SLOVAKIA

Slovak Republic
Although the Slovak Republic is one of the youngest European states, settlement in its territory dates to the remote past. However, its population, Slovaks, had lived and developed under the Hungarian crown which became part of Austro-Hungarian Empire later. Slovakia did not exist as an administrative unit and was only mentioned as a country somewhere between the Danube River and the Tatra Mountains. Even hundred years ago, few people knew anything at all about Slovaks who were left without a possibility to make decisions regarding their future for a long time. The 20th century brought about the fulfilment of dreams and longings of several generations of Slovaks about an independent state. It came at the end of the 20th century and in the following millennium Slovakia joined the European Union. The history of this young and dynamic country written by its people is an example of what the media refer to as a success story.

(426 thousand inhabitants)

Total Area: 49 034 km2 Population: 5 417 000 Capital: Bratislava

Geography
Slovakia is a country situated in the heart of Europe. The geographical centre of Europe is in fact the Church of St John in Kremnick Bane, a village in central Slovakia. Slovakia, with its total area of 49 thousand square kilometres and somewhat less than 5.5 million inhabitants, is not a large country. It is only a bit larger than Denmark, Switzerland or Holland. A flight over Slovakia takes only half an hour. Slovakia fills the space between Poland in the north and Hungary in the south. Its western neighbours are the Czech Republic and Austria while Ukraine lies off its eastern border (its frontier is shortest, only 96 kilometres long). Slovakia has no access to the sea. The nearest sea is the Adriatic in the south (361 km away). Slovaks who want to bath in the Baltic Sea have to travel by air some 440 kilometres from the northern frontier.

ilina Preov Trenn Bansk Bystrica Trnava Bratislava Nitra Koice

Historical dates
approx. 100 000 BC Neanderthal man lived next to hot springs in the present-day region of Spi, northern Slovakia. The cast of a skull of a female individual was found in the travertine hill in Gnovce. 5th -1st century BC Celts lived in the territory of Slovakia. They built oppida (towns), smelted iron, minted coins, and represented the first advanced civilisation of its kind in Slovakia. 179 AD The Roman legionaries carved an inscription celebrating a victory over the German tribe of Marcomans in the castle rock at Trenn. 5th century The first Slavs crossed the mountain passes of the Carpathians and appeared in the territory of present-day Slovakia.

623-658 The Frankish merchant Samo assumed leadership of a Slavonic tribal union. Founded and headed Samos Dominion the first state of the Western Slavs. 833 The Moravian Prince Mojmr III drove out Prince Pribina of Nitra and founded the Great Moravian Empire by annexation of the Principality of Nitra. 863 Sts. Constantine and Methodius from the Greek city of Thessalonica arrived in the Great Moravian Empire with the mission to Christianise the local people. The Great Moravian Prince Rastislav invited them.

 1000 The Hungarian state ruled by King Stephen I was founded. The territory of what is present-day Slovakia was included. 1238 King Bela IV granted Trnava the privileges of a free royal borough as the first town in Slovakia.

1241-1242 The Tartar hordes attacked the Kingdom of Hungary. Many stone castles were built then and King Bela IV invited settlers from Germany to colonise the depopulated country. 1412-1769 King Sigismund loaned 16 towns of Spi to the Polish ruler Ladislaus Jagiello (Ladislaus II.). The towns were recovered only during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa. 1467-1490 The first university, the Academia Istropolitana in the territory of Slovakia began in Pressburg (today Bratislava). 1526 The army of the Kingdom of Hungary suffered an absolute defeat in the battle

against the Turks at Mohcs on 29 August. King Louis II was also killed in the battle. 1536 The Parliament of the Kingdom of Hungary made Pressburg (now Bratislava) to capital of the kingdom. 1635 Cardinal Peter Pzmny founded the university in Trnava. 1740-1780 The rule of the enlightened Empress Maria Theresa. Her son Joseph II continued reforms, which meant revolutionary changes for the kingdom. 1787 Anton Bernolk codified the first literary form of the Slovak language. However, it did not catch on.

 1843 The second codification of the Slovak literary language authored by udovt tr was more successful than that of Bernolk. It was generally accepted and it is still used at the present time. 1848-1849 The Slovak Voluntary Corps organised the first armed uprising of Slovaks, but three campaigns by the Corps fighting side by side with the Imperial troops did not succeed in bringing freedom to the Slovak nation. 1861-1863 The National Assembly of Slovaks in Martin adopted the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation in 1861. Two years later, Matica slovensk, the first national institution involved in promotion of education and culture of Slovaks, was founded in Martin. 1867 The Austrian-Hungarian Compromise meant increased oppression of Slovaks by Hungarians.

