Slovakia - Slovakio

Slovakia, Slovakia or Slovak Republic (Slovak: Slovenia or Slovak Republic, both names are officially recognized), is a continental country in Central Europe. It is surrounded by Austria to the west, Czech Republic to the northwest, Hungary south, Poland to the north and Ukraine east. Slovakia is a modern democratic country and is a member of the European Union.

The main reasons to visit Slovakia are its natural beauty, colorful history and good options for relaxation (and due to the small size of the country, it is very easy to combine all three).

Slovakia has nine national parks that cover a relatively large part of the country and represent the highest part of the Carpathian mountain range, the High Tatras, which offers good options for mountain and winter sports and stunning outings. Geologically, a considerable part of Slovakia consists of limestone, which in combination with many springs and rivers has resulted in the formation of numerous caves (12 open to the public, several of which are listed by UNESCO) and beautiful rock formations, canyons and waterfalls of the Slovak Paradise and Slovak Karst. Even outside of these areas, there are beautiful landscapes and all of Slovakia is covered with thousands of well-marked tourist routes.

For history lovers, Slovakia has the highest number of castles and castles per person in the world. They range from simple ruins to well-preserved habitable castles with furnished layout. Therefore, if you are a fan of medieval history, do not look for anything else. There are also numerous Gothic and Baroque cities in Slovakia, including the capital. There are also well-preserved examples of wooden folk architecture, including churches made solely of wood and the tallest wooden altar in the world.

There are numerous mineral and hot springs in Slovakia and around a few of them have been built world-famous baths that offer good medical therapies or just a simple relaxation. You can also freshen up outside, swim and sunbathe on the shores of several local lakes and swimming pools or try water parks if you are adventurous. In particular, Bratislava is also proud of a lively nightlife and is a popular holiday destination.

Regions

Slovakia consists of 8 administrative regions (Slovak "kraj") and 23 tourist regions (Slovak:"turistický region"); tourist regions are described here. These are traditionally grouped into 3 superregions:

Cities

• Bratislava - Slovakia's main and largest city with a beautifully restored historic center full of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance churches, houses and palaces, paved streets, fountains, pleasant cafes and a lively and cosmopolitan atmosphere
• Banská Bystrica - one of the most important mining towns in the Slovak part of the former Austro-Hungarian Kingdom; beautiful restored main square, many churches, castles and museums and a monument of the Slovak national uprising
• Banská Štiavnica - a well-preserved medieval mining town, on the UNESCO World Heritage List
• Kosice - metropolis of the east, the second largest city in the country with the easternmost Gothic cathedral in the world, the oldest European coat of arms, a large historic city center with the cathedral complex, numerous churches, palaces and interesting museums
• Nitro - the oldest Slovak town with a beautiful castle and several fairs
• Poprad - entrance to the great mountains High Tatras
• Trenčín - one of the most beautiful Slovak cities with a castle overlooking the city, from where you can see the historic center and the river Váh
• Presov - the best example of Renaissance architecture in Slovakia, numerous churches and nearby Solivar which is one of the most interesting salomination museums in Europe
• Žilina - fourth largest city with a well-preserved historic city center influenced by German architecture and a unique museum of wire culture

Esperanto cities

• Partisanship - one of the newest Slovak cities; center of the Esperanto movement in Slovakia due to the office of E @ I with several foreign volunteers
• Modra - it happens there every couple of years Conference on Applications of Esperanto in Science and Technology (KAEST)

Other destinations

• National Park Slovak Paradise (Slovenský Raj) - consists of deep ravines and canyons created by the water cascading in waterfalls through limestone
• High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry) - the largest national park in Slovakia and a center of winter sports and highland tourism
• Vlkolínec - a village on the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO preserving a character of a traditional Carpathian village
• Slovak Karst
• Levoča - an impressive medieval pearl of the Spiš region surrounded by city walls with a unique Renaissance town hall, numerous churches and the church of St. James, where the world's tallest wooden Gothic altar is located
• Bojnice - the most visited castle in Slovakia, almost intact with beautifully preserved interiors, the largest zoo in Slovakia
• Piešťany - the most famous spa in Slovakia
• Bardejov - a spa in north-eastern Slovakia that displays numerous cultural monuments in its completely untouched medieval town center and is one of the World's cultural networks of UNESCO

