Zilina is a large town which has a compact yet beautiful heart dating from medieval times. There’s enough to do there to occupy tourists including the Lesopark, an outdoor adventure park popular with adrenaline junkies for its zip wires and running and cycling tracks.
The town is unusual in having restaurants serving authentic Korean food to satisfy the tastes of the workers in the local Kia factory who were brought over from Korea. Supermarkets in the town also stock Korean food. If you’ve hired a car, take a drive out to the Mala Fata Mountains that encircle the town.
Zilina Airport Mini Guide
Tell me why I Should Visit Zilina?
With Zilina you’re heading off the tourist track and into the real Slovakia. It’s an important city with over 85,000 inhabitants and is a major industrial centre. Ignoring the commercial aspects of the city it has a remarkable architectural heritage and the best place to see it is from the main square called Marianske. Bordering the square are 44 old houses belonging to the city’s burghers threaded with over a hundred passages. The city itself is in an amazing setting being surrounded by snow-capped mountains and at the confluence of three rivers.
How do I get to this Slovakian gem?
Zilina has its own small airport which receives only one commercial flight a day from Prague. Its other flights are invariably private charters or business jets. Travellers from the UK have to fly to Prague with flights available from budget airlines and take the Czech Airlines flight from the Czech capital. It’s only six miles into the centre of Zilina which can be accessed by taxi or hire car.
What is the Airport Like?
It’s very small and basic but clean, bright and airy. You have to walk from the plane to the terminal and once there it’s a very quick journey through passport checking, collecting luggage and out into the small arrivals hall. There isn’t an information desk for the airport but it’s unlikely you’ll not find what you’re looking for there. There’s a single agent for car hire in the entrance hall at a temporary kiosk should you wish to collect a hire car. Pre-booking is recommended as stocks there are very limited. If you need a taxi, some turn up ready for flight arrivals, but if none are available there’s a number to call, posted on the information board at the airport.
There’s also a café at either end of the arrivals/departures hall should you be peckish before or after your flight. Apart from that there are no shops and no Wi-Fi connectivity at the airport. It’s recommended that you bring something to occupy you during the wait for your plane and also something to eat or drink in case the café’s small selection doesn’t hold something suitable.
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