1918 Slovakia became part of the newly established Czechoslovak Republic declared on 28 October in Prague. The Slovak National Council confirmed the act on 30 October in Martin. Bratislava joined the state on 1 January 1919. 1939 The independent Slovak State was declared on 14 March 1939 in Bratislava. Jozef Tiso, a catholic priest, became the President of this new state practically established by Nazi Germany. 1944 The Slovak National Uprising broke out in central Slovakia. It was announced on 29 August in Bansk Bystrica. After the first successful operations of the rebels, the German army occupied the centres of the uprising and the Slovak soldiers and partisans had to retreat to the mountains. 1944-1945 The Red Army entered Slovakia through Dukla mountain pass on 6 October 1944 and began to liberate Slovakia from the Nazi occupation. Bratislava was liberated on 4 April 1945. 1946-1948 In contrast to Czechia, the communist party did not win the 1946 elections in Slovakia. Nevertheless, after the Communist coup in February 1948 Slovakia also fell under the control of the Communists and the Soviet Union.

 2009 Slovak Republic officially joined the eurozone and adopted euro. 1968 Slovak politicians led by Alexander Dubek actively participated in the process of the Prague Spring. The expectations of democratic change though, were truncated by Soviet troops under the Warsaw Pact, which entered and occupied the country in August 1968. 1989 The Velvet Revolution brought about the essential political change, deprived the Communists of power and opened the way to democracy and plurality. Massive demonstrations supporting the change took place all over Slovakia. 1993 Slovakia became the independent and sovereign state on 1 January and entered the UNO on 19 January. The Slovak National Council elected Michal Kov the first president of the new democratic state. 2004 On 29 March, Slovakia acceded to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and on 1 May became a member of the European Union. 2007 On 21 December Slovakia was included to the Schengen Area also referred to as the area of safety, freedom and justice.

Personalities
Matej Bel (1684 1749) Matej Bel was the most significant encyclopaedia writer of the Hungarian Kingdom of the 18th century and the author of the greatest and the most important historical and geographical work in the territory of Slovakia. He was called Magnum Decus Hungariae (the great adornment of Hungary) for his deep knowledge and the high level of his scientific work.

Mric Beovsk (1746 1786) Count Mric Beovsk was a traveller, writer, and soldier who became famous as the king of Madagaskar.

Jn Jessenius (1566 1621) Jn Jessenius was the bestknown descendant of the Jesensk family from Turiec and as a medical doctor he became famous for the first publicly demonstrated autopsy in Europe.

udovt tr (1815 1856) udovt tr was the most prominent personality of the Slovak national revival, which occured while Slovakia was under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He codified the literary Slovak language. He was an ideologist and the leader of the national movement, a politician, linguist, writer, poet, journalist and editor.

Pavol Dobinsk (1828 1885) The best-known Slovak fairytale collector, Pavol Dobinsk, comes from Gemer in the southeast of Slovakia. He was a protestant minister whose work can be compared to the work of Hans Christian Andersen or the Grimm brothers. Milan Rastislav tefnik (1880 1919) Milan Rastislav tefnik was probably the most significant personality in Slovak history because he greatly contributed to the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic. He was the first minister of war and besides his political activities he was a worldwide recognised scientist astronomer.

Martin Benka (1888 1971) Painter and illustrator Martin Benka was one of those that promoted Modernism in Slovakia in the first half of the 20th century. His works of art mostly represent the mountainous settings of Slovakia and he kept returning to the theme.

Pavol Orszgh-Hviezdoslav (1849 1921) Pavol Orszgh-Hviezdoslav was a great Slovak poet, a dramatist and translator. He is considered one of the most prominent personalities of Slovak literature and Slovak culture.

Alexander Dubek (1921 1992) Alexander Dubek was the most important Slovak politician of the Prague Spring period and he became the symbol of the revival movement in 1968. Abroad he is considered as the best-known Slovak.

Jozef Gabk (1912 1942) Jozef Gabk was a Slovak soldier, and a member of the parachute group called Anthropoid. He assassinated the Reich Protector of Czechia in 1942.

tefan Osusk (1889 1973) Slovak politician, lawyer, diplomat, teacher and writer tefan Osusk was an outstanding personality in the European and world politics. Its vision was the united, democratic and free Europe void of wars.

Jn Papnek (1896 1991) Slovak diplomat and lawyer Jn Papnek was among the most important authors of the text known as the Charter of the United Nations and represented CSR in the UNO. He also participated in foundation of the American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees (AFCR).

Otto Smik (1922 1944) Otto Smik was the Ace and most successful pilot of WWII. He gradually became the best Czechoslovak fighter pilot, unmatched in the service of the British RAF.

Ondrej Nepela (1951 1989) The most successful Slovak figure skater and so far the only gold medal winner of the Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo (1972). He was the triple world champion and a quintuple champion of Europe.

Jozef Cardinal Tomko (11. 3. 1924) Recognized Church dignitary and writer of religious texts Jozef Cardinal Tomko is also a full Prefect of Congregation for evangelization of nations and the President of the popal committee for the International Eucharistic Congresses.

