Slovakia Info

Slovakia is a country where it’s quiet difficult to feel miserable. Either it’s a standard excursion along Bratislava or a rest on thermal springs of Bansk Bystrica, a tourist always has an opportunity to get to know surprising details or some minor secrets. And it’s not obligatory that they are going to be present in some tourist guides or reference books.

The history of Slovakia is closely intertwined with the history of all Europe. It can’t be otherwise because the country is situated in the very center of the continent. It’s not surprising that the biggest part of architectural monuments in Slovakia refers to the times of two famous king’s dynasties governing. They are Batori and Gabsburgs.

The period of time when Slovakia became the part of Hungarian Kingdom and Austrian empire gave the country numerous architectural monuments, legends and traditions. There are some quiet gloomy examples among them. A good example here is a Chahtitskiy Castle which belonged to Queen Elizabeth Batori and is also famous as Bloody Countess. Being pertained to unexampled cruelty she was listed in the Guinness Records Book as one of the mass serial murders of all the times.

However Chahtice Castle is more likely to be an exception. As a rule the majority of architectural monuments and sights in Slovakia are not brutal but quiet peaceful and nice buildings. Numerous skanzens in particular are referred here. Skanzen is a museum in the open air where ethno architecture and a way of life of this or that nation is presented. You can see skanzens in Slovakia quiet often. They can be found in Bardejov, Bansk Shtyavnica, Nitra, Rosenberg and other towns.

The popularity of country tourism contributes to the creation of reserves of nation culture. The majority of them are situated in the center and in the west of the country. The Shpania Valley is widely famous. Being a minor’s village of the 17–th – 18–th centuries it managed to entirely retain its authentic view.

The castles in Slovakia. Slovakia is proud of its medieval monumental constructions as any other state of Central Europe. Almost every large city has a castle and a fortress as one of its main sights. By the way each of them is unique in its own way. For example a castle complex in Banska Shtyavnica is brought in the list of objects of a world heritage in UNESCO and Budatinskiy castle in the town of Zhilin is attractive except for many other things in its unique exhibition of goods produced from wire.

After acquiring its final independence in 1993 there appeared the sights of the newest time in Slovakia: large entertaining complexes, water parks and skiing resorts. Due to them Slovakia got a status of one of the centers of youth tourism in Europe. Hollywood helped to confirm this status in a certain way. Not so long ago there was a horror “Hostel” shot. The main action of the film is developed in Slovakia. Despite some negative comments on the film of Slovak people themselves (Slovakia is presented as a popular sex-tour-region), the film made a kind of advertisement to the country. And the fact that an ex- minister of culture in Slovakia took a role in the second part of the film demonstrates Slovak’s refusal from some former insults.