Courier July 2010 : Page 61
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TRIP Plenty of Surprises in Slovakia by Pat Henderson WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN rural Iowa, the slogan for our state’s largest city, Des Moines, was the “The Surprising Place.” Although the phrase has long since vanished from the city’s promotional materials, if Des Moines still retains any rights to it, they should relinquish them to the country of Slovakia. I base this on my recent experience in Slovakia, which was the featured destination of NTA’s “Come and Explore Eastern Europe” Product Development Trip from May 8 to 13. My fellow travel- ers for the journey included 11 tour op- erators from North and South America, and our fun and flexible hosts/guides from Discover Slovakia Tours—Marcela Lauková and Brana Bahylova. Two of the main things that surprised me about Slovakia were its quaint cities and its well-developed tourism infra- structure. Slovakia is roughly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire com- bined, and we spent most of our time touring places that don’t have a Subway restaurant or a subway system. Many of its historic towns avoided devastation during World War II and offer loads of rural charm and friendliness along with castles and 700-year-old churches. Then there were the surprising and priceless moments that invariably just happen when you travel—in our case the exhibitionist peacock and an im- promptu falconry demonstration. After flying from New York City to Vi- enna, Austria, we took a guided tour of some of Vienna’s top landmarks before travelling an hour west to Slovakia’s largest city, Bratislava, which is on the banks of the Danube River. Following the peaceful separation of Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993, Bratislava became the Slovak capital, and it is one of Europe’s youngest capital cities. A Participants of NTA’s “Come and Explore Eastern Europe” Product Development Trip visited Eurova, a recently opened shopping, entertainment and residential development located along the Danube River in Bratislava. A suprise falconry demonstration was part of the group’s stop in Banska Stiavnica. walking tour of Bratislava’s Old Town revealed narrow alleyways, wide-open plazas and historic structures, which blend seamlessly with street-side cafes, bars and shops to make the area a bustling gathering spot. Monday morning we left Bratislava and went to Red Rock Castle. Lo- cated in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, this sprawling 13th-century fortification is one of the most well-pre- served of Slovakia’s nearly 200 castles, castle ruins and château sites. As we gathered at the gate to begin our tour, a peacock standing nearby suddenly spread its feathers to reveal its full plumage. It played to the crowd by performing two full rotations to ensure that our group got a great look at its colorful coat and that the budding photographers had plenty of time to get a good shot. Following a sampling of local wines, we left the castle and headed to High Tatras. This mountain range in north- ern Slovakia is a popular destination for skiers and hikers, as well as home www.NTAonline.com 61
Plenty Of Surprises In Slovakia
Pat Henderson
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN rural Iowa, the slogan for our state’s largest city, Des Moines, was the “The Surprising Place.” Although the phrase has long since vanished from the city’s promotional materials, if Des Moines still retains any rights to it, they should relinquish them to the country of Slovakia.
I base this on my recent experience in Slovakia, which was the featured destination of NTA’s “Come and Explore Eastern Europe” Product Development Trip from May 8 to 13. My fellow travelers for the journey included 11 tour operators from North and South America, and our fun and flexible hosts/guides from Discover Slovakia Tours—Marcela Lauková and Brana Bahylova.
Two of the main things that surprised me about Slovakia were its quaint cities and its well-developed tourism infrastructure.
Slovakia is roughly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined, and we spent most of our time touring places that don’t have a Subway restaurant or a subway system. Many of its historic towns avoided devastation during World War II and offer loads of rural charm and friendliness along with castles and 700-year-old churches.
Then there were the surprising and priceless moments that invariably just happen when you travel—in our case the exhibitionist peacock and an impromptu falconry demonstration.
After flying from New York City to Vienna, Austria, we took a guided tour of some of Vienna’s top landmarks before travelling an hour west to Slovakia’s largest city, Bratislava, which is on the banks of the Danube River. Following the peaceful separation of Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993, Bratislava became the Slovak capital, and it is one of Europe’s youngest capital cities. A walking tour of Bratislava’s Old Town revealed narrow alleyways, wide-open plazas and historic structures, which blend seamlessly with street-side cafes, bars and shops to make the area a bustling gathering spot.