Ivan Bella (21. 5. 1964) Ivan Bella is the first, and so far the only Slovak astronaut. Slovaks appreciate him in the same way as the Russians appreciate Gagarin. His flight helped Slovakia become part of the club of space countries.

tefan Nos (20. 1. 1927) tefan Nos is a choreographer of the wellknown folklore group Lnica and a pioneer in the domain of scenic stylistics of folklore dancing. He is also a teacher and the only professor of folklore dancing in Slovakia.

Edita Gruberov (23. 12. 1946) The most prominent contemporary opera singer, Edita Gruberov, an opera diva and a soloist of the State Opera in Vienna has appeared as guest on the best known opera stages all over the world.

Michal Martikn (18. 5. 1979) Slovak slalom racer Michal Martikn is the double Olympic champion and a quadruple world champion, holder of two silver medals from summer Olympic Games and a champion of Europe.

Present
The new democratic situation also led to disintegration of the common state of Czechs and Slovaks and establishment of an independent Slovak Republic. Since 1 January 1993, Slovakia has been a sovereign state that joined the United Nations Organization the same year. People of Slovakia elected their first President and the country gradually accessed all important European associations and institutions. The Slovak Republic has been a member of NATO since 2004 and became the coequal member of the European Union in the same year. Slovakia was included into the Schengen Area in 2007 and is the 16th member of the European monetary union, the eurozone, since 2009. Adoption of the Euro in Slovakia meant the conclusion of the integrating process into the European Union.

Slovakia has been divided into 8 administrative regions and 79 districts since July 1996. Public administration reform which should strengthen the position of local self-

government, was started in 2001. Eight higher territorial units coinciding with the administrative units at the level of regions were established and headed by chairmen denoted here by the historical term upan.

Slovakia is a parliamentary democracy. The head of the state is the president with a 5-year functional period. He shares his powers with the Parliament, the official name of which is the National Council of the Slovak Republic. This top legal authority of the Slovak Republic is single-chambered and it has 150 members. The deputies are elected for a 4-year functional period. The most important legal document is the Constitution of the Slovak Republic from 1992. The executive power is in the hands of the government of the Slovak Republic headed by the prime minister. The president, parliament, and the government have their seat in the capital of Slovakia Bratislava.

Economy
The economy of the Slovak Republic is gradually drawing to the end of a transition period. Several branches of the economy in Slovakia have enjoyed a long and successful tradition. In the past, Slovakia was one of the most advanced parts of the Kingdom of Hungary. Mining, metallurgy, glass manufacturing and the food processing industry were fairly developed then. In the period between the First and the Second World Wars many armament plants were moved here from Czechia. Massive industrialization in Slovakia came in the post-war communist era. Above all heavy industry experienced explosive development. However, the fall of Communism changed the economic situation. Although Slovakia is a small country, it is now one of the biggest producers of cars in the world, and outputs the greatest number of cars per inhabitant (more than 100 cars per thousand inhabitants) thanks to the German Volkswagen company which bought out the Bratislavsk automobilov zvody plant in 1989 and constructed a huge factory for the manufacture of different VW cars. Another big investment associated with automotive industry was opened in Trnava (PSA Peugeot Citron) and in ilina (KIA). Slovakia is also an important producer of iron and steel and commodities made of this raw material. The metallurgical giant of U.S. Steel, which bought Vchodoslovensk eleziarne in Koice dominates the industry.

The chemical industry is also developing. It is represented by plants in Bratislava, one processing crude (Slovnaft) and the petrochemical plant of Istrochem, which produces several classes of petrol, diesel oil, synthetic substances/fibres and organic chemical products. Production of paper and pulp is traditional in Slovakia and the central Slovakia plant Mondi SCP in Ruomberok is one of the biggest in Europe. Electrical engineering is also worth mentioning (for instance, Sony near Nitra or Samsung situated near Galanta and Trnava. The topical task of the Slovak economy is to attract foreign capital and to reduce unemployment, which has exceeded 20% in some regions. Foreign investments into the Slovak economy have increased every year and in 2008 represented more than billion euros. The most significant trend in the influx of direct foreign investments is the shift from the automotive industry to mechanical and electrical engineering. Apart from metallurgical production, mechanical engineering, chemical and paper manufacturing industries, Slovakia also trades in textile and food. Slovak textile and cotton processing plants were among the biggest in Central Europe in the 19th century and the tradition continues. Typical Slovak food products include sheep

cheese (for instance Liptov cheese), beer (Topvar, Corgo, Zlat baant, Steiger, ari) and chocolate (Figaro). The sector of tourism and travel has a promising future in Slovakia. Its huge potential is not fully exploited yet. Construction of modern transport infrastructure, namely motorways and a rapid railway network will greatly help to develop this potential. Accession of Slovakia to the European Union means a number of new challenges and incentives for the country. The Government of the Slovak Republic prepared a document referred to as the National Plan of Development concerning industry, services, tourism, transports and human resources. Emphasis is laid on the support to small and medium enterprise; modern, environmentally friendly technologies; building of industrial parks; education and sustainable development of villages and rural area. In the near future, Slovakia plans to reach the level exceeding 70% of an average GDP per inhabitant which exists in EU member countries. Such an increase is also viable thanks to the financial help from the communitys structural funds.

