Day
1)
Budapest - Szentendre
After arriving in Budapest, you transfer yourself to the small
town of Szentendre (12 miles
away). This is achievable by bus,
train, car or boat. This town has a unique character
with 24 museums,
7 churches, thirteen galleries and numerous cafes and small bars.
A Open Air Museum close by shows you original Hungarian country
life.
Accommodation in Szentendre.
Day 2)
Szentendre - Esztergom (51 km / 32 miles)
Cycling along the Danube to Lenyefalu on the first day leads
you to the ferry to Szen-
tendre Island. After crossing and
biking through the charming island, the ferry takes you
back
to the
mainland and it is onward to Esztergom. For those wishing for
more cycling
miles there is a challenging ascent to nearby
Visegrad Castle, where a superb panorama
of the Danube valley
can be seen. The original place of the Hungarian bishops, Esztergom
has a massive castle and is the highlight of the Hungarian
part of this tour.
Accommodation in Esztergom.
Day 3)
Esztergom/Sturovo - Dudince (59 km / 36 miles)
The Slovak part of the tour starts today as we cross from
the southern to the northern
bank of the Danube to Sturovo.
It is fairly easy cycling over rolling landscapes to the
town
of Dudince, which takes full advantage of the mineral
rich waters in the area. This town
was built according to
the ideas of Socialist Realism and, as a result, is a very
interesting
place to visit. A highlight in this town is some
Roman bathtubs carved out of the travertine
stone.
Accomodation in Dudince.
Day 4)
Dudince - Banska Stiavnica (40 km / 25 miles)
The demanding section of the Slovak part starts here with
the Stiavnicky Hills, a precursor
to the later mountain stages.
If you do not feel like mountain cycling then that is fine.
We can always shorten your daily miles or transfer you to
the next destination. Finish in
Banska Stiavnica, protected
by UNESCO, having an extremely well conserved old town and
a long heritage of mining. It is one of the best stopovers
on the entire Amber Trail.
Accommodation in Banska Stiavnica.
Day 5)
Banska
Stiavnica - Kremnica - Banska Bystrica (37 km / 23 miles)
Avid cyclists can bike directly to Kremnica today. This is
a challenging section incorporating
two ascents. Kremnica
is located in one of the most
beautiful parts of Slovakia.
It is
nestled in the middle of the Kremnica Hills, surrounded
by
seven peaks. The castle
dominates the town. From here
there is a transfer to Banska
Bystrica, stopping to look
at
the precious timber church located in Hronsek. Once in
Banska
Bystrica you will see that
the old part of the town
is being well restored and is doing much
to overcome the
towns
upsetting, Socialist past. For those who want to have
a rest day
we can transfer you to
Banska Bystrica from Banska
Stiavnica and you can take a day to
explore this city.
Accommodation in Banska Bystrica.
Day 6)
Banska Bystrica - Liptovska Osada - Liptovsky Mikulas (44
km / 28 miles)
Today transportation is organized from Banska Bystrica to
Liptovska Osada – thirty
minutes, due to the fact that the
only route along the valley is a motorway. On the way
you
can see the small mountain village of Vlkolinec. A UNESCO
World Heritage site, it
contains the biggest concentration
on traditional architecture in the Slovak Republic –
precious,
old houses built using old crafts and techniques. Having
climbed up from Liptov-
ska
Osada you begin cycling in the very challenging area of the
Lower Tatras – beginning
with a seven mile climb. However
the amazing views and the sweeping landscape are
worth the
ride to the top. The rest of the day is easier with a ride
around the reservoir in
Liptovska Mara. Finish in Liptovsky
Mikulas, an interesting town whose museum documents
a infamous
outlaw Juraj Janosik – the equivalent of Robin Hood in Slovakia.
Accommodation in Liptovsky Mikulas.
Day 7)
Liptovsky Mikulas - Dolny Kubin (47 km / 29 miles)
Cycle through the Chocsky and Oravsky Hills, one of the prettiest
segments of the whole
route. In the town of Malatina, you
can watch rugs being hand-made on an original wooden
loom.
In the village of Lestiny there is a rare wooden church built
without a single nail.
Evening transfer to Sucha Beskidzka,
Poland. Accommodation in Sucha Beskidzka
Day 8)
Sucha Beskidzka - Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - Krakow (29 km /
18 miles)
The main highlight today is Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, an imposing
Bernadine monastery.
Transfer by car from Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
to Krakow. Accommodation in Krakow.
Day 9)
Krakow
In Krakow you will probably want to spend more than just
one day. Wawel Castle, the Old
Market Square, the Kazimierz
Jewish Quarter, the town walls and Royal Way are some of
the many things to see in this royal city.
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