1936 On the Continent

parties, dancing and concerts. I would advise intending visitors, however, to reserve their accommodation in advance.
The Tatras
    Perhaps the best way of approaching the Tatras is to take the train as far as Štrba, whence by funicular railway the mountain resort of Štrbské Pleso can be easily reached. This is a charming spot situated at a height of about 3,000 feet by the side of a mountain lake. It is connected by electric railway with the health resort of Smokovec from which the peak of Hrebienok, which is more than 3,500 feet high, can be comfortably ascended by funicular railway. Before long it will probably be possible to reach the top of the Lomnicky peak (nearly 8,000 feet and the second highest peak in the Tatras) by the same means.
    The mountains, however, do not exhaust the attractions of this region. Thus, from Poprad an omnibus or hiredcar will take you to the Ice Caves at Dobšina. The road, which is of great beauty and rises to a height of 3,000 feet, would of itself be worth visiting quite apart from the interesting spot to which it leads. The vast masses of ice inside the deep caves which are filled with the most diversely shaped icicles are worth visiting, particularly in the summer when they form a striking contrast to the glowing sunshine outside.
    On the return journey from the Tatras you should stop at the small town of Liptovský St. Mikuláš, which is not far from the Dumbier peak (about 7,000 feet). From St. Mikuláš also it is not far to the wonderful stalactite caves of Demänova, which were formed by the action of subterranean streams on the limestone below the base of the mountains. Here can be seen lakes, stone curtains, pillars, draperies, chasms and vast stalactite halls which are quite unique. As everywhere else in Slovakia, there is abundance of folk-lore in this region also. Among the places which are particularly worth seeing on Sundays, when the peasants go to church in their best clothes, I would mention Važec, Gerlachov anddiar.
Seven German Towns
    Another region which offers many features of interest is that of Spiš which forms a continuation of the Tatra area. The whole of this district has an important historical background, its nucleus having been more than twenty prosperous towns founded by the German colonists who were invited here by the kings of Hungary seven centuries ago. A typical town of this type is Kežmarok, with an old wooden Evangelical church, a fortified Gothic cathedral, an old castle and other noteworthy relics of the past. Then, too, there is Levoa, with its charming Town Hall and fine Gothic church of St. Jacob, containing many objects of artistic interest. Every year on July 2nd a fair is held in this town and the market-place is filled with specimens of embroidery, ceramics and other popular handicrafts. Here I should also mention Spišska Pohradé, with the remains of an ancient stronghold, one of the largest in Czechoslovakia, and in its vicinity is Spišska Kapitula, with a cathedral in Roman and Gothic style which is a treasure house of artistic and historical relics. A similar collection will be found in the Gothic church at Spišskatvrtek. And having come thus far, we might as well visit the town of Košice, the second largest in Slovakia and an important business and educational centre. Near Košice there is another collection of underground caverns. Other places in Slovakia which should, at least, be mentioned here are the old mountain town of Banská Bystrica, Zvolen with its old castle and the romantic villages in its environs (Detva is the most interesting of them), as well as the towns of Prešov, Kremnica and Nitra, which contains the oldest cathedral in this part of the country.
    The greater part of the inhabitants of Slovakia are, of course, Slovaks, but there are also minority populations consisting of Magyars, Germans and Jews. Nor must I forget the gipsies who will be found in regular communities here on the outskirts of the towns and villages. They live in the most primitive conditions which they seem to prefer to a more civilised mode of life. Nevertheless, the Czechoslovak Government has established schools for them and they are now being trained in various handicrafts. They possess an inborn instinct for music, and as you pass by one of their tumbledown huts you may hear a young gipsy playing the violin with great skill.
Carpathian Ruthenia
    The extreme east of the Republic consists of the region known as Carpathian Ruthenia,