Nature

In spite of being such a small country, Slovakia boasts many diverse natural assets. Tall mountain peaks alternate with deep valleys and gorges. Extensive forests, meadows and pastures form an eye-catching patchwork neighbouring with fertile lowlands; mountain torrents gradually change into calm rivers, all adorned by marvellously rich flora and fauna. There are also extinct volcanoes, canyons, caves and abysses, grand rivers and waterfalls, mineral springs, medicinal, poisonous plants and animals.

The varied natural landscape types are typical for Slovakia where many almost virgin areas still survive. One only has to visit the mysterious valleys and ravines of central and northern Slovakia to find everything that is missing in the modern world. This is the reason why many of the natural nooks of Slovakia are sought out by national and foreign visitors. They offer unique experiences which seldom occurr in other parts of the world.

Differences in altitude is typical of Slovakia. The difference between the highest (Gerlachovsk tt peak 2,654 m) and the lowest situated spots (Streda nad Bodrogom 94 m above sea

level) also presumes great differences in climate and consequently flora, fauna and soil types. The Carpathian Arch falls into several more or less parallel mountain ranges (for instance Nzke Tatry, Mal Fatra and Vek Fatra, so popular among trippers), which are separated by depressions. These low areas form a belt of valleys sometimes connected by narrow passes and sometimes by wider river valleys. The varied surface of Slovakia also displays three lowlands: Zhorsk nina in the west, Podunajsk nina in the southwest and the Vchodoslovensk nina in the southeast of Slovakia.

Many songs and poems present Slovakia as the land between the Tatras and the Danube. The Tatras are considered the gem of the West Carpathian Arch, which occupies a great part of Slovak territory. They consist of the western and eastern parts and the most visited and most popular range is the High Tatras. They are built of resistant granite and crystalline shale rocks. It is also the tallest mountain range in Slovakia (25 of its peaks are taller than 2,500 m). The Tatras were formed by glaciers and represent a wonderful set of natural beauties with glacial valleys, cirques, lakes, waterfalls and peaks.

Rightly the Tatras are often referred to as the miniature Alps, as on a small area of 341 square kilometres (260 square kilometres on the Slovak side of the border with Poland) they offer everything found in the Alps with the exception of glaciers. The peaks of the Tatras are also the tallest in the whole Carpathian Arch and the tallest mountains north and east of the Alps.

Caves, some of them of world importance, constitute very attractive phenomena of the Slovak landscape. It is no accident that the underground cave system of Slovensk kras and Aggtelek karst was inscribed as the first natural locality of Slovakia into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. The are twelve caves open to the public in the territory of Slovakia. The Demnovsk jaskya slobody Cave is remarkable for its stalactite decoration; Dobinsk adov jaskya Cave contains admirable ice filling while the Ochtinsk aragonitov

tislava and 149.5 km of it coincides with the Austrian and Hungarian frontier. When the summer ice thaws in the Austrian Alps it the run off reaches its highest intensity, as do the majority of other Slovak rivers (Vh, Hron, Ipe) which peak in springtime.

jaskya Cave offers charming aragonites in forms not unlike sea corals gathered into dreamy patterns. The much sought out attraction of Domica Cave is navigation on the underground Styx River. Some other caves can be visited in company of a guide. A visit to the Krsnohorsk jaskya Cave situated in the Slovensk kras Mts. can be an indeed unforgettable experience. From a hydrological point of view surface of Slovakia can be compared to a roof. The rivers spring in its territory and flow to the neighbouring states. Part of the European water divide, which divides the watersheds of the Baltic and Black Seas, is in the territory of Slovakia. The Danube, which flows here from Germany and Austria, is one of the symbols of this country. Only a short stretch (22.5 km) of the river flows through Bra-

The majority of lakes in Slovakia are of glacier origin and almost all of them are situated in the Tatras. The glacier lakes called ples represent the remains of glacier activity which took place in the last stage of the Ice Age when the water of the thawing glaciers filled surface depressions. There is about a hundred of them in the High Tatras and in combination with peaks, they add an extra charm to the mountainous landscape. Each of the lakes has its specific colour determined by its location and shades of the surrounding mountains. The largest (20 hectares) and deepest (53 m) of them is

