Where To Wander Next

Planning my trip to Poland Slovakia

“I’m thinking of heading to Slovakia after my conference in Poland in November,” I say to my husband who is currently doing the NYT’s crossword puzzle at the kitchen island.

“Why am I not surprised?” he says, not looking up.  

“I just want to do a little exploring of the surrounding areas nearby,” I say feeling the need to explain myself. “Plus there is an amazing spa hotel I want to visit.”  

“Sounds like a plan other than the fact that it’s an entirely different country,” he teases me. He’s not wrong!

Later that week at a 4th of July party, I run my idea by my friend, Gayle, and she nods, knowingly.  “Mission Creep! Like our New Zealand side trip!” She uses air quotes when she says “side trip”, referring to the 10-day itinerary to New Zealand that I planned for her and her husband after they finished up in Australia.      

Mission Creep: You have a trip but as you start to plan it, you find a bunch of extra places “nearby” to explore.

Which is how I found myself (instead of booking flights to Warsaw) on AllTrails researching hikes in the High Tantras, a mountain range divided by the southern border of Poland and the northern border of Slovakia.

The High Tantras may be Europe’s smallest alpine range, but they deliver some of the continent’s most dramatic scenery. Jagged granite peaks, emerald mountain lakes all within a pristine protected national park – it’s a paradise for outdoors enthusiasts.    

So my plan is to leave Krakow and head to the magnificent Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras in Štrbské Pleso, one of Slovakia’s most picturesque alpine villages and the perfect gateway to High Tatras National Park. While it’s known for hiking, I’m going in November so I’ll have to play it by ear. There are plenty of things to see and do, maybe even ski! Of course, if the weather drives me indoors, you can find me at the spa.

Speaking of spa hotels, my obsession just keeps growing. I always try to incorporate one into each trip I do. They are great for getting over jet lag, stopping to recharge mid-itinerary or make a perfect ending to any trip allowing you to relax and digest all the wonderful things you’ve just experienced.  

Volcanic heated pools at the Hotel Salus Terme in Vitterbo, Italy

Growing up, I remember my grandmother going every summer to Baden Baden, Germany, a UNESCO heritage world renown spa town. I never understood why because, of course, I was a young kid with no ailments. However, in 2018, on a family trip to Prague, I discovered why the concept of visiting a Spa town is so appealing.  

It was too hot to do another day of walking around and sightseeing, so we rented a car and drove to Northern Czechia to the town of Karlovy Vary, a picturesque spa town that Prussian Royalty had visited for over 650 years.  

The town is famous for its public fountains along the town promenade. Upon arrival I purchase a porcelain spa cup that has a straw handle at one of the souvenir shops.

Then we walk around, sipping the mineral-rich thermal springs from each water source which are filled with various levels of minerals.

Adam and the kids were good sports about it, although I was the only one who could stomach the mineral water. Local folklore says that if your body doesn’t need the minerals, the water tastes unpleasant—almost as if it’s rejecting it for you. Considering I seem to run at full speed all the time, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if my body was happily soaking up every last mineral.

Of course, a good beer does wonders too!  

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