Understand

Terrain

Much of central and northern Slovakia is rough and mountainous. The highest peak is the mountain Gerlachovský štít in the High Tatras with an altitude of 2,655 meters above sea level. In the northern high Tatras, on the border with Poland, there are many picturesque lakes and valleys. In these areas, low temperatures are common and people have traditionally lived here from sheep grazing.

In the south there are lowlands. There is the lowest point in Slovakia, 94 m above sea level, on the river Bodrog. Soil here is very fertile, especially in the area between the Little Danube and Danube rivers and is used agriculturally. The weather is mild and, especially during summers, can be surprisingly hot.

History

The area of ​​present-day Slovakia has been settled since the early Paleolithic. Before the internal migration of Slavs and Huns, the most important local cultures were the Celts and Romans. To date, artifacts and evidence of the presence of these cultures can be seen.

The Slavic tribes, who invaded the area in the 5th century, created here a number of successive influential kingdoms. During this era, lasting until the 10th century when Great Moravia collapsed, Slavs adopted Christianity and built many medieval fortified castles, several ruins of which remain to this day.

In the 10th century Slovakia became part of the Kingdom of Hungary, which, after 1867, formed a union with the Austrian Empire and became an Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. This Union, existing until 1918, was a great source of influence for the formation of the whole region. It was a multinational state with many cultures living together and formed a common cultural history shared by many nations of central Europe.

In 1918 the Slovaks joined closely related Czechs to form the Czechoslovak Republic. During World War II, Czechoslovakia for some time split and formed on the one hand the Czech Republic (under Nazi occupation) and the Slovak state (its own, yet Nazi-satellite military state). Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a communist country within the eastern bloc ruled by the Soviet Union. Soviet influence disappeared in 1989 and Czechoslovakia became free again.

After many years of living together in a common state, Slovaks and Czechs agreed to peacefully divide the state on January 1, 1993. Thus Slovakia became a sovereign country. This division is known as the Velvet revolution. Both countries remain culturally close and political and economic cooperation is at a high level.

Historical, political and geographical factors have made developing a modern market economy in Slovakia more difficult than in some of its Central European neighbors. But now it is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and has been a member of the European Union and NATO since 2004. Slovakia is now a member of the Schengen area and on 1 January 2009 adopted the Euro.

Ethnic groups

There are some similarities between the Czech and Slovak cultures but the two nations remain different. One of the most striking differences is that while Czechs are mostly atheists, Slovaks are mostly Catholics (as are their Polish neighbors).

Slovakia has been part of the Kingdom of Hungary for almost a millennium and Slovakia remains a strong Hungarian-speaking minority (9.7% of Slovaks), concentrated mostly in southern Slovakia. Historic German population was expelled after World War II, but their historical influence remains.

In the eastern part of the country there are many Roma (Gypsies) and a few Ruthenians and Ukrainians. In Slovakia also live a few Czechs, Poles and a few more Germans.

Climate

Slovakia has a mild climate with sunny, hot summers and cold, cloudy, humid and snowy winters. The climate is continental, with four seasons and although the overall climate is mild, there is a considerable difference in temperatures between summer and winter months.

Generally, it is warmer in southern regions and in lowlands. Here summer temperatures can reach over 30 ° C on hot days and in winters there is more frequent rain than snow. If, however, snow appears, it usually melts for a few days.

Northern, and especially mountainous, regions have a colder climate, with summer temperatures not exceeding 25 ° C. Especially on mountains, during winters it is frequent snowfall and can be very cold, with temperatures even -20 ° C.