of the local waterfalls are arranged in steplike manner and their cascades adorn several valleys. Slovakia also boasts numerous mineral springs and abundant groundwater reserves. While mineral springs are dispersed all over the territory, the largest groundwater reserves are in the river sediments of the Danube and above all those of the itn ostrov river island in the south of Slovakia where there is approximately 10 billion cubic metres of high-quality groundwater. The attractions, which invite visitors, are the graceful nooks of vegetation on the banks of the Danube and its network of tributaries where time and life pace apparently stopped. Although man has changed the landscape and deforested lowlands and basins in Slovakia, its mountain ranges withheld large forest complexes. Slovakia, compared to other European countries is densely forested (forests occupy 36% of the total territory). As a con-

the Vek Hincovo pleso lake. The glacier activity in the Tatras is also responsible for the origin of waterfalls. The tallest of them is the Kmeov vodopd waterfall in the Nefcerka Valley of and its individual cascades are about 80 meters high. Many

sequence of the varied ecological conditions Slovakia is extremely rich in plant and animal species. About 2,400 original vascular plants, and even more species of mushrooms, lichens, and mosses occur here and it is more than compared to, say Poland, the area of which is six-fold larger. Some of these species exist only in Slovakia. The fauna amounts to more than 40 thousand species is also varied. The majority of them live in the forest. It includes boar, red deer, and bear. Specialities of Slovakia are the European bison, the largest European mammal liv-

ing in the reserve near Topoianky and chamois, occurring in the top parts of the Tatra Mts. Water streams and rivers, lakes and ponds are used for fish breeding. Attractive fishing ranges are found in central and northern Slovakia with abundant trout-bearing streams. Many plants and animals are protected under legal provisions. Entire territories, which include the national parks, landscape areas and nature reserves, are likewise legally protected. In total, there are more than thousand protected territories with an area exceeding 9,500 square kilometres. They include 9 national parks and sixteen protected landscape areas. The national parks (NP)

are mostly situated in the Carpathian mountain area. The oldest of them is the Tatra National Park (TANAP) designated as early as 1948. The Pieniny National Park is the smallest and the Nzke Tatry National Park is the largest of the parks. In its territory the Slovensk raj National Park protects the remarkable karstic plain landscape with deep gorges and one of the largest ice caves in the world. The Mal Fatra National Park is the westernmost situated of the Slovak high-mountain ranges. The Slovensk kras National Park with its wild mountain and karstic landscape least affected by man is in turn the southernmost situated of them. The easternmost situated is the National Park of Poloniny with the original Eastern Slovakia beech and fir forests. This also was the reason why several primeval forests in the region were inscribed into the UNESCO List of the Natural Heritage in 2007.

Population and Cities

The population of Slovakia is about 5.4 million inhabitants. Most of them are Slovaks (86%) The most numerous ethnicity living in the territory of Slovakia is Hungarians (10%) who inhabit the southern boundary of the country. The Roma ethnicity living in Slovakia is also fairly numerous but no exact data is available, as many Romas prefer to adhere to either Slovak or to Hungarian nationalities. A reliable estimate of their number is around 400,000. The Romas inhabit prevailingly the eastern and southern parts of Slovakia. Czech, Ruthenian and Ukrainian minorities also live in Slovakia. The Slovak legislation guarantees use of minority languages in official contact for the inhabitants of villages and towns where Hungarians others their number exceeds 20% of overall population. Slovaks The visible effect of this regulation is in the form of bilingual road signs. The population of Slovakia has experienced several changes when as the population emigrated abroad in increased numbere. They were called emigration waves. Slovaks abandoned their homeland in the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century when they left for the USA. The reasons were mostly economic. Political reasons and search for a more tolerant and free environment motivated the next emigration wave, which followed the end of the Second World War. Today, more than two million Slovaks live outside Slovakia and the majority of them in the USA. Some of them were very successful. Among them, for instance, is Andy Warhol, the famous pop art painter whose parents were from eastern Slovakia. Ancestors of several American movie stars of such as Paul Newman or Steve McQueen were from Slovakia. Eugene Andrew Cernans forefathers, who was the last human to step on the Moon surface in 1972, were Czech and Slovak.

The majority of inhabitants of Slovakia are believers. Our country can be referred to as a Catholic country, because Catholics represent as much as 69 percent of its total population. The second most represented Church is the Evangelical. Greek any religion Catholics or members of others the Orthodox Church Catholics live in the eastern part of the country. About 13 percent of the population do not adhere to any church or religion.

The first towns emerged in Slovakia in the 11th century. They became centres of trade and crafts and received special privileges from rulers. They were circumscribed by walls and markets were regularly held there. The oldest free royal borough in Slovakia is Trnava. A boom came in the 14th and 15th centuries when mining and crafts fully developed with amazing prosperity. There are now 138 towns in Slovakia. The largest cities are Bratislava and Koice. The majority of population lives in towns.

Nitra is another very old town in western Slovakia. It was once the seat of the Nitra Principality and the rulers of the Great Moravian Empire. The dominant feature of the town is Nitra Castle from the 11th century.

Trnava is often referred to as the Little Rome do to the great number of its churches. The town tower with a viewing terrace overlooks the historic core of the town.

