Historical and cultural camp in Slovakia
First day (2025.07.13.)
Today the students of the groups in Kaposvár and Szeged have arrived in Bratislava, the first site of their summer camp together. During the summer camp, which is mainly centered around history, students will get the chance to get to know and gain a deeper insight into the vivid history and culture of the region. On our first day we roamed through the historic city of Bratislava and its Old Town, which used to be the capital city of the Hungarian Kingdom from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Once we finished with our sightseeing tour, we went on to our accommodation, where the staff had already been waiting for us with a delicious dinner. We are really looking forward to the forthcoming days of this summer camp, so that we will be able to get to know the culture and the history of the region.
Anna Benczúr
Group 2 of Szeged
Second day (2025.07.14.)
We started off the week exploring Nitra. After admiring the panorama seen from the Old Town, we climbed the hill leading to Nitra Castle. At the main gate we learned about the monument dedicated to victims of the Black Death. We also heard the heroic story of St. Emmeram, whose name lives on in the seat of the Diocese of Nitra, St. Emmeram’s Cathedral. We explored the baroque church thoroughly and had time to roam in the city for a bit as well. In the afternoon we arrived in Nové Zámky, where we were shown the catholic church and the statue of Trinity at the town square. In the next hour we adventured around the city centre. We were welcomed with a lovely dinner in the evening and discussed our plans for tomorrow.
Eszter Sárközi and Dominik Antal
Group 2 of Kaposvár
Third Day (2025.07.15.)
Tuesday’s main goal was to explore the neighbouring Little Carpathians. We spent the morning in Modra, known for its wineries and traditional pottery. We learned more about the local folklore and the techniques used for making the beautiful earthenware sold throughout the country. The group also had a chance to see the making of a clay pot from forming its shape to painting the unique slovakian motifs. The rest of the morning hours were spent on a leisurely hike to Driny, a dripstone cave located high up in the hills. After lunch our next outing was to Červený Kameň Castle, where the group had a tour of the exhibition in the Pálffy Palace. We learned about the amazing history of its inhabitants while exploring the gorgeous rooms which were fully furnished with the finest pieces of central-european furniture. Our last journey led us to Svätý Jur, a quiet little town near Bratislava with a beautiful town square painted with cozy cafés and ice cream shops. After hearing so much good about it, the group had a glass of Kofola (a local cola recipe) with a view of the tower in the city centre. After dinner we closed the day off with a board game party.
Eszter Sárközi and Dominik Antal
Group 2 of Kaposvár
Fourth day (2025.07.16)
On Wednesday, we set off toward our next accommodation, making stops in the towns of Banská Štiavnica and Banská Bystrica along the way. The group began the day with a city tour in Banská Štiavnica, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. During the tour, we visited the Holy Trinity Square, the statue erected in memory of the 1710 plague, and the Klopačka Tower. In the afternoon, we visited the Slovak Mining Museum located in the Kammerhof building, where we learned a great deal about the local industry and saw it with our own eyes in the open-air museum. There, we spent an hour exploring an underground mine. Out of the twelve floors we were only allowed to walk two, where we could learn about the history of the tunnels and the most important mining tools. Our next stop was Banská Bystrica, where we explored the town center and saw the city’s main sights, such as the Clock Tower, the Marian Column, and the Barbican building. By the evening, we arrived at our second accommodation, located in the Tatra Mountains, where an incredible view welcomed us after a long day.
Eszter Sárközi and Péter Gyurka
Group 2 of Kaposvár
Fifth day (2025.07.17)
On Thursday morning, after admiring the Lomnický Peak from the comfort of our balcony, we took a cable car up to the top of the mountain, stopping along the way at Skalnaté Pleso, which lies 1,751 meters above sea level. Having explored it fully, we continued up to the peak, where alongside the beautiful view, we were also greeted by snowfall. Unfortunately, this limited our visibility of the surrounding mountains. Despite the bad weather, the group had a great time and spent a good bit having a snowball fight. In the early afternoon, we left Lomnický Peak and stopped in the town of Poprad at a shopping center. With what little sunlight we had left, some of the group explored the wellness area in the hotel, while others spent their time playing board games, chatting and walking around the accommodation.
Eszter Sárközi and Péter Gyurka
Group 2 of Kaposvár