I have mentioned it a lot before that traveling is not just about far away and exotic places, nor just about expensive and popular spots. Those who have been following my journeys could observe that I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see some common destinations like Italy, Spain or Greece, but I was not frightened either, when I had to explore some Slavic countries in the neighborhood of Hungary, such as the Czech Republic, Slovenia or Poland. Last time we began our new trip in Slovakia, now, as I promised, it is time to continue it.

Heading to the North from Nové Zámky, we will arrive in the fourth biggest city of Slovakia, which is also one of the most important historical centers of the country: Nitra, or, as we know it in Hungarian, Nyitra. The area of this city has been inhabited since the ancient times: although the Romans never conquered permanently Carpathian territories to the North from Danube (which meant the so-called limes), they knew a place close to the contemporary city where various Barbarian tribes settled.

Most probably one of them were the Goths, since the name of Nitra is derived from an ancient Germanic expression meaning 'flowing water'. No wonder that the first settlement was called like this, since Nitra is also the name of the city's great river which feeds into Váh (in Hungarian: Vág), the longest river of Slovakia.

Nitra is considered as the center of the Slavic dwellers called Moravians who lived in the Northern territories of the Carpathian basin in present-day Slovakia: it was first an independent principality led by prince Pribina, then became the part of Greater Moravia which is associated with prince Svatopluk.

Most probably the Christian state Moravians founded was a vassal of the Frank Empire and flourished only for a very short period, however, Slovaks usually consider this state as a preceder of their country. Although Moravian is another ethnicity still existing nowadays in the Eastern part of the Czech Republic, it might be still a very sensitive topic for some Slovaks to argue this heritage. 

Anyways, Svatopluk is so important for the city that the main square (Svätoplukovo námestie) is also named after him, and among many other rulers of the Carpathian Basin in the pre-Hungarian era, he is also mentioned for example in the famous Hungarian story called The Legend of the White Horse.

The prince was the first and also the last one who could keep the local Slavic tribes strongly together, but by the time Magyars (the ancient Hungarians) arrived, the Moravian state was already in ruins due to the powerless reign of Svatopluk' sons.

However, the importance of Nitra also remained for the centuries of the Kingdom of Hungary: it was the religious center for the bishopry of Nitra and a common domain for the so-called institute of Duchy. The duke was usually a member of the royal dynasty, the Árpáds and he was often either the heir to the throne or a male relative, for instance the brother of the king.

Talking about the history of Nitra, we should certainly remember one particular hero, the local strongman, Corgoň, who is a similar folklore hero to the Slovaks as Samson in the Bible, Heracles for the Greeks or Toldi and Kinizsi for us in Hungary.

He was a local blacksmith living during the Ottomans times in Hungary who became so mad at the Turkish invaders that he threw heavy stones from the castle walls onto the sieging soldiers, who ran away scared stating that it was the devil himself who protected the Christians: in fact, they thought it so because Corgoň's face was covered in black due to the soot from his blacksmith shop. 

Nowadays you can find a statue close to the castle called 'the Atlas of Nitra', which is actually indeed an atlas from the point of view of architecture standing at the corner of a building: it is said that if someone touches the big toe of the statue, their wishes come true. There is no wonder that this certain toe is already shabby due to the tourists who wanted to have their wishes granted…

By the way, we may also find Corgoň's name in the shops and pubs, because he is also the namesake of the local beer. Is it as strong as the person whom it is named after? Well, it is always a matter of taste: you should give it a try when you come to Nitra and find it out for yourself!

Maybe it is a good point to begin our imaginary trip from Corgoň and move towards the castle (Nitriansky hrad), which is a classic beauty indeed with all the obligatory elements of a real fortress: a moat separating the castle from the rest of the hill and a bridge with a main gate letting the visitors in; gorgeous walls, elegant bastions, clear and smooth colors, and, in addition, one of the most beautiful church towers I had ever seen which also represented a little bit of Hungarian culture to me thinking of our cities. 

The castle is not just a place with a welcoming yard and a spectacular view on the city, but, as usual, we cannot get away without any ghost stories either.

People of Nitra say that there is a headless monk haunting among the castle walls who once upon a time was a proud and cruel Turkish soldier sieging the city and killing many Christians, until one day a cannonball hit his head.