The capital of Slovakia is Bratislava. It spreads along both banks of the Danube River in the extreme south-western part of the country within a short distance from both the Austrian and Hungarian frontiers. There are few cities in Europe with such a privileged and fine setting like Bratislava. Its position on the great European river particularly on the confluence of the Danube and Morava River endows Bratislava with the special atmosphere of

a Central European metropolis. It used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary. Now it is a modern city and important centre of commerce and industry. The conspicuous dominants of Bratislava are its castle and

Koice (242 thousand inhabitants) is the metropolis in the east of Slovakia and the second largest city of the country. Its most important historic building is the Cathedral of St Elisabeth from the 14th century, the largest Gothic temple in Slovakia. Adults and children like to spend Sunday afternoons on the charming central square playing in the fountain. In 2008, the city of Koice attracted the attention of the world by obtaining the title of the European Capital of Culture for 2013.

the Church of St Martin situated in the core of the old town quarter. St Martin Church was the temple where the rulers of the former Kingdom of Hungary were crowned. Narrow medieval lanes criss-cross the old town and most of them mouth into the Hlavn nmestie (Main Square) with the Renaissance Maximilian Fountain in its centre. The statue placed in the fountain represents Emperor Maximilian II as the legendary Knight Roland, the protector of towns.

Three former mining towns, Bansk Bystrica where copper was mined, Kremnica, famous for its mint, and Bansk tiavnica with silver mines, are situated in central Slovakia. Bansk tiavnica was once the main producer of silver and one of the most important mining towns in Europe. The first European university that prepared experts in mining was opened in Bansk tiavnica in the 18th century. An attractive feature of the town is the open-air mining museum where visitors, including children, can visit one of its now inactive mines. Bansk tiavnica was inscribed into the UNESCO List of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1993.

In the east of northern Slovakia, lies the town of Bardejov with the highest number of Gothic monuments, among which is the Church of St Egidius from the 15th century and the Gothic-Renaissance building of the old town hall with a precious collection of icons are most interesting. The town walls of Bardejov with bastions are the best preserved medieval fortifications in Slovakia. The historic town of Bardejov was inscribed into the UNESCO List of Natural and Cultural Heritage in 2000.

Below the Tatra Mts. in the area called Spi, settled by German colonists, there are two beautiful towns Levoa and Kemarok. Levoa (inscribed into the UNESCO List of Cultural and Natural Heritage in 2009) with its burgher houses, the town hall and Church of St James is the gem of the region and also the site of a pilgrimage.

Monuments and Architecture

Slovakia has got abundant cultural and historical, fortified and stately buildings. There are more than 100 castles and at least double this number of manor houses built in different historical eras. Castles were mostly built as forts and stood in strategic areas with difficult access. Other castles were town castles (Zvolen, Kremnica, Bansk Bystrica) built by rich towns in defence against possible assaults. In the 17th-18th centuries, the majority of castles started to fall into disrepair and many of them were burnt at the order of rulers and turned into ruins. As a matter of fact, the sovereigns considered the castles centres for anti-Habsburg rebellion, which meant their end. But many of them survive and are now museums and exhibitions illustrating the history of the individual regions. The Castle of Spi and the monuments which surround it, have been added to the UNESCO List of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

Some castles and forts rebuilt in the course of the 16th and 17th centuries as more comfortable and elegant structures were inhabited by their owners until the 20th century. They were denoted chateaux. This is the reason why the Oravsk hrad Castle or Zvolensk hrad Castle are sometimes referred to as chateaux. The result of adaptation of many of them was a fairly romantic appearance (chateaux of Bojnice or Smolenice) inspiring fairy-tale impressions in visitors. Manor houses, which replaced the medieval castles and chateaux, were mostly built in flat terrain and assumed the historical role of the lesser Gothic castles. Originally their defensive purpose prevailed but the emphasis shifted

to their representative function and comfort after the 16th century. Many of surviving manor houses have been changed into museums with valuable artistic collections (Svt Anton, Betliar, Markuovce, Strky, and Topoianky), some of them are used by artists or musicians (Budmerice, Doln Krup, Moravany) or they acquired social functions and provide homes for the elderly or sick.

Construction of churches as the buildings for public Christian services started comparatively late in Slovakia. Although some archaeological investigations point to older traditions of sacral architecture, the first churches in the territory of Slovakia were most probably built during the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century. Foundations of a single-nave Great Moravian church were found in the Nitriansky hrad Castle and those of a three-nave basilica are located south of the Castle of Bratislava.

basilicas (Bansk tiavnica, Ba, Diakovce, Spisk Kapitula) and small single-nave churches (Draovce, Hamuliakovo). The Gothic style concentrated in two important architectural centres, Bratislava and Koice. A classical example of the Gothic style in Bratislava influenced by the Viennese artists is the Church of St Martin in Bratislava and St Elisabeths Cathedral in Koice. Likewise, other building styles are evident in the architecture of Slovak churches.

