The thermal water in swimming pools
All pools in the resort are filled with the natural thermal water which rises from a depth of 1611 meters and has beneficial effects. Thermal water is highly mineralized sodium – calcium – magnesium – sulphurous with high iron content. Its composition helps to musculoskeletal disorders, urinary tract and kidneys. Water temperature ranges up to about 58 °C, so it must be cooled.

Thanks to the thermal water, Aquapark Oravice is available 12 months a year regardless on the weather conditions. It covers an area of 1545 square meters and you can find here a great sport – relaxing pool, large and small relaxation pool and cooling pool. The pools are equipped with water attractions such as artificial waves, bubble seats, bubble benches, a geyser, a water mushroom, spouts, massaging jets. Of course there is also a water slide.

Wellness and other services
Aquapark Oravice provide also wellness services, you can use sauna and massage center, as well as restaurants and sports facilities. Aquapark is closely connected with the local ski center, which is built on very good level and is among the most visited ski resorts in the Orava region.

Visiting Aquapark Oravice can be ideal for the hiking nad skiing lovers. I think there is no better option than rest in a hot thermal water after the whole-day mountain trip in summer or skiing in winter. On the other side, swimming in the water while there is a snow all around you could be also very nice experience!

There are also many attractions you can visit nearby, one of them is Orava Castle, which is one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Slovakia.

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At the area of ​​240,000 square meters you will find more than 750 species of birds from all continents. Visitors have the opportunity to see a unique show of birds of prey or to feed the tame birds out of hand. The reservation owns the largest collection of parrots (more than 200 species), including the rarest ones. Rare species of birds fly without any restrictions above the heads of visitors.

But Weltvogelpark Walsrode is not about the birds only, you will find there also great gardens.

Next to Weltvogelpark Walsrode there is a huge parking space available also for the caravans and mobile homes. Basic admission fee is €16, but you can get there also for free at the day of your birthday. Weltvogelpark Walsrode is open daily from 18 March to 1 November 2011 from 09.00 am to 19.00 pm.

For further information visit the official website of Weltvogelpark Walsrode

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When you come to Therme Erding for the first time, you really be just staring. The amount of attraction is incredible, there are slides, sauna, salt caves, bars, massages, restaurants, waterfalls and geysers with palm trees… Moreover, everything is perfectly clean, organized, imaginative.

Spa was opened in October 3, 1999 and has already hosted more than 10 million visitors, which regularly takes care of 600 employees. At peak times you can meet there up to ten thousand people a day and they all go here with one goal. Enjoy the hot spring emanating from a depth of 2350 meters below ground, at 63 degrees Celsius. The medicinal effect, which is accepted by the state, is useful for all who have problems with joints, spine, rheumatism, skin diseases or are after trauma.

Gigantic thermal world covers an area of 145,000 m2 and consists of five mutually separated, but still closely connected parts. You can buy ticket to each part separately, but definitely worth to take a ticket for the whole area.

Probably the biggest attraction in Therme Erding is its sauna paradise. On 13.000 m2 you can enjoy 25 saunas, designed like a world tour. Each sauna is dedicated to a particular country. In Britain you can find Celtic waterfalls and sauna with space sky at Stonehenge. In Italy there are Roman baths, etc… It just depends on your taste, and visit Bavaria, Spain, India or North Africa…

In Sauna pavilion you will find lots of naked people, who enjoy swimming at the world’s best dipping.

Admission to all parts of the Therme Erding (in VitalOase and Saunaparadies from 16 years only) per adult per day is 34EUR, on holidays and weekends to pay 4EUR more. Children under 3 are admitted free.

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Isola dei Pescatori, Borromean Islands, Italy by Ed Webster

The first island acquired was that of Isola Bella which was nothing more than a rock that was named after the countess Isabella Borromeo. Over the years, a number of improvements to the island have been made including the construction of a palace during the 17th century. Vast amounts of sand were filed in around the island to increase its size over the centuries.

The second and largest of the Borromean Islands is that of the Isola Madre. The island is well-known for its many beautiful gardens. There is also a palace on the island which is adorned with many fine masterpieces from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

The Isola dei Pescatori (known also as Isola Superiore) used to be owned by the Borromo family. Today it is known as the only inhabited Borromean Island. With a small fishing village, the island has a population of a little more than 200 residents. The residents of this island are also the one responsible for bringing tourists to the Borromean Islands during the peak seasons of the year.

Both the Isolino di San Giovanni and the rock known as Malghera are uninhabited and no major structures have been built upon them. The rock of Malghera is only 200 square meters in size and is known for its small beach; it is located between the islands of Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Bella.

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Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

The entrance to the cave is situated at an altitude of 970 meters above sea level and used to be known as a “cold hole”. The first visitor was a mining engineer and amateur speleologist Eugen Ruffínyi with his friends Gustáv Lang and Andrej Mega. They explored the cave in June 1870. A year later it was opened to the public and in 1887 became the first cave in Europe with electric lighting. The total length of the cave is 1388 m, from which only 475 m long section is available for the public. In the years 1893 – 1946 the public skating was allowed here during the whole year.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

Underground spaces were created and formed by chemical and mechanical action of water of the river Hnilec. Dobšinská ice caves were originally connected with Stratenská caves. But after the collapse of the cave ceiling, the cave system has been divided and closed the air circulation. The cave got a shape of a pocket-like large cavity. It is 18 meters wide and 70 meters deep with a single hole on the surface. This resulted in the establishment of local microclimatic conditions and ice caves. In winter a cold air penetrates into the cave, which cools its walls and leaking water and freezes, creating ice formations (stalactites, stalagmites, icefalls, pillar and floor ice). The thickness of ice reaches up to 25 meters at the floor, its volume is approximately 145,000 cubic meters. The average annual temperature of the cave is -1 °C while the humidity reaches 96-99%.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

Glaciation is only in the part of the cave entrance, where it gets cold from outside. Rear and bottom areas are ice-free, but with many weathered stalactite formations. The cave consists of several separate parts – Small Hall, Large Hall, collapsing dome, Ruffínyi’s corridor, and other. The largest area is the Great Hall – 72 metres long, 42 metres wide and 10 metres high. The largest ice column is named the Well (Studňa).

The tour through Dobšinská Ice Cave lasts 30 minutes. It is open from May to October. Eating or drinking is prohibited here, you can use a camera for additional fee. Entry is permitted only with a guide.

Dobšinská Ice Cave is a home of several species of bats, and in 2000, the cave has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

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