From hiking through lush green mountains to exploring century-old castles and ruins, my time here in Slovakia has been quite the thrill. I have seen and experienced so much, yet there is still so much more to see. My bucket list is far from complete, but so is my time here. 

Of course, it is hard to be away from the ones I love. I miss everyone very much. But being away from everyone I know and love has also given me a lot of perspective on the person I truly am. For that, I am incredibly grateful to have had this experience. So, what exactly have I been up to this last month? After just a day here, I went canoeing on the mighty Danube River, where I quickly learned that I am not as good at canoeing as I thought. 

Low Tatras

The following day, my host family took me up to their cabin in central Slovakia, located in the heart of the Low Tatras, an impressive stretch of forest-blanketed, low-altitude mountains filled with old castles, mines, and incredibly scenic vistas. We spent five days in a wooden A-frame cabin with a deep, woody aroma and traditional Slovak decorations. For those five days, we hiked all over. We explored castle ruins sitting atop a luscious green hill, summited the highest peak in the Lower Tatra region (Dumbier), and hiked some more. 

View from the top of Dumbier

 

Arrival Day

About a week later, we traveled back to central Slovakia, this time staying in the old mining town of Banská Štiavnica, an incredibly historic and picturesque town. This area was once the largest producer of precious metals in all of Europe before the discovery of the New World. Here, I visited a castle, an old mine, and one of the prettiest churches I have ever seen: the Kalvária. A deep red church with onion domes, atop the highest hill in the valley, surrounded by 22 small chapels and two other churches. It was a truly memorable experience when I reached the top of the hill. The golden hour had just begun, and the sun cast a warm yellow glow upon the whole countryside. 

Exploring new places

On the way back from our adventure, I visited one of the most remarkable castles I have ever seen: Bojnice Castle, also known as the Castle of Spirits. Surrounded by an emerald green moat thriving with aquatic life, and seemingly protected by the vast vegetation surrounding it, the white castle rises from the earth, vividly contrasting with its surroundings. The Castle of Spirits gives off an ethereal, almost otherworldly vibe. Months before even coming to Slovakia, this was on my to-do list, so I’m very glad I’ve already gotten to see it. 

To wrap up my first month in Slovakia, school started, and things began to slow down a bit. But now that we aren’t going somewhere new every day, I’ve finally had the chance to begin exploring the place I’ll be living in for the next 10 months. Unless I have something specific to do, I make sure to see or do something new every day after school. Whether it’s visiting a church that blends into the sky with its blue exterior, or going for a run through the wooded park next to my host family’s home, there is always something to do. 

 

Ty Gardner, District 5470, USA → RC Bratislava international 

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