Apart from the Great Moravian churches, the pre-Romanesque Church of St. George in Kostoany pod Tribeom, probably from the first half of the 11th century is considered to be one of the oldest sacred buildings in Slovakia. The Romanesque period was typical for construction of

Traces of the Renaissance style can be seen on the parish church in Sabinov. Those of Baroque characterise the University church in Trnava and monastic church in Jasov. While the Classicist style is represented by the Evangelical churches in Bansk Bystrica, Levoa, and Kremnica.

Specific samples of sacred architecture in Slovakia are wooden churches. Their folk builders expressed the perfect harmony of the human soul with nature, and the effort to disengage from earthly worries. Among the oldest are the Gothic wooden churches and the most valuable of them are, for example, in Hervartov (region of ari) or Tvrdon (Orava). The articled churches are those built under the article of the law issued by Emperor Leopold I at the end of the 17th century. They were built during expansion of the Reformed movement, and the Emperors bill allowed for construction of two Evangelical churches in some counties of the Kingdom. The articled churches had to be built outside the settlements,

without a bell tower and their entrance had to be made in the wall facing away from the settlement. Such churches are for instance, in Sv. Kr (Liptov), Letiny (Orava), Kemarok (Spi), and in Hronsek (Pohronie). There is also a third type of wooden churches, which were normally built in eastern Slovakia. Some originally Greek Catholic churches later changed to Orthodox churches. The majority of them date to the 18th century. The special features of the East Christian rite are reflected in their interior decorwhere the unique Carpathian icons dominate.

Folk Architecture and Culture

Folk architecture can be contemplated in numerous open-air museums. The best known include those in Martin, Nov Bystrica, Zuberec, Pribylina, Star ubova, and Bardejov. Such open-air museums are the sites of different types of cultural or social events in the summer where the life, work or leisure activities of our ancestors is reenacted. Perhaps the best-known locality for folk architecture is Vlkolnec with a very remarkable set of wooden buildings that were inscribed into the UNESCO List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1993.

Apart from openair museums there are also numerous town or village monument reserves. For instance imany boasts several original log houses with white ornamentation, log houses and shingle roofs in Podbiel, dwellings carved into volcanic rocks in Brhlovce, etc.

The common people living in the countryside mostly involved in farming have preserved their traditional costumes to the present time. The dominant and typical ornamental element is embroidery. There are many regional and local features which are reflected in pattern and

composition of garments. Woodcarving was part of the typical activities of rural areas. Wood-carved jugs used in shepherding held sour sheeps milk are still used in the northern regions of Slovakia. Folk art created the basis for professional art in Slovakia. Statues of the saints and figures of Bethlehem, paintings on glass and ornamented Easter eggs were typical manifestations of fine art in Slovakia. Pottery, especially ceramic jugs, was widespread in southern and western Slovakia. The jugs, plates, and other kitchenware produced by folk artists were decorated by motifs proper to every region and to the taste of the locals. Important dates were always connected with special

songs and dances. Every region possesses a different and typical style of songs and dances linked to the environment. Shepherd or robber songs are typical for the central and north-western parts of the country. Folk festivals held in different parts of Slovakia are the best opportunities to learn the local usage. Slovaks and foreigners regularly visit them. The most important ones are annually organised in Vchodn, Myjava, Detva, Zuberec and erven Kltor. Normally they take place during the summer months and each of them is unique and different.

Culture and Museums

Although the culture and arts of Slovakia are young, cultural awareness formed here many centuries ago and some valuable works of arts were created. The protagonists in the multicultural environment of Slovakia were members of all present ethnicities. Works of the most important Slovak artists are exhibited in the Slovak National Gallery or the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava. Valuable artistic collections can be also seen in regional galleries and museums in chateaux and manors outside Bratislava (at Bojnice, erven Kame, Strky, Sv. Anton, etc.).

The Museum of Modern Art of Andy Warhol in Medzilaborce, in eastern Slovakia with its unique collection ranks among European curiosities. Andy Warhol (1928-1978), the leading member of the pop-art movement was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in a family of Slovak immigrants. Andrea and Jlia Warhol came from Mikov near Medzilaborce.

One modern cultural event of Slovakia is the title of the European Capital of Culture for 2013 that was bestowed by an international jury upon the East Slovakia metropolis, Koice in September 2008. The Interface Project is one of long-term transformation for the city. The purpose of which is to create a milieu favouring culture and creativity.

The Museum was established in 1991, and the collection consists mainly of paintings and authentic documents provided by the Andy Warhol Association. Besides three permanent expositions, visitors can watch films about Andy Warhols life and work.

