Slovakia
The Slovak Republic came into existence on 1st January 1993 when former
Czechoslovakia was divided and two sovereign states were formed: the Czech Republic and
the Slovak Republic.
Slovakia is situated in the heart of Europe, the geographical centre of Europe being on
the hill Krahule, near Kremnica. The Slovak Republic covers an area of 49,039 square
kilometers and borders the Czech Republic to the West, Austria to the Southwest, Hungary to
the South, Poland to the North and Ukraine to the East.
The Slovak Republic has a population of 5,379,455 people, of which 85.8% are
Slovak, 10.8% Hungarian, and the remaining 3.6% of Romany, Czech, Ruthenian, Ukrainian
and German nationality.
kilometer.
The density of the population is 106 inhabitants per square
The official language is Slovak.
The majority of the population is Roman
Catholic.
Slovakia is a mountainous country, 80% of its territory being 750 meters above sea
level. Its territory is rich in fauna and most animal species live in the mountainous woodland
regions. The climate is a mixture of continental and ocean climates with four seasons. The
coldest month is January, the warmest is July.
The National flag consists of three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The left
half of the flag bears the state emblem of the Slovak Republic – a double cross with
mountains in the background.
The system of government of the Slovak Republic is divided into three branches: the
legislative branch represented by the National Council of the Slovak Republic (Parliament),
the executive branch represented by the Government (the Prime Minister and his cabinet)
and the President, and the judicial branch (the courts).
The National Council of the Slovak Republic is the lawmaking body. It consists of
150 members elected every four years. The Slovak Government consists of the Prime
Minister, vice-prime ministers and ministers. The President is elected every five years and is
the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The judicial power is represented by courts at
various levels, starting with the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court and going down
to the courts at all levels of regional and district government.
The capital of the Slovak Republic is Bratislava (428,672 inhabitants) – the largest
city, the center of politics, government, economics and educational and research institutions.
The sights of Bratislava include Devín Castle, the Slovak National Theater, Old Town Hall,
Grassalkovič Palace, the New Bridge, the House of the Good Shepherd, Bratislava Castle,
Michael’s Gate, Saint Martin’s Cathedral and the Primatial Palace.
Slovakia is a small country but it has a long and rich history. The territory of the
Slovak Republic has been settled since the 5th century. There have been several milestones in
Slovak history:
833 - The Great Moravian Empire was founded
863 – Byzantine brothers Constantine and Methodius headed a mission to Great Moravia,
devised the oldest Slavic alphabet and translated the liturgical books into old Church
Slavonic, which they codified
907 – The Great Moravian empire desintegrated and Slovakia became a part of the early
feudal Hungarian state
1843 – Ľ. Štúr codified the literary Slovak languange
1861 – The Memorandum of the Slovak nation was published.
October 28, 1918 – The Czechoslovak Republic was founded
August 29, 1944 – The Slovak National Uprising against Nazi Germany started
1968 – Prague Spring,led by Alexader Dubček
November 17, 1989 – The Velvet Revolution, restoration of democracy
January 1, 1993 – The independence of the Slovak Republic was declared
INTERESTS AND RARITIES
Slovakia is a beautiful country with many interests and rarities situated in its relatively small
area. And that’s the reason why Slovakia is interesting for many foreign tourists. In my
opinion the most interesting places in Slovakia are:
• The High Tatras
A mountain range with 30 valleys, almost 100 lakes, 600 km of hiking paths, many streams
and this all surrounded by high peaks, it is ideal for spending some time in the summer there.
There are a lot of hotels and cableways with ski-runs which can be used for a perfect winter
vacation. The main ridge is just 26.5 km long and 17 km wide. The highest peak of the
Tatras is Gerlachovský štít with a height of 2,655 meters. The western part of the High Tatras
is dominated by Kriváň, which is known as the most beautiful mountain in Slovakia, and is a
symbol of national pride. The varied flora and fauna emphasize the Tatras’ uniqueness. The
High Tatras are a magnet for tourists. To protect the distinctive environment and its visitors,
all tourist paths are marked.
