we check out from Plitvice. We took the buffet breakfast provided by the accommodation so it is a separate payment for it. We had the buffet breakfast on the first day and prepared our own for the next 3 days. Since we are leaving today, we decided to make it easy for us. But expensive. 

Before leaving Plitvice, we drove to Rastoke town and took a dip in Korana river one last time.

We did not stop anywhere during our drive to Zagreb. It was about two and a half hours so we were not tired. We drove directly to the car rental company. I managed to find an accommodation near the car rental company so we walked to a restaurant nearby for lunch while waiting for check-in time at 2pm. It was an easy process to return the car. The staff checked the car and we got our deposit returned to the debit card within the same day.

For lunch, it is pasta for me. 

I moved around while waiting for the time to pass. I enjoy sitting on swings.