December is for the students often one of the most stressful months. Winter term is almost over, finishing projects, first exams. But that won't stop us from enjoying the pre-Christmas period. On the contrary, in such a busy time, what would be better than a trip or a nice event for us all as a reward after all that hard work? With this in mind, we prepared several events for our Erasmus friends, starting the 5th of December.

Many locals, but also foreigners, who have visited Slovakia, would agree, that one of the must-see places here is certainly Orava region. With its amazing architecture, blending into wonderful natural sceneries, it's got a lot to offer. To be able to enjoy it all, our day started early. Having taken the train at 6 o'clock in the morning, most of the journey to Orava was filled with yawning, sleepy taking, but also building anticipation. Upon our arrival, the sun was already up high, along with the fresh air awakening us effectively. We still had some time before the planned visit of the castle. Funnily enough, the nearby restaurant we peeked in welcomed us with the promise of something more than just good food. We found ourselves in a well-known local brewery. No way we could refuse the degustation, to yet again prove to our foreign friends, that Slovak beers indeed do stand up to the hype. Soon enough, it was time for our guided tour of Orava Castle. The atmosphere of the old chambers previously inhabited by kings and knights was only intensified by the old stories of our guide, sounding almost like a fairytale. Enriched in knowledge and with first signs indicating our empty stomachs, the lunch time came. In the center of a traditional Slovak region, the choice of the food was not so hard. Fifteen more minutes in the bus, allowing us to admire the beauty of the nature of this region, before we finally arrived to Dolby Kubin, the heart of Orava. A wooden shepherd's hut with joint restaurant delivered on promise of delicious food and unforgettable atmosphere. Everybody decided on Slovak specialities, including halušky, pirohy and strapačky.

Before leaving, some of the students took the opportunity to get some tangible reminders of this trip and bought little souvenirs. Afterwards, we just had to endure another long journey back to Trnava. Filled with good food and new experience and memories, we all had to agree, that despite the early alarm clock, long way to go and slightly chilling December weather, the day in Orava was worth it.

Text: Eva Galková

Foto: Michaela Uhorskaiová