Start your journey through the borderland of three countries with a visit to one of Central Europe's most magnificent castles. Orava Castle (Oravský hrad) rises majestically on a steep limestone rock, towering 112 meters above the Orava River valley. Dating back to the 13th century, this monumental fortress has been a silent witness to the region's turbulent history for centuries.

Orava Castle is not only an impressive building, but also a treasure trove of fascinating stories and legends. One of them tells of Thurzó, a Hungarian magnate who made the castle the center of his county in the 17th century and is said to have conducted secret alchemical experiments from there. Another legend tells of the castle dungeons where Countess Elisabeth Bathory, the notorious 'bloody countess' who, according to legends, bathed in the blood of young girls to preserve eternal youth, was imprisoned. Although historians dispute the veracity of this tale, the castle still exudes a dark atmosphere that filmmakers have come to appreciate - it was here that scenes for the first film adaptation of 'Nosferatu' in 1922 were shot.

As you wander through the castle's chambers, you can admire the extensive collection of furniture, weapons and artwork from various eras. Particularly impressive is the Great Hall with its original wooden ceiling from the 17th century, and the castle chapel with its Gothic frescoes. The viewing terraces offer a breathtaking view of the Orava valley and the surrounding mountains. The castle consists of three parts - the lower, middle and upper, each of which dates from a different historical period, creating a fascinating mosaic of architectural styles.

Just a few dozen kilometers from Orava Castle is the Slovenský raj (Slovak Paradise) National Park, which fully lives up to its name. Established in 1988, this national park is a true paradise for lovers of nature and active recreation. An area of over 19,000 hectares hides an extraordinary world of limestone canyons, wild streams, waterfalls and caves.

One of the biggest attractions of the Slovak Paradise is the system of gorges with metal ladders, footbridges and chains, which allow passage through the most inaccessible parts of the terrain. The Sucha Bela Gorge is the most famous route, leading through cascades of waterfalls, the highest of which, the Bear Waterfalls, is 29 meters high. Less well-known but equally fascinating is the Piecky Gorge, where you can admire unusual rock formations, including the famous 'Spire'.

The park also hides fascinating secrets underground. It features more than 200 caves, the most famous of which is the Dobshin Ice Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside it, temperatures remain below freezing all year round, allowing visitors to admire fantastic ice formations - stalactites, stalagmites and ice columns several meters high.

Few people know that the Slovak Paradise was inhabited in the past by hermits and monks, who established their hermitages in the valleys cut off from the world. A remnant of them is Klasztorzysko - the ruins of a medieval Carthusian monastery, hidden deep in the forest. According to local legends, the monks possessed secret knowledge about the healing properties of the herbs growing in the park and passed it on to the local inhabitants.

Continuing the journey through the borderland, it is impossible to miss two remarkable places located in the Slovak part of the Tatra Mountains - Bielańska Cave and the White Water Valley. These two natural gems, although only a dozen kilometers apart, offer completely different but equally fascinating experiences.

Belianska jaskyňa (Belianska Cave) is a true underground palace hidden in the eastern part of the Belianske Tatras. Discovered in 1881 by gold prospectors, it quickly became one of the region's top tourist attractions. Emperor Franz Joseph was so fascinated by its beauty that he ordered electric lighting to be installed in it as early as 1896, making it one of the first electrically lit caves in Europe.

A hike through the cave is a journey through a fantastic world of stalactites, stalagmites and other flowstone formations created over thousands of years by water seeping through the limestone rocks. The 1,370-meter-long hiking route leads through a series of chambers, each of which has a name reflecting its character - the Music Room, where stalactites make sounds reminiscent of an organ when struck, the White Chamber with dazzling white formations or the Palm Room with stalactites resembling tropical plants.

Bielańska Cave also hides secrets from the distant past. During archaeological research, the bones of a cave bear that became extinct some 24,000 years ago were discovered there. According to local legend, the cave was a refuge for Tatra robbers, who hid their treasures there. It is said that deep inside the cave, in as yet undiscovered passages, there is a lake filled with gold and jewels, which is guarded by the spirit of the robbers' leader.

The cave has a constant temperature of about 5-6°C throughout the year, which, combined with high humidity (96-97%), creates a specific microclimate with medicinal properties, especially beneficial for people with respiratory diseases. For this reason, special speleotherapy sessions are organized in the cave.

Just a dozen kilometers from the Belianskaya Cave stretches the White Water Valley (Bielovodská dolina), the longest valley in the Slovak part of the Tatras. This wild and picturesque valley, more than 10 kilometers long, runs from the village of Jaworzyna Tatrzanska all the way to the border with Poland, where it joins the Fish Creek Valley.

