This post contains very special moments during my visiting “Oravská Priehrada” which is natural reservation and I have experienced amazing boat cruise as well.

Orava or Orava Dam is a water reservoir, part of the waterworks of the same name (which also includes the Tvrdošín equalization reservoir), built at the confluence of the Bielá and Čierna Orava rivers. It is located in northern Slovakia, in the region of the same name. The Orava Dam is the largest dam in Slovakia by both water volume and area.

The first works on the project began on July 24, 1941 and the dam was put into operation in 1954. After filling, the villages of Slanica, Osada, Hámre, Ľavkovo, Ústie, the lower part of the village of Bobrov and 2/3 of Námestovo remained under water. This is why there is no historical city center in Námestovo. A small hill remained above the water after the flooded village of Slanica, which created Slanický ostrov, also called Ostrov umenia (Island of Arts) and Vtáčí ostrov (Bird Island), which are connected by a narrow passage when the water level is low.

The Orava Basin, in which the villages of Slanica, Ľavkovo, Ústie, Osada and Oravské Hámre were located, was already significantly deforested during the Wallachian colonization in the 16th century, and during heavy rains, the strong flow of water in the Orava River threatened human dwellings and fields. In an attempt to use this unbridled element, several projects were developed for the construction of a dam. The first one was created during the Hungarian period in 1870, when a study and project for a reinforced concrete dam in Orava was developed. Another dam project was developed during the First World War. During the First Republic, it was included in the water management plan for the Váh River. After the end of the Second World War, the first extensive geological survey was also carried out in the area. Experts recommended building an earth dam, which, however, was rejected by the Ministry of Public Works in Prague due to lack of experience. The earth dam was therefore replaced again by another project for a concrete dam.

On the Slanica Island of Art, which is the remains of the flooded village of Slanica, there is the Slanica Roman Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, built in the 18th century, and a lapidary. Currently, the church houses a permanent exhibition of Orava folk art, sculpture and painting, and occasionally organizes festive concerts.

The dam with its banks and islands is one of the most important locations for the occurrence of waterfowl in Slovakia, it lies on the migration route of waterfowl and waterfowl in a cross-border position near the border with Poland.

Please, dont forget to make one click on following URL link which contains very detailed photogallery for your deep interest as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/0puuzoI

Time: September 2025

Location: Oravská Priehrada, Orava River

This post contains very special moments during my visiting castle called Orava.

Orava Castle is an exhibition of the Orava Museum. It is one of the most beautiful castles in Slovakia and is located in the village of Oravský Podzámok. It is a prominent landmark of the Orava region, and is among the most important monuments of castle architecture in Slovakia.

The Orava Castle Cliff (part of the Orava Highlands), on which the Orava Castle rises above the Orava River and the village of Oravský Podzámok, has long been a fortified hillfort, protected from the north by a rocky massif and from the south by a semicircular earthen rampart. The highest part of the castle is 112 meters above the Orava River.

The castle hill was inhabited in prehistoric times.

In the mid-13th century, a brick castle was probably built here on the site of a wooden castle, which was first mentioned in writing in 1267, when King Belo IV. took it over from Mika Balaš in exchange for Žilina, Varín and Sučany and became royal property. In 1298, the castle belonged to the territory of Matúš Čák Trenčianský, after him it came into the hands of Magistrate Donč, in the 14th century of the monarch Charles Robert, later of other important nobles, for example the Count of the Chamber Leopold, Stibor of Stiborice and others. In the 15th century, the castle became the property of the monarch Matthias Corvinus, who carried out several measures for the security of the castle and the territory of Orava itself. In 1534, the castle was also acquired with the rank of county governor by Ján of Dubovec. After his death, the castle was managed by Václav Sedlnický, and from 1556 by František I. Turzo, who acquired it by purchasing it for 18,338 guldens for a long-term lease until the royal court reimbursed him for the costs incurred. Later, the castle was owned by his son Juraj VII. Turzo, who in 1606 acquired it as permanent and hereditary property by sword and distaff. Juraj Turzo had one son, Imrich, and 7 daughters.

In 1800, a fire broke out in the castle, probably because a spark jumped from the chimney, ignited the roof and from there the fire spread to the entire castle. Partial rescue work was carried out by František Ziči and in the years 1906–1912 the central part was restored by Jozef Pálfi. Repair and reconstruction work was also carried out on the castle at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. During World War II, German troops used the castle as an artillery observation post. After Soviet artillery fired a salvo of Katyusha rocket launchers at the building, the Germans decided not to risk damaging the monument and withdrew from the castle grounds. However, the extensive renovation of the entire castle was only undertaken between 1953 and 1968 (project by K. Chudomelka and K. Chudomelková, Stavoprojekt Bratislava, 1955), after which it became the dignified seat of the Orava Museum.

Please, dont hesitate to make one click on following URL link which contains very detailed photogallery for your deep interest as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/Y17cs6p

Time: September 2025

Location: Oravský Hrad 1, 027 41 Oravský Podzámok

This post contains very special summer moments during my summer vacation with my sister and niece in area of Alanya, Turkey especially in Hotel called Hotel Q Aventura Park. Weather, people, culture, drinks and meals, ocean and sea were perfect during this season.

