A WORLD TRAVEL NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

The Slovak Republic may be a new country, but it has a fascinating history that can at times be described as confusing. The changes and upheavals of the country’s past have resulted in an independent nation which retains its own unique character. Although often seen as something of a ‘junior partner' when it was allied with the Czech Republic, the country has been a member of the EU since 2004 and has become a popular destination for travellers keen to see some of the more unspoiled parts of Central Europe.

A Bratislava Panorama

The land of the Slovak Republic stretches from the impressive Tatra Mountains through some of the most spectacular scenery of Central Europe, taking in lowlands, mighty canyons, eerie caves and lush meadows. It’s a mountainous country which lends itself to skiing trips and winter sports, and enjoys a continental European climate complete with warm summers that make it an ideal holiday destination.

The Slovak Republic is in Central Europe, sharing its borders with the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and the Ukraine. It’s a small country, but even so the terrain varies massively across different regions, with almost half the country dominated by the Carpathian Arc – a range of mountains which stretches across the north. There are several smaller mountain ranges, including the Lesser Carpathians, the White Carpathians, the Malá (Lesser) and Vel'ká (Greater) Fatra, the High and Low Tatras and the Slovenské Rudohorie (or Slovak Ore) Mountains. Visitors with a passion for the outdoor life will not come away from the Slovak Republic in any way disappointed; the climate and scenery make it perfect for hiking in the summer and a skiing trip in the winter – and, of course, the elegant capital city of Bratislava is a must-see.

The Slovak Republic is a modern European country which also proudly boasts a long-held rural tradition. You’ll find very little of the commercialism that is rampant across most of Western Europe here. The country could perhaps be described as quaint, yet it enjoys a surprisingly rich cultural life, with links to some of the world’s greatest composers.

The Western Tatras

There are a number of lakes, rivers and wetlands in the Slovak Republic, and about 12,000 different thermal and mineral water springs. A significant percentage of the Slovak Republic is forested, and the primeval beech forest of the Carpathians, which is shared with the Ukraine, is a World Heritage site. The Tatras National Park, the Slovak Republic's first national park, is the largest, and it’s also worth visiting Pieniny National Park, Slovak Paradise and Velka Fatra.

The official language is Slovak, but some minorities speak Hungarian, Ruthenian, Ukrainian and German.

History
Officially, the Slovak Republic has only been in existence since 1st January 1993. The country has at times been a state of Nazi Germany, and a subject of the Czechs of the Czechoslovak federation; the Magyars of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; and the Habsburg Empire.

What’s now become the present day Slovak Republic was originally settled by Slavic Slovaks in around the sixth century. In 907, the Germans and the Magyars conquered the Moravian state, and the Slovaks fell under Hungarian control from the tenth century up until 1918. When the Habsburg-ruled Empire collapsed in 1918, in the aftermath of World War I, the Slovaks joined Bohemia, Moravia and part of Silesia, and together they formed the new joint state of Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, Germany occupied Czechoslovakia and proceeded to establish it as a German ‘protectorate’, creating a new state and installing Monsignor Josef Tiso as the Prime Minister. The country was liberated from the Germans in the spring of 1945, and Czechoslovakia was largely restored to its pre-war status.

The Communist Party took power in 1948 and this meant that Czechoslovakia was subjected to a centralised and somewhat Czech-dominated government. This started friction which was still causing problems when, in 1969, the nation became the ‘Slovak Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia’.

After almost 42 years of Communist rule, Vaclav Havel was elected as president in 1989 and a process of democratic political reform began. At the same time there was a resurgence of the old Slovak nationalist movement, and friction increased again. By the end of 1991, political leaders were discussing whether it was best to carry on with the country as it was, or whether to split.

The decision was made to separate, and the process (known as ‘The Velvet Divorce’) took place in 1993, splitting Czechoslovakia into its constituent parts – the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Getting to the Slovak Republic

Bratislava Airport Terminal

Bratislava Airport is 9 kilometres (5 miles) from the city. Buses run into the city centre, and there are also taxis at the airport.