• Castles
In Slovakia you may visit hundreds of castles, mansions and ruins from the time of the Roman
Empire to 19th century. The most popular are Bratislava Castle, Devín Castle, Čachtice
Castle with its bloody history or, one of the largest in Central Europe, Spiš Castle.
• Vlkolínec, Čičmany
The villages represent preserved original folk architecture.
• Bratislava
The capital city of Slovakia with many famous sights, including Bratislava Castle with its
well-known four towers, Old Town Hall (this building is one of the oldest buildings in
Slovakia) and St. Martin’s Cathedral (the place where Maria Theresa was crowned).
• Caves
There are 4,300 caves in Slovakia. Dobšinská Ice Cave is one of the biggest caves in Europe.
The longest cave in the country is Demänová Stalactite Cave in the Low Tatras with a length
of 33 km.
• Mineral and thermal springs
There are more than 1,300 such springs in Slovakia. Many of them were the basis for
establishing spa towns like Piešťany or Bardejov.
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Every country has something special, something that it alone has. Among the Slovak
natural beauties, typical Slovak food should be counted as well. The Slovak national dish is
bryndzové halušky. It consists of traditional Slovak sheep cheese – bryndza – and of gnocchi,
which are made of potatoes and flour. Other typical foods are potato pancakes – haruľa,
legume soup, mutton and lokše. One typical drink is liquor made from juniper berries called
borovička. Drinking hard spirits or plum brandy is also a tradition.
Slovak people have a lot of festivities which have roots in their history. One of the
oldest is the Fašiangy festival held at the end of February or the beginning of March. People
walk down the streets dressed in funny costumes, singing and dancing to celebrate the end of
winter and welcome the coming spring.
Another festival is Easter. People go to church to commemorate Jesus Christ’s
crucifixion on Good Friday. On Easter Monday boys go from house to house and hit girls
lightly with whips and splash them with water so they will be healthy and strong all the next
year. The boys are given coloured eggs as a reward.
But the nicest festival of the year is Christmas, especially Christmas Eve (24th
December) and Christmas Day (25th December). On 24th December people decorate houses
and Christmas trees and prepare a special Christmas dinner which is served in the evening. It
consists of waffles with honey, then cabbage soup with mushrooms is served, followed by
fried carp with potato salad. On 25th December people visit each other.
Slovaks like traditional music and dancing. Stringed instruments (violin, cymbalo)
and pipes (shepherd pipe, fujara) are typical in Slovak folk music. The most popular Slovak
folk group is Lúčnica. Famous folk festivals are in Detva, Východná and Terchová.
The most popular sport is football.
Every twentieth person plays football
professionally. Ice hockey is popular, too, especially after the national team won the gold
medal at the World Championships in 2002. Among other favourite sports are cycling,
skating, swimming, volleyball and basketball.
STEREOTYPES
Many foreign tourists can experience culture shock in Slovakia because of our
different culture, attitudes and way of life. There are a few topics of which you should be
attentive:
Clothes are socially important, especially in large cities. If you are not well-dressed,
be prepared for stares. Your shoes should be polished and when you enter someone’s house,
you are expected to leave your shoes at the door. Your host will offer you a pair of slippers.
If you have a date, bring flowers, but always give an odd number (even numbered
bouquets are reserved for funerals). Also if the flowers are wrapped in paper take them out
before you present them.
Men should go first when entering a bar in case that there is a fight. You have to
protect the woman.
When you are offered a drink, you are expected to clink glasses and to make eye
contact. And don’t forget that Slovaks are quite passionate drinkers.
Drivers are impatient and do not respect speed limits. It is rare to see a driver who
goes the prescribed speed (50 km/h) in a village.
Accomodation in Slovakia ranges from campgrounds to luxury hotels. Many hotels
across the country have two price lists. Foreigners usually pay twice as much. When you pay
in a restaurant, you will be given a bill and as the customer you will be expected to say the
total you intend to pay including the tip.