Oh what a lovely town on the edge of the Tatra Mountains! We were looking for a good place to break our journey between Krakow and Budapest, and Banská Bystrica was one of the few stops along the FlixBus route. So I booked an Airbnb for two nights, not entirely sure what to expect.

The bus ride itself was absolutely stunning. We travelled through the majestic Tatra Mountains with raging streams, dense forests, and pretty villages flashing by the window. At one point we even stopped briefly at a large ski resort — a reminder that Slovakia has excellent skiing, with many resorts scattered throughout this mountainous country.

We arrived at the bus station on the edge of town late in the afternoon. After wandering in circles in search of a taxi with no luck, we ended up walking the two kilometres into the centre in the pouring rain. By the time we reached our apartment — soaked and tired — we were delighted to discover it was right on the main town square and incredibly cute, the perfect base for our short stay.

Banská Bystrica feels wonderfully off the English-speaking tourist trail. There were mostly local visitors, very little English spoken, and no international chains in sight — exactly the kind of authentic place we love to discover.

After drying off and dropping our bags, we headed out to explore the beautiful main square. It was stunning, with fountains, statues, and beautifully restored historic buildings all around. Many restaurants were closed or only serving snacks that stormy Thursday evening, but we eventually found a cosy basement restaurant tucked away like an old wine cellar. The atmosphere had such character that one could easily imagine it being a secret meeting place for the Slovak resistance back in the day.

The food was traditional and absolutely delicious. I had chicken served on a potato pancake while my partner enjoyed one with cheese — both were huge portions and we left suitably stuffed. We enjoyed it so much that we returned the next evening for dinner again.

With only one full day in Banská Bystrica, we spent it leisurely wandering around the historic buildings, popping into cafés for coffee and wine, and simply soaking up the relaxed atmosphere of this pretty mountain town. The next morning we hiked back to the bus station (my pack felt unusually heavy that day!) and grabbed a coffee before boarding our bus bound for Budapest.