Kosice Airport is 10 kilometres (6 miles) south of the city, and there are both buses and taxis available.

Tatry-Poprad Airport is 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the city.

Travellers can also use Vienna International Airport to travel to the Slovak Republic, as the airport is just 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Bratislava.

The country’s main (river) port is at Bratislava. River cruise vessels call into Slovenia's capital as part of their Danube itinerary. It is also possible to travel to Bratislava from Austria by river.

For up to date visa requirements, visit www.projectvisa.com

Food and Drink
Traditional Slovak cuisine owes much to its old Slavic roots, and has also taken on various influences from neighbouring countries such as Austria, Germany and Hungary. Slovak food can be characterised as many different kinds of soup, boiled and stewed vegetables, roast and smoked meats, and plenty of dairy produce. The style of cooking you can expect to sample varies depending on which part of the country you’re in, but the basics are good, wholesome food and local produce.

Sheep's Milk Cheese & Dumplings

Some of the traditional soups you’ll find are bean, pea, sheep’s-cheese, mushroom and lentil. Dumplings are also popular, with Feta cheese dumplings (bryndzove halusky) and potato dumplings, as well as delicious spicy stuffed potato pancakes cropping up on menus everywhere. Mushrooms, potatoes and sauerkraut are usually served with main courses of poultry, pork, lamb, game and fish (trout, carp and pike).

If you have a sweet tooth you’ll be pleased to hear that the cuisine of the Slovak Republic also includes some delicious pastries and cakes – delicacies with a curd cheese filling, fruit cake, honey cakes and gingerbread.

The Slovak Republic produces its own beer, wine and plum brandy – wine from the Tokaj region and sparkling wine from Bratislava are favourites.

Eating out is easy enough, with restaurants, cafés, buffets, snack bars, inns, ale houses and wine taverns to choose from when you feel a bit peckish. All Slovak restaurants are helpfully graded according to their quality. It’s normal to tip between five and ten percent in a restaurant.

The legal drinking age is 18 years old.

Money
The currency of the Slovak Republic is the Euro. You can exchange foreign currency and traveller’s cheques at any bank or bureau de change, as well as in the main hotels, major travel agencies and at border crossings. For the latest exchange rates, visit www.xe.com

Most major credit and debit cards are widely accepted.

American Express, Thomas Cook and Visa traveller's cheques are accepted in banks and at bureaux de change, and exchange rate charges are usually at least one percent of the cheque value. Take your traveller's cheques in Euros, US Dollars or Pounds Sterling if you want to avoid any extra fees for exchanging them.

Banks are generally open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.

Shopping
Like in many countries of Central Europe, markets are popular here. One of the best places to buy traditional Slovak crafts is in the Old Town of Bratislava, where you’ll find the massive Uluv Craft Market. Another good place for souvenirs and anything a little bit unusual is the 19th-century market hall at Námestie SNP 25, open every weekday.

Some of the most popular souvenir items of the Slovak Republic are their cute folk ceramics, and one of the main producers of these is in the village of Modra near Bratislava –one of several Carpathian foothill communities. Tours of the factory are available. Ceramics and textiles are always popular, as is wire-smithing – a little known craft speciality that involves, as you can imagine, making pretty things out wire. The local wood craft is also high quality, but beware the crystal and glassware that you find in souvenir shops – it is usually Czech.

If you’re looking for antiques, search for the Slovak word ‘Starozitnosti’. Antique shops tend to be clustered in and around town centres like Bratislava's Old Town, but there are others out of town where you can pick up some good bargains.

For modern items and general shopping, Bratislava also has some big department stores which are good for fashion buys; the biggest is Polus City Centre, on Vajnorská Street.