If you plan to visit mountains, please note that just like in any mountainous region, weather can change quickly for a few minutes and can rain (or snow!) Even during summer. Take appropriate equipment and do not underestimate weather.

Enter

Since December 21, 2007 (in airport border crossings since March 30, 2008) Slovakia is a member of the Schengen agreement.

There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. These include the European Union (excluding Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted to any Schengen area member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. Please consult the article Driving in the Schengen area for more information on how the issue works and what the requirements are for your nation.

In the autumn of 2015 exceptionally many refugees entering the European Union urged some countries to restore border controls within the Schengen area and travel in some border entrances is much less smooth than normal. Delays can occur particularly in the southeast of the European Union.

Travelers with a valid travel document provided by the government of any of the above countries / territories can stay in Slovakia (but not another Schengen country, except Germany and Hungary) without a visa for a maximum duration of 90 days in a 180-day period.

Slovakia entered the Schengen area only relatively recently but crossing borders is very smooth and a transition is hardly recognized. You must have a personal ID with you anyway, but to avoid inconvenience, be sure to have your ID with you in border areas.

If you need a visa, always apply in advance at the embassy. You will certainly not receive a visa at the Slovakian border, no matter how you enter or what your nationality is.

Enire avie

Airport is in Bratislava (Bratislava airport), Poprad (airport Poprad - Tatras), Kosice and Sliač (apud Zvolen).

The cheap airline Ryanair runs flights to Bratislava from various European cities, including London, Milan–Bergamo, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Dublin, Rome (Ciampino), Paris (Beauvais) and Brussels (Charleroi) and a few others. These flights can be very cheap, so if you arrive from outside Europe, you could save a lot of money by flying to a larger airport and from there flying to Bratislava. However, these flights do not work every day, so it may be better to fly to Vienna. Norwegian Airlines takes care of flights from Copenhagen and Oslo, in addition there are also flights to Moscow maintained by UTAir et al Tel Aviv run by Sun d'or Airlines.

Enter by plane through abroad

The alternative is the Vienna Airport, which is only 35 km (22 miles) from Bratislava. It provides a convenient route to Slovakia via large airlines, but can be more expensive. It also handles much more long-haul flights. Buses leave for Bratislava every hour, traveling directly from Vienna Airport to the main bus station in Bratislava. Alternatively, you can take the airport shuttle bus or taxi, which will cost around € 70.

Other options include airports in Prague and Budapest, both cities are at a distance of about 4 hours by public transport. There are also direct flights from Prague to Bratislava and from Prague to Bratislava Kosice. The latter option, along with flights to Prague, provides convenient air access to the eastern part of the country.

You can also fly to Krakow in Poland if you want to go to the Tatra Mountains (either High or Low). Buses from Kraków run to several Slovak cities around the Tatra Mountains and Orava.

Get on the train

Slovakia has a good train connection with Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. Direct trains to and from the Czech Republic also run Berlin.

Enter by train from the Czech Republic

As parts of the former Czechoslovakia, trains between the Czech Republic and Slovakia are common. EC trains run every two hours Prague to Bratislava and Žilina. There is one daily train from Prague to Banská Bystrica, Zvolen, Poprad and Kosice. All these cities have direct night sleep and car connections from Prague.

Cheap tickets SporoTiket Evropa can be purchased at the e-store of Czech Railways, at least 3 days in advance. The price starts at € 15 per seat or € 26 per bed. Please note that such an e-ticket is valid only on the specified train!

If you want more flexibility or can’t buy in advance online, you can get a great discount at a train station if you buy a return ticket called CityStar. Such an international return ticket is valid for one month for any train (and cannot be purchased online at all).

Enter by train from Germany

De Berlin to Bratislava there are trains with a two-hour distance and also a night train. Cheap tickets can be purchased at the website of Deutsche Bahn, A German national railway company, if purchased at least one day in advance (three days in advance for the night train). The price starts at € 29. Unfortunately, Deutsche Bahn has in recent years reduced Eurocities and especially night trains and the trend is not changing (2015 report).

