Is wild camping allowed in Slovakia?

No, wild camping, also known as boondocking, dry camping, or dispersed camping, is unfortunately not officially allowed in Slovakia. Camping on private property and bivouacking is not officially allowed. In practice, however, the authorities and residents usually deal loosely with the issue and refrain from punishment.

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Written by: Tobi

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Last researched: 2023

In Slovakia, staying overnight away from official campsites is not permitted. This prohibition also applies to overnight stays on private plots or bivouacs. In most cases, however, this ban is not enforced by the authorities.

To avoid problems or penalties, you should consider the following when choosing a pitch:

Stay away from cities
Staying overnight in nature reserves is strictly forbidden.
Tents, not near buildings

Especially on the outskirts of villages, in forests and on meadows, wild camping is usually no problem if you don't disturb anyone with your presence. In general, the east of the country is considered to be relatively unproblematic when it comes to wild camping and free standing.

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You can find the perfect pitch to set up your camp with the Caravanya App

Tips and tricks for wild camping in Slovakia

Dreamlike mountains with deep forests, a landscape marked by castles and palaces and spacious meadows, all this distinguishes this small country in the heart of Europe. Even if wild camping and being free is not officially allowed, it is tolerated in most cases in many areas, especially in the east of the country. Here we have put together a few tips on what you should bear in mind when traveling through Slovakia so that your holiday can be a complete success.

Animals
In the forests of Slovakia, you can find a variety of relatively harmless animals such as deer, foxes, or wild boars. But there are also wolves, wildcats, and brown bears. To avoid these and to avoid a nightly visit, you should make sure that you do not find any animal tracks near your place.

Toll
If you want to use one of the motorways or highways in Slovakia, you have to buy an electronic vignette. You can buy this in advance online or get it at one of the sales points. A distinction is made according to the total weight of the vehicle. Cars up to 3,5 t: https://eznamka.sk/ Cars over 3,5 t: https://www.emyto.sk/de.

Road traffic
The blood alcohol limit in Slovakia is 0.00. In the event of a violation, the police are authorized to withdraw the driver's license and take the driver into police custody. Also, exceeding this 0.00 per mille limit is considered a criminal offense and can in the worst case be punished with imprisonment for up to one year.

Bivouacking
Although the planned bivouac is not permitted by law, an emergency bivouac does not usually pose any problems. If you are caught with just a sleeping bag and tarpaulin for a night, nothing will happen to you in most cases. However, as soon as you set up a tent, it counts as camping in the wild and, in the worst case, can result in a punishment.

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10 interesting, bizarre and funny facts about Slovakia

That Slovakia is quite exactly the geographical center of Europe is not a big surprise after a look at a map. And the fact that the title "Geographical Centre of Europe" is used by many places does not surprise either. But did you know what makes Bratislava a unique capital in the world? Or why do Slovak and Slovenian government employees meet every year? We have compiled the answers to these questions and other facts for you here.

Fact #1 - Unique capital city
Bratislava is the only capital in the world that borders on two different countries. To the west, it borders Austria and to the south, Hungary.

Fact #2 - Free travel for EU citizens
Since the end of 2014, EU citizens have been able to travel free of charge by train in Slovakia. At least if you are under 26 years old and a student, or over 62 years old.

Fact #3 - Wooden altar
In the St. Jakob Church in the city of Levoča stands the world's largest wooden altar. It is 18.6 meters high, six meters wide and was built without a single nail.

Fact #4 - Danger of confusion
Slovakia and Slovenia are often confused. Every month employees of the Slovak and Slovenian embassies meet to exchange incorrectly addressed mail.

Fact #5 - Castles and chateaux
With 180 castles and 425 chateaux, with just 5.4 million inhabitants, Slovakia has the highest number of castles per inhabitant.

Fact #6 - Caves
There are over 6,000 caves in Slovakia. One of them is the Ochtina Aragonite Cave, which is one of only three accessible aragonite caves in the world.

Fact #7 - Oldest Marathon
The "International Peace Marathon" in Košice is the oldest marathon in Europe and the second oldest marathon in the world after the Boston marathon.

Fact #8 - Wooden churches
The wooden churches in the Slovak part of the Carpathians are part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. They were built between the 15th and 17th centuries without nails.

Fact #9 - Central Europe
According to some calculations, the geographical center of Europe lies in the municipality of Kremnické Bane. However, several villages in the region claim this title.

Fact #10 - Zipser Castle
The Spiš Castle (Slovak: Spišský hrad) in northeastern Slovakia is one of the largest castles in Europe and was built in the 12th century.

Everything you need to know for your trip

Equipment

Warning triangle Yes
Safety vest Yes
First aid kit Yes
Replacement lamp set No
Spare tyre / repair set Yes
Fire extinguisher No
Tow rope No
Tear rope for all trailers No

Driving

Do I need a vignette, or are there tolls? Yes
Right hand trafficTo avoid dazzling other road users, you need to readjust or mask your headlights if they have asymmetrical light and are right-hand drive
Is it compulsory to drive with lights on during the day? Yes

Information

Is the tap water potable? Yes
Socket type: C+F
Energency numbers: 112
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Official Languages: Slovak
Country licence plate code: SK

Average prices, in €

Price coffee rounded: 1.25
Price beer rounded: 1.25

Entry conditions for animals

You need a valid EU pet passport in which your animal is clearly identified (microchip or tattoo), as well as a rabies vaccination valid on entry. The rabies vaccination must be at least 21 days old, but not older than 6 months. Yes
If your entry is from a non-EU country with a reduced rabies status, you must have a rabies antibody test carried out approximately four weeks before you enter the country and have it entered on your EU pet passport. Yes
Your dog must be treated for tapeworms 24 to 120 hours before entry. No
In addition to a valid EU pet passport with all the required entries, you also need an official veterinary health certificate (max. 10 days old). No
The import of fighting dogs or breeds classified as dangerous is not permitted. No

We try our best to keep the information up to date. Even so, we can always make mistakes. Have you found an error? Send us an email to moc.aynavarac@ofni!

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