Which way to Špania Dolina?

I experienced my first Slovak snowfall earlier this week. The first snow is always a little magical. I am curious to see what the winter will bring... hopefully enough hot chocolate and soup to keep me smiling.

Today, I visited Špania Dolina. I didn't entirely understand the bus schedule. I thought I would be dropped off in the town square, but I was dropped at the base of the mountain that Špania Dolina is on. I had a big hike to reach the small town. Less than 200 Slovaks live there. Many of their homes are on very steep hills. It snowed lightly, and the few children of the town threw snowballs at each other and laughed. I can see why it's a popular place to visit. It was a mining town for many years, and now it is known for its lace-making. I climbed the covered staircase to the hill-scaling church. The church didn't appear to be open. In the center of town, there is a monument to the 15 residents who died during the Slovak National Uprising... it's not a huge number, but it represented 10% of the town's population. Many of the mining towns have koplačka towers. They would use a resonating board to call the miners to work, like a giant alarm clock for the town. The koplačka tower in Špania Dolina is now part of a hotel and restaurant. I had a cup of hot chocolate and started hiking towards the bus stop.