Enter by train from Austria

An hourly regional express train runs from Vienna to Bratislava. You can use the ticket EURegio for € 16 - return ticket valid for 4 days.

Enter by train from Poland

De Warsaw to Bratislava there is a direct train through the Czech Republic. Direct train connection from Poland hardly exists, bus is generally a better alternative. There are several local trains that only cross the border - one Zwardoń (PL) –Skalité (SK) train. There is no international personal traffic at Nowy Sącz (PL) -Presov (SK) (since December 2010) and Lupków (PL) -Medzilaborce (SK) (since December 2009).

Enter by train from Hungary

De Budapest to Bratislava there are EC trains every two hours both from Budapest and Miskolc two IC trains a day travel to Košice. Unlike a visit from Poland, it is not cheaper to buy the Slovak part at a conductor. Conversely, between Slovakia and Hungary there is a 60% return discount (i.e. a return ticket is cheaper than a one-way ticket).

Enter by train from Ukraine and Russia

Enter the bus

Among many others, there are regular connections from Vienna, Prague and Budapest to Bratislava; of Uzhhorod (Ukraine) to the East Slovak city of Michalovce and Košice and from Khrakovo (Poland) between Zakopane (Poland) to Poprad.

Traveling by bus from Prague to Bratislava is slower but cheaper than by train if you buy a ticket in advance, e.g. at Student Agency, Slovak Lines, or using the common bus reservation system AMSBus.

Buses from Poland and Ukraine are the best choice, they are faster and more frequent than trains.

From Budapest the journey takes 4 hours, the bus stops for 5 minutes in Györ and in a small restaurant on the way.

Enter on foot

Through Slovakia go European Tourist Routes E3 and E8. Especially in tourist areas there are also other tourist routes outside the European system.

A pontoon ferry is available for car drivers and pedestrians between Angern an der March (Austria) and Záhorská Ves (Slovakia). 05: 00-22: 00.

To be transported

CP (Slovak cestové poriadky - transport schedules) provides an exceptionally useful website (multilingual) with integrated timetables for all trains and buses in Slovakia, including all in-town and inter-city transport. It is also useful for international travel to / from Slovakia.

To be transported on foot

Public transport

• The website cp.sk is particularly useful for planning a trip in Slovakia: it contains timetables of trains and intercity buses and offers connections.
• The website imhd.sk gives information on transportation within cities.

Transport by train

Trains are quite frequent and reliable. The main line of the railway network is the Bratislava-Čierna nad Tisou line, which runs through 7 of the 10 largest cities in the country: Bratislava, Trnava, Trenčín, Žilina, Martin (Vrútky), Poprad and Kosice. The section between Bratislava and Trenčín is the only one where trains can travel up to 160 km / h. Most other main roads are electrified and enable speeds of up to 120 km / h. The small non-electrified lines are usually much slower and the trains often run along road sections, where the speed is limited to 60 or even 40 km / h.

The IC trains are the fastest. They travel between Bratislava and Košice along the main line and stop in a few places. The journey between these two cities takes about 5 hours. It is necessary to reserve a place in advance.

The R trains (Rýchlik) are high-speed trains; they go along more lines and stop in cities. Compared to IC trains, these trains run from Bratislava to Košice in 6 hours. Night trains belong to this category.

The Zr and REX trains Zr or REX stop in all cities and in large villages.

The OS trains are the slowest and stop at each stop.

Transport by bus

Slovakia has a network of intercity buses, which sometimes allow more direct journeys than trains. But when direct journeys are possible both by train and by bus, a train can be less expensive, faster and more comfortable.

Transport by car

See

Fari

Communicate

It is an official language the Slovak. In the southern parts of Slovakia it is also spoken the Hungarian, which is recognized as a minority language. Czech language is passively understood by all speakers of Slovak because of the similarity of the two languages ​​and due to the current influence of Czech culture on Slovakia.