The White Water Valley is a place where nature has preserved its original, almost virgin character. Wandering along the trail along the crystal clear Biala Woda stream, one can admire the monumental Tatra peaks - Rysy (2499 m), Poland's highest peak, and the majestic Ganek (2462 m) with its characteristic 'turban' dome. The valley is famous for its extraordinary biodiversity - you can encounter rare plant species such as the Carpathian bellflower and strong toadstool, as well as observe wild animals - marmots, chamois and even brown bears.

One of the most picturesque places in the valley is the Glade below Wysoka, which offers a spectacular view of Wysoka (2,547 meters above sea level) - one of the most beautiful peaks in the Tatra Mountains. It was here that Polish and Slovak poets, painters and intellectuals met in the 19th century, drawing inspiration from the raw beauty of the mountains. Among them was Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, who immortalized the valley in his poems, calling it 'the land of silence and stone dream'.

A little-known fact is that in the upper part of the valley, near Litvorowy Staw, traces of Bronze Age settlement were discovered in the 1930s. Archeologists found bronze tools and ornaments there, suggesting that as early as 3,000 years ago people ventured into the high parts of the Tatra Mountains, probably in search of metal ores.

The White Water Valley, unlike many other Tatra valleys, is not overloaded with tourists, allowing you to truly commune with wildlife and experience the atmosphere of mountain solitude. The best time to visit it is late spring, when the meadows are covered with a carpets of flowers, or early autumn, when the forests sparkle with all shades of gold and red.

The highlight of a trip through the borderlands of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia is undoubtedly a visit to the place where the borders of the three countries meet. The tri-junction of the Polish-Czech-Slovak borders, located in the picturesque village of Jaworzynka in the Silesian Beskid, is not only a geographical curiosity, but also a symbol of the centuries-old, complicated relations between these nations.

The history of this place is fascinating and full of unexpected twists and turns. The current tri-junction was created only in 1920, after World War I and the breakup of Austria-Hungary, when an independent Poland and Czechoslovakia appeared on the map of Europe. Before that, for more than 100 years, it had been the meeting point of three empires: Austria-Hungary, Prussia and Russia. The place was then called the 'Triangle of the Three Emperors' and was a popular destination for aristocrats from all over Europe.

The current triangle is marked by a granite obelisk, around which three stone tables representing each country have been placed. It is interesting to note that standing here, one can be in three different time zones at the same time - Polish, Czech and Slovak, although today all three countries use the same Central European time.

There are many local legends floating around the tri-junction. One of them tells of the hidden treasure of the robber Ondraszek, who was said to have buried his looted gold exactly at the meeting point of the three countries, believing that no border guard would be able to arrest him, as he would always be able to escape into the territory of a neighboring country. Another story mentions a mysterious stone that was supposed to have stood at the site even before the borders were drawn, and on which runes were carved predicting the fate of the three nations.

The tristyk is not only a symbolic place on the map, but also the starting point for many fascinating hiking trails. From here you can embark on a hike along the 'Road of Three Cultures', which leads through picturesque borderlands and allows you to learn about the unique traditions of the region. Of particular interest is the wooden architecture - both Polish, Czech and Slovak, with characteristic differences in construction and ornamentation.

The tri-junction area is also home to a fascinating phenomenon of cultural and linguistic intermingling. Residents of the area often speak a specific dialect that is a mixture of Polish, Czech and Slovak, and local culinary traditions combine elements of the cuisine of all three nations. It is worth trying local specialties, such as 'pancakes on a sheet' - a type of scones baked on heated baking sheets, or 'bryndzové halušky' - dumplings with bryndza, which, despite their Slovak origins, have gained a unique local character in the borderland.

Every year, on the first Sunday in July, an international meeting of borderland residents takes place at the tri-junction, during which traditional dances, music and crafts are presented. This is a unique opportunity to experience the authentic atmosphere of the region and see how, despite historical turmoil, people can build bridges across borders.

It is worth knowing that the tri-junction of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia is one of nine border tri-junctions in which Poland participates. Each of them has its own unique history and character, but the one in Jaworzynka is special because of the close cultural and linguistic affinity of the three nations meeting here.

A journey through the borderlands of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia is not only an opportunity to admire beautiful landscapes and historic sites, but also a chance to gain a deeper understanding of the complicated history of Central Europe, where borders have changed many times and cultures have intermingled, creating a fascinating mosaic of traditions, languages and customs. It is a journey through time and space that allows one to see both what divides and what unites the peoples living at the meeting point of the three countries.