Destination : Slovakia

The Slovak Republic lies in Central Europe. The central and northern Slovakia is a mountainous region - the Carpathian mountains cross this area. Southern and eastern Slovakia is a lowland region, being an important agricultural area of the country. The Danube river connects Slovakia with Vienna, the Rhine-Main channel, and harbours at the Black sea. In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. 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.

The population of Slovakia is 5.5 million. The highest point is on the Gerlach peak (2655 m) located in Vysoke Tatry. The lowest point is on the Bodrog river, 95 m. The Slovak Republic has a border with  Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria and Czech Republic. The capital of Slovakia is Bratislava.  Other big cities are : Kosice, Zvolen, Trencin. The official language spoken in Slovakia is the Slovak language. Though many other countries boast of having nice natural environments, honestly, few in this region stack up to Slovakia's magnificent Tatra mountain range, a brawny segment of the Carpathians that becomes a skiers paradise in winter and a nature enthusiast's smorgasbord in summer.

Slovakia has many natural beauties, on small area you can find high mountains as well as lowlands. One third of the territory of the Slovak Republic is covered by forests and we have several beautiful natural parks. The TANAP park in Vysoke Tatry, NAPANT park in Nizke Tatry as well as in Pieniny on the Dunajec river, Slovensky Raj and Mala Fatra. Slovakia has many caves of which only a few are open to the public. Frequently are visited Demanovska cave, Jasovska cave, Domica and Dobsina. The Ochtina Aragonite Cave is very beautiful and there are only two aragonite caves in the world. Maybe, the most famous spas of Slovakia are Piestany are Piestany and Bardejov.The Slovak National Gallery is located in Bratislava. You can visit also the Andy Warhol gallery located in Eastern Slovakia in Medzilaborce. The Slovak national Theatre is located in Bratislava and offers opera and ballet. The most famous castles are the Spis castle and the Bojnice castle. The most famous Slovak Opera singer is Peter Dvorsky.

Bratislava is the capital of the Slovak Republic. It is a very old city with a history of more than 17 centuries. Today it is a modern metropolis. The best view of the old city and city centre is from the Danube bridge from Bystrica cafe. Symbol of Bratislava is the Bratislava castle. Another spectacular building is the Slovak RADIO tower. Museums and galleries are open daily from 10 to five except Monday. Bratislava is a very young city because of the presence of many students who study at Comenius University, Slovak Technical University, Economic University and others located in Bratislava. In Bratislava not only Slovak but also German and Hungarian is spoken. Many families in the past were speaking at least two languages. Today, young people speak mainly English.