The alternative European city you won't have heard of with cheap flights and huge waterpark

The Sun

15-05-2025

ALTERNATIVE holiday destinations are taking over summer 2025 and Poprad is fast becoming a must-visit location.
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia and is known as being the 'entrance gate' to the High Tatras mountains - and you can get cheap flights there according to Skyscanner.
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Skyscanner has included Poprad on its list of destinations of summer savings with flights from £68.
The landlocked city in Slovakia is growing in popularity over the summer as temperatures rise to an average of 24C during July and August.
Poprad is centred around the quiet Square of St Egíd which has a selection of small shops, a church and ice cream parlour. It also holds a market a few days a week.
The buildings are primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries, but there are some modern additions including a huge waterpark.
It's called AquaCity and is a two-storey wellness centre and waterpark.
It has 13 heated outdoor and indoor water pools as well as water slides and 250 water attractions.
It also has a 2-storey wellness and spa centre with a sauna, relaxation pool and a snow cave which is said to help circulation.
Entry to the AquaCity for one day cost £25, but they do have offers for families. A family of four for an all day ticket works out at £72 (£18pp).
Poprad is considered a base for anyone who wants to explore the huge Tatra National Park, with hiking trails and other outdoor activities.
It's a popular location for bear watching, which you can do with an experienced guide that takes tourists up the mountains to see brown bears in their natural habitat.
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Another site of natural beauty is Popradské pleso, a huge glacial lake.
You can't swim or go on the water, but it's definitely a must-visit spot to take some incredible pictures.
30 minutes away from Poprad is Spišská Sobota, the historical old town.
It's made up of brightly coloured buildings that have been described as a "fairy tale town".
According to Tripadvisor, one of the best bars in Poprad is Pivny Dom Dobre Casy that's been described as ' beer paradise'.
It offers 16 variations of craft beer and has room for 300 punters.
One visitor said: From the first moment, it looked like an old pub/bar, in a good way. Fine music, big and great offer of beers, great food, especially burgers."
Poprad also holds annual festivals, concerts and events.
You can fly from London Luton to Poprad with Wizz Air, or go from London Stansted with Ryanair - both routes work out at very similar prices.
Other affordable and alternative destinations include the cities of Bremen which is the holiday town where Oktoberfest never ends.
The vibrant French city of Strasbourg and Eindhoven - which is 30-minutes away from a huge theme park that has been called 'better than Disney'.