That's how two years ago, on our tenth anniversary, we tried Airbnb accommodation for the first time, but we were looking for one where wolf paws can go with us. Dog-friendly doesn't always describe what we're looking for, because not everyone means the growth of a Game of Thrones direwolf. For this reason, we have to look for Wolfdog-friendly 🙂

We therefore exchanged a few messages with Mila to make sure that this mini-cottage was suitable for us, and luckily we were heading to Banská Štiavnica from the weekend at my mother's, who lives near Zvolen, because at that time we were still unable to drive and the road by train from the Tatras to Štiavnica (and back) takes most of the day with several transfers.

Since we fell in love with the cottage, we returned to it again, and on the dark evening road, the owner of the house was already waiting for us, saying that he was worried about us. We immediately felt like returning to good old friends. I wrote to them more than an hour ago that we were leaving from Zvolen and that the journey there would take a little over half an hour, but we did not take into account the darkness and winding roads to Štiavnica that we followed the first time by the car.

Apart from the closet, nothing has changed here at all in two years. A warm room in a small old house is like something out of a fairy tale. You will feel the atmosphere of old times in it, just like in the streets of Banská Štiavnica. It breathes history because the owners did everything with their own hands and preserved every detail they discovered. They found old paintings under the plaster, they had an ancient bed in the house, the headboard of which they used as a shelf, and among all the things they also discovered an old purchase deed from one of the previous owners, which now hangs majestically framed on an old sideboard in the kitchen. There is even a display case with old tools made from an old window frame in the room.

Even the emerald green stove gives this space a special character, and we were lucky that when we were cold two years ago, Peter taught us how to light the stove so we wouldn't smoke. Since heating and the skill to fire up the stove properly is not within the capabilities of every guest, we were the last visitors in October and Alica in Štiavnica will be available for you again from April to October.

Both times we spent three nights here with the desire to discover Štiavnica's treasures and secrets, and we still miss them. We could imagine living in this romantic cottage all year round and taking walks around the city and its surroundings, because Banská Štiavnica continues to surprise us even after years. Two years ago, Mila advised us to try a walk to Rosniarky, where a man built menhirs, as you could read in one of my previous posts. Thanks to this tip, we had one of our magical experiences and discovered another magical place that we love to return to. Mila and Peter have other great tips up their sleeve about the best pubs, restaurants or cafes, cultural events, but also trips around the area. Mila is a theater director whose immersive performance Kosmopol is always sold out for a long time in advance like tickets for Taylor Swift in Vienna. The last time I went to buy tickets for a show, I didn't even blink... and they were yuck.

The detached house stands right next to their family house in the common garden, nestled under the forest in a quiet environment. Even though it is on a hill above the city, it is a short 5-minute walk to the center, a detour of maybe 7 minutes, and in 10 minutes along the forest road you can also get to the Veľká Vodárenská tajch and to the crossroads on Rosniarky to the menhirs or the ruins of Glanzenberg Castle. Štiavnica fits our lifestyle perfectly, as it is ideal for long dog walks, but also for refreshments in restaurants. We will definitely mention the real Wolfdog-friendly restaurants in the next post.

In those two years, we have already visited a few accommodations and met the owners, who have become friends, but nobody can beat Mila and Peter. Every time they thought of us as other members of the family, brought us a fragrant freshly baked cake, invited us for a glass of wine, and every time it turned out exactly as they write in the description of their accommodation: "We don't have to be in each other's sight, but we can meet at the endless tea at five :-)". We had such a conversation in the garden by the night lights of Štiavnica and under millions of stars even now until midnight, only in our pajamas in the cold October, and neither of us wanted to go to sleep. It is a never-ending story like little Alice's favorite book.

For dreamers like me, who love children's fairy tales and would like to write one, Alica in Štiavnica is the ideal rabbit hole that will draw you into a magical world. For me, it's enough to walk up the hill "home", when the street lamps are lit like in Narnia and you can smell the smoke from the chimneys, wood and coal that remind me of my childhood, under the autumn red vines a black cat purrs and meows at you and friends are already carefully waiting for you in the doorway . Who wouldn't want to come back here?

Our first Airbnb with Wolf in the mini house Alica in Štiavnica

Was the Kežmarok witch trial really the last in Central Europe?

Basics about collecting medicinal plants