Slovakia

From Wikitravel

Slovakia (also known as the Slovak Republic) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is surrounded by Austria to the west, Czech Republic to the north west, Hungary to the south, Poland to the north and Ukraine to the east.

With numerous medieval towns, high mountains, caves and a lively capital city, there's probably something for every traveller to enjoy in Slovakia. Slovakia is said to be the country with the highest number of fortified castles per capita in the world.

Table of contents

1 Cities 2 Understand 2.1 Czechs, Hungarians, Germans and Slovaks 3 Get In 3.1 Visas 3.2 By train 3.3 By plane 4 Get around 5 Talk 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 Learn 11 Work 12 Stay safe 13 Stay healthy 14 Respect 15 Contact 16 External Links

Cities

• Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia
• Banska Bystrica
• Kosice
• Nitra
• Trencin
• Trnava
• Zilina
• Zvolen

Understand

Slovakia has a temperate climate with sunny summers and cold, cloudy, humid and snowy winters.

Much of the central and northern part of Slovakia is rugged and mountainous. Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 m in the High Tatras is the highest point. The Tatra Mountains in the north, shared with Poland, are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys. The lowlands are in the south with the lowest point of the Bodrog River being 94 m below sea level.

Slovakia is also a country of massive medieval castles built on the rocks, beautiful detailed ones located on plains (there is about 180 castles and ruins) as well as country of caves. Most of 12 biggest caves (traditional karst caves, ice caves, aragonite cave etc) are open for public for several hours daily only.

In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a communist country within Soviet-ruled Eastern Block. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free.

For many years overshadowed by their north-western Czech neighbors, political representations of Czech and Slovak decided to strike out on their own. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993 and Slovakia became a country in its own right.

Historic, political, and geographic factors have caused Slovakia to experience more difficulty in developing a modern market economy than some of its Central European neighbors. Finally, however, Slovakia joined the European Union and the NATO in 2004.

Czechs, Hungarians, Germans and Slovaks

There are some similarities between the Czech and Slovak cultures. However, though the Slovaks may talk and eat like the Czechs, they are not the same. One of the most striking differences is that while the Czechs are largely atheists, the Slovaks are largely Catholics.

As a Hungarian territory for so many years, there is a Hungarian-speaking minority of 9,7%, mostly in southern Slovakia. Slovak language is similar to Czech but different.

Get In

Visas

Since Slovakia is a EU member, citizens of EU countries do not require a visa for stays in Slovakia.

Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US citizens are all permitted to stay for up to 90 days without a visa.

South African citizens require a visa for entry into Slovakia.

By train

The easiest way to get to Slovakia by train from west is via Vienna, in Austria. Bratislava is a simple 50 - 70 minute trip on a express or a local train (either via Kittsee or Marchegg).

Trains also travel to Slovakia from the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and the Ukraine.

By plane

As Vienna airport Schwechat is just about 35 kms from Bratislava, it's the most convenient way of arriving to Slovakia by the major airlines. Buses leave for Bratislava hourly, optionally you can take airport shuttle.

Bratislava has its own airport, too, albeit much smaller than that of Vienna, many regular flights are scheduled to land here. Sky Europe provides the most convenient and cheap way to fly to Bratislava from London, Paris and other European cities.

Get around

Talk

The national language of Slovakia is Slovak, a Slavic language which is similar to and mutually intelligible with Czech (before 1993 newscasters alternated languages in nightly news reports to give fair time to each). The younger generation however already tends to have problems understanding Czech.

Slovak is written using the same Roman characters that English uses, so Western travellers won't have any trouble reading signs and maps.

As a Hungarian territory for so many years, there is a significant Hungarian-speaking minority of 9,7%. Most of the Hungarians live in southern regions of the country. Other Slovaks however normally do not speak or understand the Hungarian language.

While you can probably make do with English and German in Bratislava, in smaller towns and villages your only chance is trying to approach younger people that speak some English. Older residents may know some German. People born before 1980 and after 1935 will have learned Russian in school.

Buy

The official currency of Slovakia is the Slovak Crown (Slovenská koruna, Sk / SKK). Euro is planned to replace the Slovak Crown soonest around 2007. Also, from May 1st, 2004, Euro is accepted in major shop chains.

Automatic teller machines (ATM) are widely available in Slovakia with small exceptions {villages) , and obtaining money there should not present a problem. Credit cards and debit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Visa Electron, Cirrus Maestro are widely accepted both in shops and restaurants in bigger cities.

Eat

Bryndzove halusky is Slovak national meal made with potato dumplings and special kind of sheep cheese (that is not actually the cheese) called "bryndza". You will get pieces of fried meaty bacon on top of Bryndzove halusky. Very tasty and delicious.

Drink

For non-alcoholic drinks try Vinea, soft drink made from grapes, featured in both red and white. Additionally, there is also Vinea without CO2. Kofola, another soft drink similar to Coca Cola, is also very popular amongst locals and is available both on tap and bottled.

For beers, try Zlaty Bazant, Smadny mnich and Saris. Saris comes also in dark version that is thicker and heavier on your stomach. Still, if you prefer some western beers, they are served on regular basis in bigger restaurants and pubs.

Slovakia has also some great local wines, not known abroad.

Sleep

Surprisingly many hotels in Slovakia still charge differently based on the origin of their guests (foreign guests are expected to pay more).

Learn

Work

Stay safe

In case of an emergency, call 112 - universal emergency number. For police especially, call 158, ambulance 155 and firefighters 150. When visiting mountain areas of Slovakia, it is advisable to inform hotel personnel of your trip plans. Also, when visiting High Tatras, contact local mountain rescue service of your intent, they may even provide you with a safety guidelines. BEWARE, weather in High Tatras is prone to sudden changes, especially during spring and autumn.

Stay healthy

No vaccination is necessary to visit or stay in Slovakia although if you plan to visit countryside areas, tick vaccination is recommended. Also Hepathitis "A" and "B" vaccination is advisable as with all European countries. Public health care is underdeveloped by European standards. Tap water is drinkable everywhere, but if you prefer mineral waters, you can choose from multitude of marks, since Slovakia has probably highest numbers of natural mineral water springs per capita.

Respect

Remember that Slovaks are a separate nation that have their independence for several years only. As with all young nations, some people can be oversensitive on nationality issues.

Contact

• Slovak Television (http://www.stv.sk/)

External Links

• Official Slovak Tourist Board (http://www.sacr.sk/)
• Slovak Government (http://www.government.gov.sk/)
• Slovakia.ORG (http://www.slovakia.org/)
• Hotels in Slovakia (http://www.slovakhotels.com/)
• Travel Information about Slovakia (http://www.anytravels.com/europe/slovakia/)