SNP - part of the E8 in Slovakia

The SNP is a famous and challenging route in Slovakia. It has a long historic backround and its importance in WWII is a source of pride and identity. The letters SNP stand for Slovenského národného povstania (Slovakian National Uprising). The route and hikers with a personal challenge or ideas get media attention regularly. Someone who walks the SNP often receives the respect of local people and is greeted with a smile and thumb up.

In WWII the route served as transport line for partisan fighters against the faschist occupation. The transport went from the Eastern Parts of Slovakia, Poland and the Ukraine towards the West and most people walk it like that in rememberance of this history. About half way in the skiresort Donovaly a history museum documents the events.

In the East the path starts at the Dukla Pass on the border to Poland traverses different mountain ranges with the highest peaks in the Lower Tatra and ends at the border with Austria in Devin just West of the capital Bratislava. The path is marked excellently in both ways. Reports of missing marks are monitored by people in the various areas and corrected regularly.

For information, live blogs and status reports you can visit the Slovakian website:

www.cestasnp.sk

Use a translator if you don't speak Slovakian or Czech. Then you can read some of the bloggers reports or open a blogger account yourself.