The development of road and railway infrastructure and the increase in social awareness undoubtedly affect the development of tourism. The increasing access to various types of information means that we know more about interesting tourist destinations and during our holiday trips we want to visit as much as possible. Looking at tourist flows, we can observe an increasing popularity of less well-known destinations. Tunisia, Egypt, Croatia, or even the Baltic Sea, still occupy leading positions, but more and more people decide to visit less crowded and more virgin places. One of such destinations is the Polish-Slovak border region and not so well-trodden paths of the Carpathians, where you can discover many beautiful, almost magical places. They are promoted by the Carpathia brand, which has been trying for years to introduce these extraordinary regions to Polish and foreign tourists.
Time to hit the road!
More than ten years ago, access to these areas was very limited due to poor quality of roads and rare or almost non-existent train connections. However, in recent years, there have been considerable, far-reaching changes. Dynamic changes, which aim at improving the comfort of travelling, are taking place right before our very eyes. Also, the unpopulated paths of the Polish-Slovak border region are becoming available almost at your fingertips. The growing network of highways and expressways enables access to the largest cities of the Podkarpacie region: Rzeszów or Przemyśl are closer than ever before. The same refers to the Slovak city of Prešov, which in the near future will be linked to the Polish border with an expressway R4. The membership of both countries in the European Union and in the Schengen Area, which enables cross border traffic without passport control, is of considerable importance.
We recommend travelling by car to those who decide to explore the border region areas – it proves to be a fast and convenient means of transport, which due to the shortage of bus connections is also most frequently chosen by tourists.
Air connections look attractive too: the airports in Jasionka near Rzeszów or in the Slovak city of Košice are used by about half a million passengers each year. It is a great alternative for people from more distant countries. You can cover thousands of kilometres in a few hours. Using such a solution, we usually decide to choose low-cost airlines, such as WizzAir or Ryanair, which connect many European cities. Baggage limits may be an inconvenience, which we can avoid when travelling by car or rail, but a well-packed rucksack or suitcase will certainly enable us to take all the most necessary things.
Railway can be another way
If you choose to travel by train, unfortunately you cannot count on direct international connections between small towns; the train connects only larger cities, usually the capitals of regions. Being on the Slovak side, however, you should take advantage of the offer of Tatra Electric Railway (Tatranské elektrické železnice), whose trains run at the foot of the High Tatras. They connect most of the tourist towns of the Podtatrze region and in many areas the railway runs parallel to the roads 67 and 537 called Road of Freedom, along which various mountain trails begin.
Regardless of whether your basic means of transport is a plane, a train or a car, it is always worth considering a bike as an alternative. Hundreds of kilometres of cycle infrastructure are being created to connect the most picturesque towns and spectacular viewpoints. What is worth mentioning is the Cycling Route around the Tatras, the trail along the Dunajec River to Red Monastery (Červený Kláštor) or the Trail of The Good Soldier Švejk, which will allow you not only to reach the place where the asphalt ends, but also to actively spend your free time amid mountains and forests.
CARPATHIA is something more than a territorial brand – it is a way of thinking about the Carpathians. Join us to contribute to the economic quality mark of the Carpathians, which accumulates the best products, attractions and services unique for the Carpathians.
More information about the CARPATHIA brand:
The Association of the Carpathian Euroregion Poland:
