Slovakia is a land of vertical extremes and towering fortresses, boasting the highest density of castles in the world per capita. The capital, Bratislava, sits uniquely on the borders of Austria and Hungary, offering a quirky, compact Old Town dominated by its four-towered castle. However, the country’s true soul lies in the High Tatras, the smallest high-mountain range in Europe, where alpine peaks create a dramatic backdrop for glacial lakes like Štrbské Pleso. Below the surface, Slovakia hides a subterranean world of UNESCO-listed ice and aragonite caves. Whether you are exploring the sprawling ruins of Spiš Castle - one of the largest in Central Europe - or wandering through the painted wooden houses of the folk village Čičmany, Slovakia feels like a rugged, undiscovered frontier of the continent.