Slovakia

*Slovakia*’s humble tourism motto, “A Part of Europe Worth Visiting,” seems to sum up the country’s rather modest ambitions when it comes to luring visitors. Still a teenager — Slovakia became an independent nation only in 1993 — the country still seems unsure of itself as a nation and what it has to offer. But the motto surely underestimates Slovakia’s very winning charms. The mountains, starting in the hills of the Malá Fatra and running east to the Alpine peaks of the High Tatras, are some of the most starkly beautiful in Europe. And it’s unlikely that any country in Europe, or anywhere else for that matter, has a castle with the pure drop-dead shock value of Spissky Hrad. Slovakia’s youthful capital, Bratislava, has shed some of its hulking Communist-era architecture and fixed up its charming Old Town. The result is a fun, lively, and energetic city. The Slovaks’ humility — and the exceedingly warm welcome they accord guests — is also a notable part of the country’s allure.