Why are the monk' s robe and the chains, it is a mystery, but somehow this cursed and unfortunate soul ended up in the castle forever.

However, since Nitra is the place where Tribeč (Tribecs) and other great mountains have their first slopes from the South to the North, we should mention a couple of other extraordinary hills and peaks in the area.

Such a mountain is Zobor, which is surely the part of the unforgettable city view one can receive when they arrive in Nitra.

The most easier for me would be to say that Zobor is the same type of organic, inseparable landscape while looking at Nitra as Pohorje was for Maribor, but this comparison works only if someone had already been there as well and knows what I mean. 

The lucky thing is that, it takes maybe half an hour to get to the top if you find a good parking spot in the streets of the suburbs, and it is not a really exhausting hiking trip at all to climb the mountain if you follow the correct signs.

The panorama is maybe not the most touching and special you can experience in Nitra, but there is no doubt that it is the most breathtaking one, allowing you to observe the whole of Nitra with almost every single tower and house, while you can admire the blue, brown and golden fields all around. 

No matter which season or month you choose, the white rocks and the mysterious woods will guarantee the ancient pagan magic and vibes of fairy tales, so even though there are some contemporary buildings on the clearing of the top, you can feel like an eagle riding on the winds and talking to the trees.

And yet I have to admit that Zobor, also the home hill of a former abbey, was not the most spiritual hill we visited in Nitra. Namely, that was the Calvary Hill (Nitrianska kalvária), an iconic location of the city that you can also find on many souvenirs such as post cards and fridge magnets. 

Exploring the surrounding districts and climbing up in the sunset along the calvary stations and a mesmerizing green vegetation was already a nice adventure itself, but we were not prepared to the fabulous sight waiting for us on the top.

The three stone crosses and the lovely wooden roofed chapel were already familiar from some photos, but the marvelous rocks and the great, wide open area just made one feel united with the nature or summoning some ancient gods and spirits sleeping under the hill - like Radegast, ancient Slavic god of harvest, hospitality, fertility, war and what else...? You might figure it out due to a Czech franchise and company: yes, it's the beer.

While it was already getting dark, the city of Nitra was putting on its shining night dress full of street lights and windows, and as I observed it from the distance, I felt like a flying giant able to travel from one house to another one and from one life to another one, each one telling me different secrets and stories.

It was as if I had already known that magical place before, and the last time when I felt similarly, again, was not Valencia or Wrocław, but it was Maribor. Maybe it is something about the Slavic magic, maybe the fact that these mountains also mean a lot to us, Hungarians. I don't know.

Apart from the iconic sights there are a lot of other spots that might be interesting, such as the synagogue or one of the impressive Catholic churches in the city: the greatest one in my opinion was the Church of St. Ladislaus (in Hungarian: Szent László, in Slovak: Svätý Ladislav), which has a lovely yellow color and two graceful towers, while opposite the building there is a small park with wonderful monuments of the Crucifixion and Jesus with the apostles. 

Ladislaus was one of the most characteristic king of Hungary who inspired many legends and folklore stories (like saving a maiden from the Cumans or the creation of the Turda Gorge), and as it turned out, he is also extremely popular among Slovaks.

Since he came from the Árpád dynasty but had a Polish mother, he was the one who ‘imported’ the Polish given name Władysław (for the Jagiellonian kings of Hungary also: Ulászló) which is still a very common first name in Hungary. 

To sum everything up, Nitra is a modern, pulsating, dynamic city with plenty of pubs, shops, shopping malls, schools and opportunities for entertainment, which is an ideal destination for a couple of days wherever you come from.

It is is also a place where you can imagine your life if you wish to live in a place where you can easily find a job and everything is available within a few steps, including the nature. For instance, take a walk along river Nitra, discover some fishing ponds in the area or just visit one of the city parks - you will surely not regret it! 

Actually, in Slovakia, just as in Poland or the Czech Republic, there is a narrow border between parks and woods, and if you are not attentive enough, you can quickly end up in a real forest, which is not so bad to be honest, because you will be surrounded by a lot of peace and harmony. Who would say it is an unlucky type of getting lost?

Maybe Nitra is not the most amazing city on the world which is the dream of thousands of traveling people, but it surely has something that touches you to make you want to return and something that sticks in your mind. At least that is what this city has done to me, and that is why it remains special for me.