Alanya is a beach resort city, a municipality and district of Antalya Province, Turkey. It is on the southern coast of Turkey, in the country’s Mediterranean Region, 133 kilometres (83 mi) east of the city of Antalya. Its area is 1,577 km2, and its population is 364,180 (2022). The city proper has 189,222 inhabitants (2022).

Located on the Gulf of Antalya on the Anatolian coastal plain of Pamphylia, the town is situated between the Taurus Mountains to the north and the Mediterranean Sea, and is part of the Turkish Riviera, occupying roughly 70 kilometres (43 mi) of coastline. From west to east, the Alanya district is bordered by the Manavgat district along the coast, the mountainous Gündoğmuş inland, Hadim and Taşkent in the Province of Konya, Sarıveliler in the Province of Karaman, and the coastal Gazipaşa district. Manavgat is home to the ancient cities of Side and Selge. East of the city, the Dim River flows from the mountains in Konya on a south-west route into the Mediterranean.

Because of its natural strategic position on a small peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea below the Taurus Mountains, Alanya has been a local stronghold for many Mediterranean-based empires, including the Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. Alanya’s greatest political importance came in the Middle Ages, with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm under the rule of Alaeddin Kayqubad I, from whom the city derives its name. His building campaign resulted in many of the city’s landmarks, such as the Kızıl Kule (Red Tower), Tersane (Shipyard), and Alanya Castle.

Please, dont hesitate to make one click at following URL link which contains very detailed photogallery for your deep interest as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/V9gfpj4

https://imageban.ru/a/yGaGmTN

Time: End od August – Septemeber 2025

Location: Okurcalar, Alanya, Turkey

This post contains very special moments during my 37. birthday´s celebrations with close family members, their presents, birthday´s cake, and at disco night club in Kamenec, Zemplínska Šírava.

A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage.

In certain parts of the world, an individual’s birthday is celebrated by a party featuring a specially made cake. Presents are bestowed on the individual by the guests appropriate to their age. Other birthday activities may include entertainment and a special toast or speech by the birthday celebrant. The last stanza of Patty Hill’s and Mildred Hill’s famous song, “Good Morning to You” (unofficially titled “Happy Birthday to You”) is typically sung by the guests at some point in the proceedings. In some countries, a piñata takes the place of a cake.

Please, dont hesitate to make one click at following URL link, which includes detailed photogallery of my happy 37. birthday celebrations:

https://imageban.ru/a/VMLYK03

Time: August 2025

Location: Hažín nad Cirochou, Humenné County, Motel Kamenec – Zemplínska Šírava, Michalovce County

This post contains very special moments during my visiting ZOO Bojnice.

National Zoological Garden Bojnice is the oldest and most visited zoological garden in Slovakia. It was opened to the public on April 1, 1955. Its current area is 41 ha, of which more than half is the exhibition area. The zoo is located in the recreational area of ​​the spa town of Bojnice. National Zoo Bojnice is the only state zoological garden in Slovakia, its founder is the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic. As part of its activities, it exhibits live exhibits, breeds endangered species of animals, educates and influences the public in the field of the environment and biodiversity protection, manages the National Detention Center for confiscated and seized animals, professional staff actively cooperate with CITES authorities, the State Nature Conservation of the Slovak Republic, universities and many other professional organizations in the field of nature and environmental protection, ensures permanent care for handicapped animals as part of the operation of a rehabilitation station for injured rare animals from nature and, last but not least, provides visitors with relaxation and rest.

Bojnice National Zoo is a full member of important international organizations: WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums), EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums), UCSZOO (Union of Czech and Slovak Zoos), WAPCA (West African Primate Conservation Association), EEKMA (European Elephant Caregivers and Managers Association), IZE (International Association of Zoo Educators) and Species360 (International Zoo Animal Database).

Please, dont hesitate to make one click at following URL link which includes detailed photogallery for your deep interest as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/TxekKwc

Time: August 2025

Location: Zámok a okolie 939/6, 972 01 Bojnice

This post contains special moments during my visiting Bojnice Castle this summer.

Bojnice Castle is a romantic castle with a partially preserved original Gothic and Renaissance castle foundation, it is the most beautiful castle in Slovakia. It is located in the Trenčín Region and lies on the western edge of the town of Bojnice. The castle is visible from most of Upper Nitra. It is built on a travertine rock and consists of an inner and outer castle with three courtyards. In 1970 it was declared a National Cultural Monument.

Archival records of the castle, or rather the hillfort located on this site, date back to the beginning of the 12th century. The first written mention of the castle is found in a document of the Zobor Abbey from 1113.

The original hillfort was wooden. It was not until the 13th century, when the castle belonged to the Poznan family (some sources state the name of the family as Hont-Poznanovci), that it was rebuilt into a stone castle. The first owners, whose names have been preserved in historical sources, were the sons of the nobleman Casimir from the Poznan family. At the end of the 13th century, the castle was acquired by Matúš Čák Trenčiansky, who was its owner until 1321.