Monday morning we left Bratislava and went to Red Rock Castle. Located in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, this sprawling 13th-century fortification is one of the most well-preserved of Slovakia’s nearly 200 castles, castle ruins and château sites.
As we gathered at the gate to begin our tour, a peacock standing nearby suddenly spread its feathers to reveal its full plumage. It played to the crowd by performing two full rotations to ensure that our group got a great look at its colorful coat and that the budding photographers had plenty of time to get a good shot.
Following a sampling of local wines, we left the castle and headed to High Tatras. This mountain range in northern Slovakia is a popular destination for skiers and hikers, as well as home PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TRIP Participants of NTA’s “Come and Explore Eastern Europe” Product Development Trip visited Eurova, a recently opened shopping, entertainment and residential development located along the Danube River in Bratislava.
A surprise falconry demonstration was part of the group’s stop in Banska Stiavnica.
To the opulent Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras. The property made its debut in late 2009 and is one of two Kempinski properties in Slovakia—the other opened in Bratislava last month.
The Kempinski is one of two places we stayed that has a full spa and wellness center. Although I don’t know much about the world of high-end spas, a quick look around its array of pools, treatment rooms, showers and saunas told me that the resort’s amenities surely rank among the best in a country that is known for its spa and wellness culture.
The third day began with a gondola ride up to 8,641-foot Lomnica Peak, the second highest spot in Slovakia. After lunch we made our way to the Low Tatras in central Slovakia for a cave tour and some shopping in Banska Bystrica.
The late afternoon included a choice of activities, as our three agriculturalfocused tour operators went on a local farm tour while the rest of the group visited one of Slovakia’s UNESCO World Heritage sites—a wooden church in Hronsek built in the 1720s.
“The ability to visit a working farm has never been offered to me on a familiarization trip before,” said Barbara
C. McGuinness, group travel coordinator for AAA East Central Ohio. “I was particularly interested in this option, because it remains an underexplored niche market in my part of the country.” The group reconvened at the Hotel Kaskády for an authentic Slovak meal that started with fresh goat cheeses acquired on the farm visit, local wine and a potato dumpling appetizer. The main course was a fried potato pancake stuffed with pork, onion, garlic and vegetables, and for dessert, we enjoyed pastry turnovers with plum jam, raisins and curd cheese. During the evening, a fiddler and accordionist played traditional Slovakian music.
The final day of touring opened with a short ride to the hillside town of Banska Stiavnica, a culturally rich city that was added to the UNESCO list in 1993. Our tour guide, Miron, wasn’t more than three minutes into his introductory remarks when a group of six teenagers in uniforms walked up the cobblestone street carrying various birds of prey.
After a brief exchange in Slovak, Miron informed us that the students were giving a presentation at an event later in the morning. He conferred with Brana, who said there was some flexibility in the day’s schedule, so we were treated to an unplanned, 15-minute demonstration that featured hawks, owls and peregrine falcons flying back and forth across the city square. While the rest of Miron’s tour was interesting, and I found Banska Stiavnica to be a fascinating place, I’ll never forget the randomness of our encounter with the falconry students.
Budapest was our afternoon destination, and following lunch on the river, we toured both the Buda and Pest parts of the city. The Pest section blends historic buildings and monuments with the city’s modern side, while the hilly environs of Buda includes the famous Castle District and Matthias Church.
The city oozes old-world charm, and the group really seemed to enjoy exploring the Hungarian capital.
After spending more than our allotted time in Budapest, too, we took the three-hour ride back to Bratislava and enjoyed a farewell dinner at the Austria Trend Hotel before departing the next day.
“As a newer member of NTA, we enjoyed hosting the very first NTA Product Development Trip to Slovakia and are already making plans to host another trip in May 2011,” said Lauková, the managing director for Discover Slovakia Tours who partnered with the Slovak Tourism Board to present the trip.
Carolyn Kobel, who serves as a group travel consultant for Easley, South Carolina-based Good News Travels, is planning her itinerary already. “I’m working on a 10-day tour to present to our group leaders that is much like the one we followed on the product development trip,” she said. “I’m excited about sharing the treasures of Slovakia with my clients at Good News Travels.
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