Buy

Stores

Eat

Traditional foods

• halušky (hallucinations) or strapačky - small potatoes often served with toast (special Slovak cheese), cabbage and / or bacon
• vyprážaný syr (fried cheese)
• korbáčik - braided cheese

Vegetarianism and veganism

Ordinary Slovak food often contains meat and other animals. Vegetarian and vegan restaurants can be found especially in big cities. In ordinary restaurants it is most often possible to order salad, pasta or fried cheese without meat. In case of uncertainty, one can ask a waiter.

Mainly (but not only) outside big cities one can experience misunderstanding or even persuasion (e.g. “fish is not meat”, “it contains little meat”, etc.) even from a waiter’s side.

On the website soucitne.cz can be found a map of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (in Czech).

Drink

It is a very popular and original drink Kofola - cola invented in Czechoslovakia during the communist era as an opposition to American colas such as Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola.

Alcohol

Beer is widely drunk in Slovakia. There are several local and national breweries there.

Southern Slovakia is a wine region where the best known are grown and prepared winejn in Slovakia.

Tatra tea (Tatranský čaj) is a strong alcohol (contains more than 40% alcohol), which is produced only in Slovakia.

To live

Esperanto housing

In Slovakia it is 9 hosts of Passport Service^(2017/9). Other Esperantists could possibly host occasionally outside PS.

Campsites

Hostels

Hotels

Security

In Slovakia there is a unit number of needs 112 for all major needs - fire, health and safety issues. Operators should be able to communicate not only in Slovak, but also in Slovak English, the Hungarian, the German, the Russian and in the Polish.^[1]

Healthy

Respect

Esperanto

Esperanto in Slovakia has a tradition of more than a century, the first textbook of Esperanto for Slovaks was published in 1907. From Slovakia come several prominent Esperantists, e.g. Tibor Sekelj, Ernesto Váňa, Stano Marček, Peter Baláž, who have left and continue to leave their mark not only in Slovakia.

Local Esperantists

The highest Esperanto organizations in Slovakia are SKEF - Slovak Esperanto Federation and SKEJ - Slovak Esperanto Youth. In addition there are a few local clubs and individuals. In Slovakia, in the city Partisanship, is the headquarters and office of the organization E @ I, which is widely known for its Esperanto activities, e.g. establishment of lernu!. An international team works full-time in the office with several young volunteers; some of them provide hosting with Passport Service.

Esperanto meetings

An overview of planned Esperanto meetings has been and will be at esperanto.sk (but now due to technical changes there is not).

Slovakia in 2016 hosted the 101st Universal Congress of Esperanto, first in the territory of contemporary Slovakia. There was a pre-congress in the Czech Republic city Svitavy and two post-congresses (around Slovakia and across Danube cities). The congress is worth mentioning, among others, for an extraordinarily impressive national evening featuring pearls of Slovak folklore, good organization and a charming, relatively small, congress city.

In Slovakia it is organized every year All-Slovak Esperanto Meeting (TER); usually every third year joined with All-Slovak Esperanto Congress (TEK), during which SKEF elections take place.

Since 2007 it takes place every year SES - Summer Esperanto Study, a meeting for learning Esperanto for beginners to experienced fluent speakers. In 2016 it did not take place due to preparation of the UK, but it has been happening again since 2017.

Since 2010 every 2nd year it takes place KAEST (Conference on Applications of Esperanto in Science and Technology).

From time to time short tourist excursions and other meetings of individual clubs are organized.

Consulates

Visit further

• Czech Republic
  • Brno
  • Prague
• Hungary
  • Budapest
• Austria
  • Vienna
• Poland
  • Krakow
  • Wroclaw
• Ukraine
  • Lviv

Remarks

External links

• Slovake.eu - multilingual website to learn the Slovak language

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This article uses material from the article Slovakia in the Template: Language Wikivoyage.