Traditionally, Slovak shops tend to close at 1 pm on Saturday, and stay closed until Monday, but during the tourist season most shops that appeal to visitors stay open all weekend.

Where to Go
Bratislava is the capital city of the Slovak Republic, and it’s a typical old European city full of charm – there is a delightfully restored historic quarter. The city’s location, on the Austrian border with close proximity to Hungary and the Czech Republic, has resulted in a difficult past, but Bratislava has an emerging reputation for diverse architecture, good wines and excellent cuisine. Since the country joined the EU in 2004, the cost of living has sky-rocketed, but on the plus side cultural tourism has increased.

The newest bridge with 'Space Craft' restaurant

Bratislava lies on a bend in the Danube, and bridges connect the two halves of the city. Most of the tourist attractions are found to the north of the river, among the cobbled streets of the Old Town. The city boasts some impressive Habsburg Baroque architecture, which is perfect for photo opportunities and fascinating to explore. The Old Town, which has mostly been pedestrianised, is also home to many former palaces. Right at the heart of Bratislava is Hlavne Square, containing the Old City Hall, and parallel with this Michalska and Venturska Streets lead you to most of the city’s historical sites.

The Slovak National Theatre

Bratislava has an impressive musical pedigree – the city is home to the places where Mozart and Franz Liszt performed as children. The Slovak National Theatre is housed in a splendid 19th-century building, and features some high-quality opera, ballet and drama.

For sightseers, the quaint street of Zelená Ulica is one of the narrowest streets in the city, where you’ll find the Academia Istropolitana, which has the accolade of being the first university in the Hungarian Kingdom. A stroll along the pedestrian promenade from the National Theatre is a must, with statues and fountains providing photo opportunities, and many cafés to while away some time.

Bratislava Castle

The lovely 17th-century Bratislava Castle is perched high above the beautiful Danube, and you’ll often hear it called ‘the upturned table' because of its four octagonal corner towers. At the moment the castle is undergoing some major renovation work, so it’s closed to the public until at least 2012; you can still visit the small museum, though.

Dom svateho Martina (St Martin's Cathedral) is a 13th-century Franciscan cathedral where no less than four Hungarian monarchs were crowned. The Chapel of St John is a Gothic masterpiece and the crypt is also worth seeing. If you want to see the cathedral, you’ll have to arrange it in advance, or go in between mass times.

St. Martin's Cathedral

The blue copper roof of St Michael's Tower is one of the most recognisable sights in Bratislava, offering some spectacular views across the city from its viewing platform, which dates back to the 14th century. To access the tower you’ll need to go through the Museum of Arms, a small museum of old weapons and firearms, and as an added bonus (for the price of admission) you also get to see the Pharmaceutical Museum, which is just a few doors away.
The Old Town Hall Museum includes sections which date right back to the 14th century, and the building itself is a charming hotch-potch of different architectural styles, including a Renaissance courtyard from 1581. It’s currently being renovated, but when it reopens it’s likely to expand to include the Bratislava City Museum, where you can see a variety of dungeons and torture instruments, as well as a much more civilised winemaking museum.

The Slovak National Gallery is ensconced in an impressive Neo-Classical building which originates from the 18th century. The gallery offers some pleasant views of the Danube as well as some notable works of art which range from the 13th century to the present day. All of the exhibits are also captioned in English.

Primate's Palace

Primaciálny Palác (Primate's Palace) is an 18th-century Baroque palace which was the scene of the Pressburg Peace Treaty signing, following the defeat of the Austrians by Napoleon's armies in 1805. It also houses a collection of six English tapestries from the 17th century, which were found behind the wallpaper when the building was being restored in the 1930s. The tapestries depict the tragic love story of Hero and Leander, and are said to have been woven in the 1630s in the royal weaving workshop at Mortlake, near London.
Just outside Bratislava is the ruined castle at Devín. The area is historically important to the Slovaks, as the Germans were heavily defeated there in 864 and 871.

