Slovakia (local)

The idea for this trip originated about 10 years ago as the Communist block nations fell in the democratic revolution. I thought it would be enlightening to see a somewhat developed part of the western world as it emerged into a global economy but before McDonalds showed up in every little city, town or village. In the intervening years, my interest in cycling waxed and waned. Lack of a cycling partner with sufficient stamina and interest in venturing into this part of the world also delayed the trip. Just about the time I discovered recumbents, I re-established a friendship with Bob Simonds, one of my best friends during college some 30 years ago. After discovering a similar cycling interest and mutual enthusiasm in recumbents, I suggested this trip. A year of planning, e-mails, and trial rides (Va. Trip Sept. ’99, Easter - 2000 Cave Club Picnic), this trip came together.

We arrived at Kosice on a sunny and hot main road. The personell of a petrol station were so nice to let us to have a shower. Kosice was such a nice city, that I would rank it among my most favourite towns, to between Banska Bystrica and Bardejov. The center is ordered, clean and is full of flowers. The houses in the promenade are redecorated. In the middle of the main promenade there is a theatre, next to it a fountain in a small park. The water of the fountain erupts for the voices of music. That is an other place where people can spent a lot of time. We liked the center so much, that we decided to go back next morning.

In the following day we could took delight in the castle of Orava, that was built onto a steep rock. We went on cycling in the flat valley of the Orava river to Dolny Kubin, the town that I can remember because of its nice flowery bridge. After we left the town we had to hurry to under the roof of a bus station; we had a fast shower. To arrive to Terchova, the center of the Small / Little Fatra we needed our last efforts to climb a 12-14% steep ascent. As we saw some tables that prohibitted a lot of things because of the National Park, we decided to sleep outside of it. After a breakfast in the sunny square, we was biking through the nice, romantic, rocky Vratna canyon in sunshine and under blue sky. I found it one of the most beautiful place during our tour A stream was plashing (csobog) next to the road, and some green fir trees made the land variable with the white rocks.

I set out to make a good and complete tour to the High Tatras. We took part three of us in this thin two weeks planned expedition: Zoltán Maráz and R´dei from Szolnok and me, from Budakalász. Based on the guys experiences we planned the tour for the middle of august. Zoltán Maráz, with whom I got acquainted in the tour in 1993, had already cycled 6 times to there and back the highest mountain-range of the Carpathians through the years, the other guy had only one. I had left 28000 kms behind me by bike in the last 5 years before 1995. We agreed to meet in R´páshuta in the Bükk mountain-range. For me it meant 200kms for the first day with the pack of about 20 kgs. At dawn of the 9th of August 1995 we started at the same time, at 5 am. It was dark. On the whole rainy and grey day I tried to get used to the 20 kgs heavy pack. After the tiring, hilly area before Eger I had to climb on a long ascent up to the 700m high Bükk-plateau, and after 200 kms I arrived at the Hunter-restaurant in R´páshuta, where my tourmates had already waited for me.

After long planning ´s some training I and a friend of mine (from the secondary school), Csaba Budavári started to „conquer” the Tatra by bicycle. We had already known the hungarian land next to our home: Vác, Penc, Acsa and the sunny, hilly area with sunflower-fields. In Verseg we spent a little time in a village-muzeum (skanzen) which consisted of only two old houses. The old lady who showed us the rooms was very friendly. Not much before Gyöngyös, after reaching the top of a climb we got a nice view to the town, and the mountains (the highest: K´kestetõ) behind it. In the evening it wasn’t a problem to fall aslep; we were tired.

Between 1993 and 1999 5 times I went on 10-14 day long bicycletours in Slovakia and in the polish Tatra with packs behind me. On these tours I gathered ca. 5500 kms in the slovakian land. I compiled the following tips from these experiences: If bicyclers go on a bicycletour in Slovakia, it is very likely that they will visit the High Tatra. Because in each of the 5 occasions we didn?t missed the High Tatra, I will divide the slovakian routes into two parts, based on, if they are situated eastwards or westwards from the Tatra ? B?kk (hungarian mountain-range) line.