Slovakia

Quick Facts

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Local name

Slovensko

Capital

Bratislava

Government

Parliamentary Democracy

Nationality

Slovak

Population

5,430,000

Languages

Slovak, Hungarian

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Currency

Slovak Koruna (SKK)

Calling Code

+421

Time Zone

CET (UTC+1)

Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

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Introduction

Bratislava Castle

© All Rights Reserved Peter

Though one of eastern Europe's less popular tourist countries, Slovakia's welcoming people and relative stability over the last decade makes it an attractive destination. Slovakia's landscape features some of Europe's highest mountain ranges, providing jaw-dropping scenery. Most travellers, however, do not come to Slovakia merely to gaze at its beauty: Slovakia's mountains are fertile ground for skiing and hiking, as the increasing numbers of tourists suggest.

Unfortunately, for those uninterested in getting their hiking boots on or skidding down snow-covered mountains, Slovakia's potential is harder to unravel. The capital, Bratislava, is the most obvious place to head for. Nestled alongside the Danube River and set against a backdrop of the Little Carpathians, the city features numerous museums and other historical monuments. We recommend, however, that visitors explore some of Slovakia's undiscovered highlights, like the Dunajec River Gorge or Trnava, Slovakia's oldest town.

Brief History

Geography

Slovakia shares international borders with Austria, Hungary, Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Regions

Slovakia can be grouped into 4 geographical areas.

• Western Slovakia
• Northern Slovakia
• Southern Slovakia
• Eastern Slovakia

Administratively, the country is made up of eight distinct regions, or kraj, which are named after the largest city in each region; Bratislava, Trnava, Trencin, Zilina, Nitra, Banska Bystrica, Presov, Kosice.

Cities

• Bratislava
• Banská Bystrica
• Bojnice
• Košice
• Nové Zámky
• Poprad
• Prešov
• Nitra
• Trnava
• Žilina
• Zvolen
• Trencin

Sights and Activities

Spišský Hrad

Spisske Hrad

© All Rights Reserved rowdyrobby

Spišský Hrad is one of the most important places in eastern Europe and has one of the largest ensembles of 13th- and 14th-century military, political and religious buildings. Especially interesting are its Romanesque and Gothic architecture which has remained remarkably intact. Spišský Hrad and its associated monuments are on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Banská Štiavnica

Another Unesco site, the town of Banská Štiavnica and its surroundings were visited by engineers and scientists who contributed to its fame. For example, the medieval mining centre grew into a town with Renaissance palaces, 16th-century churches, elegant squares and castles. The town and the technical monuments in the direct surrounding area form an interesting mix and is of importance regarding the mining and metallurgical activities of the past.

High Tatras

Mengusovce and the High Tatras

© All Rights Reserved dansnd

Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras) is a high mountain range in the north of Slovakia, along the border with Poland. It is the smallest high mountain range in the world, and peaks all of a sudden rise up from the flatter surroundings to over 2500 meters above sea level. There are several peaks with Gerlachovský štít being highest peak in Slovakia rising to 2655 meters a.s.l. The area is popular with bikers, climbers and there are some fine walks and more difficult treks. In winter, skiiing is an option here. Poprad is a good place to base yourself.

Other sights and activities

• Slovak Karst
• Vlkolinec
• Bardejov
• Carphatian, on the border with Ukraine.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Air Slovakia is an airline based at Milan Rastislav Štefánik Airport (BTS) near the capital Bratislava. Destinations include Amritsar, Barcelona, Birmingham, Bologna, Kuwait [seasonal], Larnaca [seasonal], Milan and Tel Aviv. Other destinations with a few other airlines are from Prague, Munich and Moscow.

Low-cost airlines SkyEurope and Ryanair both fly here as well from a number of European cities.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

Air Slovakia and Sky Europe have a number of domestic flights. Most flights fly to and from Bratislava.

By Train

The http://www.zsr.sk/Railways of the Slovak Republic operates a network of railways in the country.
Most trains depart from Bratislava and there are more expensive daily express train linking cities further east.

By Car

Slovakia's road network is in a good condition and from motorways to secondary rural roads are all paved, although some rural ones might be potholed after severe winters.The main route runs from Bratislava to Presov and Kosice, via Kralovany and Poprad.
You can rent cars from several international and local companies at major airports and cities and you need a national driver's licence. Bring proof of ownership when importing your own car.

By Bus

BBDS is one of the major bus companies in the country, but there are lots more. Most of them have several daily departures to almost all bigger cities and towns in the country as well as more regional and local departures to smaller villages.

By Boat

Slovak Shipping & Ports operates ships on the Danube. There are also leisurely yachting trips on the river and a few regular passenger ferries.

Red Tape

If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you may enter without any restriction as per your EU citizenship rights. If you are not an EU citizen, you will need to obtain a Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

Money

See also: Money Matters

The currency of Slovakia is the Slovak Koruna (SKK). One koruna is divided into 100 halier. Slovak banknotes come in 20 Sk, 50 Sk, 100 Sk, 200 Sk, 500 Sk, 1000 Sk and 5000 Sk. Coins are in denominations of 50 h, 1 Sk, 2 Sk, 5 Sk and 10 Sk.

Slovakia will switch their currency to the Euro on 1 January 2009.

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