Tuesday 2nd September 2008 – Lake Velka Domasa, Slovakia

The Goralsky Dvor campsite had the best facilities of any of the ones that we had stayed at in Slovakia and much money had been invested in them. The pitches were flat, the shower block was excellent, there was plenty of equipment for kids of all ages and the restaurant was good and popular. Having said that, our favourite campsite in Slovakia is still Sedliacky Dvor near Bresnov (see entries for 15th to 19th August) because, in addition to the facilities, the people were so friendly and helpful.
Poland was calling but first we wanted to visit Bardejov. The road ran very close to the Polish border at one point and we discovered a border crossing that was not shown on our map. Here there were a large number of stalls and shops advertising 'alcohol' in a variety of spellings and we gathered that the tax on alcoholic drinks was more in Poland – the Polish obviously came over to bulk buy their supplies. Just like the British 'booze cruises' across the English Channel, although much easier and cheaper.
The car parks close to the centre of Bardejov were all designed for cars and required the purchase, in advance, of a parking card. However, we found a free car park just a couple of minutes walk out of the centre that had bays big enough for Henrietta and were soon walking in. Bardejov is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site and is very attractive. It has a huge rectangular square that was established in the 13th century and has remained ever since. The buildings surrounding the square vary in date but many are Mediaeval, some bearing their original painted decoration. Dominating the square is the Saint Egidius church built in the 14th century and containing 11 beautiful Gothic altarpieces dating from 1460 to 1510. They were tuning the organ whilst we were in their – the organ was very impressive but the noises being produced were horrendous. The Town Hall is also in the centre of the square and, built in 1509, it is allegedly the first Renaissance building in Slovakia. After a brief stop for lunch just off the square, we took a walk around part of the walls admiring the moat, bastions and the walls themselves.
We had intended to visit one of Slovakia's most beautiful spas, Bardejovske Kupele, just 6km north but decided that in the time available, we would not be able to do it justice, so we drove on. We established at the Bardejov Tourist Information Office that the nearest campsite east was at the Velka Domasa lake. Although not exactly on the way to the Polish border, it was much closer than any other option. There were actually four campsites around the lake but we headed for the one on the west side. The road was quite narrow and we had been going for some time and were on the point of turning around when we came across it. It was very basic but we were only staying one night, so it didn't matter to us. There were a couple of people at reception but they just waved us through and didn't want to register us or take any money. Eventually we established that the campsite had closed but they were happy for us and two other groups in tents to stay. Needless to say, there was no electricity and the shower and toilet block were locked up but we were self-sufficient, so that wasn't a problem. We sat out and watched the sun set over the lake, enjoying the peace and tranquillity.
Photos: The town square of Bardejov showing Saint Egidius church and the Town Hall; Two of the bastions on Bardejov's walls; A view of Velka Domasa Lake from the campsite – the season was over so it was time to take the pedaloes out of the water.