Holiday in Slovakia
The universal beauty, charm and diversity of Slovakia, complemented by favourable climatic conditions, cultural and historic sights and a variety of folklore attract more and more visitors to Slovakia every year. The main interest is concentrated on cultural and historic sights (Bratislava, Trnava, Levoa, Koice, Bardejov), the centres of summer tourism and skiing resorts (in the High Tatras and Low Tatras, and the Vek Fatra and Mal Fatra Mts.), ethnographic centres and folklore events (Martin, Vchodn, Zuberec, Pribylina, erven Kltor), as well as thermal swimming pools (Dunajsk Streda, trovo, Diakovce, Pieany, Bojnice, Beeov). Slovakia is a country of summer and winter sports. It is traversed by more than 12 000 km of marked and well-kept footpaths or tracks for cross-country skiing. For cyclists there are marked cycling routes, mainly in the regions of Podunajsko, Povaie and in Tatras. River raftig in the Slovak rivers is popular. The most attractive are the Dunajec and Hron rivers. Horseback riding in various centres or sled dog championships in Donovaly only emphasise the diversity of sport offered in Slovakia.

Spa towns have a special category as far as the number of visitors is concerned. They represent one of the main tourist attractions in Slovakia as they provide good facilities, a pleasant environment and geothermal healing waters.

Slovakia can easily be called a tourist paradise as far as the conditions for hiking and cycling are concerned. This diverse country where mountainous regions alternate with depressions provides an exceptionally varied palette of hiking and cycling routes for all age categories of tourists. Slovak and foreign tourists mainly visit the West Tatras, the High Tatras and the Belianske Tatras, the Low Tatras, the Mal Fatra Mts and the Vek Fatra Mts which are covered with well-marked tourist footpaths. The High Tatras rank among the most attractive regions in Slovakia with a wide offer of hiking possibilities. They will take you into an impressive mountain environment full of glacier valleys, mountain torrents, waterfalls and lakes. When combined with the surrounding mountain scene of rocks and peaks, it will enable you to taste a rough beauty of upland country.

Slovakia is mostly a mountainous country characterised by its diverse terrain. This, along with the inland climate, creates suitable conditions for skiing in Slovakia. The Tatras have possess the ideal natural conditions for winter sports in local centres since the end of 19th century. Skiing fans know especially the world famous centre trbsk Pleso and its Dream Area with snowboarding,

downhill and cross-country trails and slopes. More demanding skiers visit Tatransk Lomnica and take the ski lift to Skalnat Pleso, where there is fantastic skiing until the end of May. Besides other well-known skiing resorts in the Tatras and the Fatra there also are several centres in lower locations ecquiped with machines that make artificial snow which allows for a wide range of skiing opportunities.

Natural lakes and artificial water reservoirs in various Slovak regions have become more and more popular among visitors. Among them the water reservoirs prevail.

All those who like to stay by the riverside during summer are familiar with Sava near Pieany, Orava dam, Liptovsk Mara dam, Domaa dam or Zemplnska rava dam. The hydroelectric system of Gabikovo on the Danube is becoming more and more attractive for relaxation and it is a popular tourist destination for Slovak and foreign visitors. The artificial water reservoirs in tiavnick vrchy Mts, called tajchy which were used for mining during the Middle Ages are also interesting for tourists. The great number of thermal swimming pools situated in south-western part of Slovakia (Senec, Galanta, Dunajsk Streda, Oravice, Beeov, Liptovsk Mikul and Poprad) were formed by geothermal holes.

Slovakia is extremely rich in mineral waters, many with healing effects (among the most popular are Santovka, Slatina, Fatra, Salvator and others). There are more than 1200 mineral water springs and there is hardly an areas without them. Many of the mineral springs are thermal (with the temperature over 20 C) with balneological effects.

A number of health spas and recreational facilities was built next to the mineral and thermal springs. Pieany spa with its water reaching 60 C is worldfamous, and Trenianske Teplice, Turianske Teplice, Sklen Teplice, Bojnice, Slia, Kovov, Dudince, Bardejovsk Kpele, Vyn Rubachy etc. are also very popular.

The discovery of mineral springs with healing effects led to the construction of a wide network of treatment and tourism facilities. Besides balneological spas, the climatic spas for treatment of respiratory diseases, mainly in the High Tatras, are more and more sought for.

 Geografia, s. r. o., 2009 Author: Daniel Kollr Translation: Hana Contrerasov Language editor: Gina Medairy Photographs: Pavol Bella, Ivan Bohu, Radka Cglerov, Jn Hanuin, Jn Hladk, Peter Hnsch, Peter Chromek, Ivan Kluiar, Jn Lacika, Martin Licko, Gabriel Liptk, tefan Podolinsk, Radimr Siklienka, ubo Stacho, Jozef tefunko, TASR, SITA, MZV SR, A SAV, SKANSKA, Kpele Sklen Teplice, Kpele Rajeck Teplice a Kpele Trenianske Teplice Design: Kamila Kollrov Layout: Marianna Lznikov ISBN 978-80-88726-37-1 EAN 9788088726371