Bojnice Castle currently has a romantic character, which can also be seen on the facade of the residential tower, which is very structured. Also, the openings in the walls, portals, walls, attics and various wrought iron details are typical of romantic architecture.

Currently, the castle is part of the Slovak National Museum. In 1970, it was declared a National Cultural Monument and is open to the public. In the 1950s, a cave was discovered under the castle.

Please, dont hesitate to make one click at following URL link which contains very special detailed photogallery for your deep interest as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/1LxnKOu

Time: August 2025

Location: Zámok a okolie 1, 972 01 Bojnice

This post contains very detailed photogallery during my summer hiking at natural lake called Morské Oko.

Morské oko, formerly called Veľké Vihorlatské Lake, is the largest lake in the Vihorlat Mountains and the third largest natural lake in Slovakia after Štrbské pleso and Veľké Hincovo pleso in the High Tatras. It is one of the most beautiful still lifes in Slovakia, which has preserved its romance and natural charm.

The formation of Morské oko falls on the period of the decline of volcanic activity in Vihorlat. A massive landslide from the eastern slope of Motrogon and Jedlinka blocked the valley of the Okna stream and a natural lake was formed behind the resulting barrier. Morské oko is exceptional in its origin, location, physico-chemical and biological regime. It lies below Sninský kameň (1,006.0 m above sea level) in the cadastral territory of the municipalities of Remetské Hámre and Vyšná Rybnica, at an altitude of 618 m above sea level. The lake’s current appearance has existed since the 1880s, when an artificial dam wall was built. The lake’s area of ​​about 7 ha, after raising the water level by 5 m, created its current area of ​​13.8 ha. The maximum length of the lake is 750 m and the width is 312 m. The lake reaches a depth of up to 25.1 m.

It is located in the Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area and belongs to the protection zone of the Vihorlatský prales area, also known as Vihorlat for short, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007 in the Carpathian Beech Forests category. The reason for the inscription was the preserved beech forests with over 240-year-old specimens. The category was later expanded several times to include other sites and is currently called Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. It also belongs to the Morské oko site (SKUEV0209), which is a Natura 2000 site of European importance.

Please, dont hesitate to make one click at following URL link which includes detailed photogallery for your deep interest as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/U1cHgCC

Time: August 2025

Location: Hiking Tour from: Kameňolom Zemplínske Hámre – Tri Tably – Morské Oko, Snina and Michalovce County

This post contains very special moments during my summer hiking on Snina´s rock – Sninský kameň.

Sninský kameň is a natural monument, located in the northeastern part of the Vihorlatské vrchy volcanic mountain range above the village of Zemplínske Hámre.

It is part of the Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area and the Vihorlatský Primeval Forest, which is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. It is also included in the Morské oko site (SKUEV0209)[3], which is a Natura 2000 site of European importance.

It is located in the Valaškovce Military District in the Valaškovce-Sever cadastral area in the Humenné district. It occupies the top part of the mountain – Sninský kameň (1,006.0 m above sea level).

The natural monument was declared in 1982 on an area of ​​5.59 ha, of which the rock plateaus make up 1.62 ha and the protection zone makes up 3.97 ha. The subject of protection are two prominent rock formations in the form of a plateau lava peak (the remnant of a lava flow, which was preserved by weathering in the form of andesite boulders). It is also an important locality with biocenoses of xerothermic flora (e.g. endemic sheep fescue (Festuca ovina subsp. vihorlatica), which grows only on Sninski kamen and nowhere else), bryophytes growing in rock crevices and several species of ferns (northern spleenwort (Asplenium septentrionale), red spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), rock woodsia (Woodsia ilvensis)), endemic flora species (annual stonecrop (Sedum annuum)) and other endangered species (ornamental telekia (Telekia speciosa), a symbol of the Vihorlat Mountains). The highest level of protection is 5 (on an area of ​​1.62 ha, which consists of rocky plateaus), while the protection zone is 4.

Volcanic activity contributed to the formation of the Snina Stone. However, its final form was shaped by frost and water. The individual andesite cliffs are called the Great Snina Stone (998 m above sea level), lower but more extensive in area; and the Small Snina Stone (1,006 m above sea level), which is smaller.

Please, dont hesitate to make one click at following URL link which conatins very special detailed photogallery for your deep interest as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/ZdvWlt1

Time: August 2025

Location: Hiking Tour from: Kameňolom Zemplinske Hámre – Sninský Kameň, Snina County

This post contains very special moments during my staying at Vegardo Furdo, thermal pools in Sarospatak.

The Végardó swimming pool is a popular place for lovers of active relaxation and fun. It is located near the Slovak-Hungarian border, literally a stone’s throw from Košice by car (1 hour drive). The thermal complex with a rich history has recently undergone reconstruction. It consists of a thermal spa and an outdoor swimming pool with several adventure pools and water attractions such as a slide or an old water mill. For children, there is a children’s and baby pool, as well as a playground with climbing frames.

Please, for more details dont hesitate to make one click at following URL link which contains very detailed photogallery as follows:

https://imageban.ru/a/O7WDwpD

Time: July 2025

Location: 3950 Sárospatak, Határ út 2/B., Sarospatak, Hungary