Trnava
The Medieval walls of Trnava remain virtually intact, although Trnava is one of the Slovak Republic's oldest cities, dating back to the 13th century. During the Turkish invasions, Trnava became the religious centre of Hungary, and has been a renowned university town since the 17th century. The town is known as the ‘Slovak Rome’, due to its delightful buildings and historic centre.
Mountains

St. John The Baptist Cathedral, Trnava

You can’t possibly visit the Slovak Republic without taking in some of the beautiful mountain scenery. The High Tatras, Low Tatras and Malá Fatra National Parks are the places to head off to, to take in some of the best that nature has to offer, with their abundance of wildlife, mountain valleys and serene lakes. If you’re feeling energetic, you can also head to the slopes and visit one of the ski centres which are set in any of the 30 mountain regions. Some of the best skiing in the Slovak Republic is to be found in the Tatra Mountains. Other popular mountain areas include the Slovensky Raj range and the Malá Fatra range, and the Vrátna Dolina valley.

The Spis Region
The Spis region is ideal for anyone with an interest in religious history – there are plenty of religious sites on offer, including the Church of Sv Jakub and the Romanesque Cathedral of Sv Martin. If natural beauty is more your passion, the area is also rich in that, with the picturesque Slovak Paradise in the southwest and the Pieniny National Park at the Slovak-Polish border. While you’re there, you could enjoy some of the winter sports on offer in the High and Low Tatras. Spis Castle is also worth visiting, as it’s the biggest Medieval castle in Central Europe. There’s more history just down the road at the walled town of Levoca, which became the capital of the Union of Zips Saxons in 1271.
Get a taste of Central European spa culture at Aqua City in Poprad, where you’ll be able to try out a selection of thermal pools, spa treatments, and even the hardcore cryotherapy session which involves cooling your body down to -121°C (-185°F) in a special chamber. It sounds frightening and somewhat unpleasant, but people swear by its therapeutic properties ! You could also take to the waters at one of the country’s many other thermal spas, health resorts and natural mineral waters. Some of the best are to be found at Bardejovské Kúpele, Dudince and the world-famous Piestany, with its opulent Thermia Palace Hotel.

Spis Castle

Piestany
Located 35 kilometres (22 miles) to the north of Trnava is Piestany, arguably the best-known spa resort in the whole of the Slovak Republic. People come to Piestany from all over the world to take advantage of the gorgeous warm springs, and it’s also famous for being used to treat health problems. Visit the nearby Lake Slnava too, and you can try out some of the water sports on offer there during the summer. The red brick castle of Cerveny Kamen is also a ‘must see’, but it can get busy, as it’s one of the most popular tourist sites in the Slovak Republic.

The Andrássy Mausoleum
One of the Slovak Republic's finest Art Nouveau buildings, the Andrássy Mausoleum at Krásna Hôrka was built by Dionýz Andrássy, one of the aristocratic Hungarian Andrássy family, following the death of his wife. It contains some beautiful sculptures and sarcophagi, and the whole of the mausoleum’s interior is amazing to behold, being lavishly decorated with everything from paintings and mosaics to marble, precious stones, gold and metal fixtures.

The Slovak Republic or Slovakia?
When visiting (and indeed writing about) this fascinating country, one of the conundrums is what to call it! The full and official name of the Slovak Republic is ‘The Slovak Republic’, although many English-speaking countries refer to it as Slovakia too, and while this is also acceptable, it’s not quite correct. The word ‘Slovak’ is used as an adjective, and ‘Slovakian’ is frowned upon and rarely used.

At the same time, the word ‘Slovak’ can also be used to describe a native of the Slovak Republic (Slovaks is the plural).

The Slovak Republic (or Slovakia) is not to be confused with Slovenia (a nation-state that was part of the former Yugoslavia), or Slavonia (a province of modern-day Croatia).

For information about the weather in the Slovak Republic, visit www.worldweather.org