The Slovak mountains never cease to amaze. The High Tatras offer winter sports enthusiasts a variety of activities and gourmets a first-class gastronomic experience. If you are looking for perfect comfort, excellent culinary art, and a ski slope nearby, Hotel Lomnica is a prime choice.
A morning on the mountain, before the ski bindings click into place, must start with a hearty breakfast. And believe me, you will most likely not find a better and higher quality breakfast in the Tatras than at Hotel Lomnica. Start with freshly squeezed fruit juices, cheeses, and yoghurts from nearby farms, and eggs prepared by the breakfast chef on the legendary Molteni oven. Top it off with sourdough bread from the nearby bakery in Kuszman's Bazaar and sample other baked goods from them. It's all really great. You can choose from a variety of fruits and vegetables, even those that the local cooks sterilize themselves, as well as marmalades; there are also tasty homemade spreads, semolina porridge... And have a coffee, it's delicious and with a view of Lomnický štít, perhaps even more perfect. There's also a good quality, nicely chilled prosecco, but of course, we don't want to force you into it... Today its time will come.
Hunger for the Tatra slopes
In about five minutes, you're out of the hotel and in the car park by the slopes. There are several ski rental shops here, as well as at the hotel. Take a ride to Skalnate pleso. If it's clear, the views are breathtaking. The High Tatras are truly monumental and beautiful. We never once waited more than a few minutes for lifts and cable cars; everything went like clockwork. There are easy trails for beginners and children, but also more challenging slopes for those who really want to engage in sports. Just choose.
If you get hungry after the sport, you can go five minutes back to Kuszman's Bazaar for food. Yes, the place that baked your breakfast bread. You can sit here in your ski clothes. Kuszman's Bazaar is primarily a beer pub and restaurant with original, honest cuisine in a modern, cozy setting. And just below the pub, there is a bakery and confectionery. Aside from soup, try starters like the smoked pork lalok with horseradish, mustard, and pretzel or the delicious lángos with pork belly. For main courses, there's the roast beef, beer goulash made from cheeks, or the other stalwart - potatoes on sourdough with mushroom meatball. Each dish has a modern twist, and each tastes great. Top it off with a beer from their own craft brewery, and we're off back to Hotel Lomnica.
The corridors, café, and restaurant of this top Tatra five-star are lined with an incredible collection of paintings by Slovak painters. It is the second-largest collection in Slovakia. Names such as Ladislav Medňanský or Dominik Skutecký are among the rarest that represent Slovak painting. Mária Medvecká has a special place in the gallery, whose work in various stages can be enjoyed by visitors of the hotel, i.e., not only hotel guests, but anyone who is interested. The paintings are also in the hotel rooms and suites, so "waking up in the midst of art" is a real invitation to all those who, apart from sports activities, quality service, and gastronomy, are also looking for an artistic experience.
The art of perfect hotel service
Satiated with art and food from Kuszman's Bazaar, we move in our bathrobes to the wellness centre on the ground floor of Hotel Lomnica. Again, this is a place that can be visited by those not staying at the hotel after making a reservation. We are welcomed by a swimming pool with water jets suitable for the whole family, an outdoor whirlpool. Decently arranged are three different saunas, an experience shower, a jacuzzi, and several relaxation rooms. In the more distant private area, several types of massage and skin treatments await us. These treatments need to be booked in advance, but the pool, saunas, and hot tubs are available throughout the day without the need to book. The massages were perfect, the skin treatments very thorough. The other amenities in the wellness area are arranged here so that even if there is more demand, all visitors have space and comfort. In addition, the bar, belonging to this wellness area, offers craft beer, juices, water, or even prosecco - yes, it's about time.
In the café, already smartly dressed, we will have a small aperitif poured before dinner, in the comfortable armchairs will perfectly start our taste buds and prepare us for a pleasant gastronomic experience. Many people claim that Hotel Lomnica has the best gastronomy in the Tatras. We are happy to find out. Again with a view of the Lomnicky Peak, Ladislav Medňanský's paintings or the aforementioned Molteni oven - at will - we gradually enjoy starters, main courses, and desserts from the kitchen of the experienced head chef Patrik Pokrývka and his team of chefs. Have the poached catfish or perhaps the pumpkin gnocchi or venison loin. We were also very impressed by the wild boar neck and the honest schnitzel. The great news is that Hotel Lomnica has its own sommelier, so the food and wine pairing here is really top-notch. And here comes another interesting moment, because Hotel Lomnica also offers Slovak VIAJUR wines, which come from the same gastronomic group as the hotel or the nearby Kuszman's Bazaar or Kaštieľ Pálffy in the village of Sv. Jur, just outside Bratislava. And the VIAJUR wines at our dinner easily held up.
Just as a good breakfast makes for a great hotel experience, so does a great restaurant make for an enjoyable evening. Restaurant Sissi lived up to its reputation, the food is first class, nothing is lacking, the service and ambience are great. If you are planning to visit Hotel Lomnica on a Friday or Saturday, you also have the choice of booking a table in the fine dining restaurant Franz Josef, which also belongs to the hotel, and its gastronomy is literally an experience. How? Franz Josef is a slightly mysterious restaurant, so we won't tell you much more either, except perhaps that you can always look under the chefs' hands when preparing the tasting menu.
We move from Sissi's restaurant back to the café and contemplate a day of flavours, sports, and artwork over a glass of digestif. We know that we have not exhausted the potential of Hotel Lomnica and the enchanting Tatra surroundings. Night is falling outside the windows, the glasses of prosecco bubbles reflect the fire in the fireplace, and we assure each other that this is not our last visit and that this day was definitely worth it.
And what is your ideal day in the mountains?
