Climate of basins

The average annual temperature is between 5 °C and 8.5 °C. The average temperature of the hottest month is between 15 °C and 18.5 °C and the average temperature of the coldest month is between −3 °C and −6 °C. This climate can be found in almost all basins in Slovakia. For example Podtatranská kotlina, Žilinská kotlina, Turčianska kotlina, Zvolenská kotlina. It is the typical climate for the towns of Popra and Sliač.

Traditional sweets and cookies

Usually baked at Christmas time, but also all year long, Slovak traditional sweets are usually home baked and harder to find in stores.

• Laskonky: fluffy dough with walnuts and creamy filling
• Mačacie oči
• Trotle: 2 layers of cookie-like round tarts filled with chocolate cream and half-dipped in dark chocolate.
• Vajcový koňak: the equivalent of eggnog.
• Medovníčky
• Medvedie labky
• Trdelnik (desert)

Industry

Slovakia is a country poor in mineral resources. Lignite coal mined in the vicinity of the city Prievidza (3.5 million tons per year), manganese ore in the region, small quantities of iron ore, copper, mercury (Record, Slovakian Ore Mountains), antimony and magnesite (Slovakian Ore Mountains), Building stones, oil . Production of electricity at 1 amounts to about 4200 kWh per year.

Industry

Slovakia is a country poor in mineral resources. Lignite coal mined in the vicinity of the city Prievidza (3.5 million tons per year), manganese ore in the region, small quantities of iron ore, copper, mercury (Record, Slovakian Ore Mountains), antimony and magnesite (Slovakian Ore Mountains), Building stones, oil . Production of electricity at 1 amounts to about 4200 kWh per year. 2 nuclear power plants – Mochovce, Jaslovské Bohunice. Developed iron and steel (3.9 million tons of steel, 1992. Kosice) and non-ferrous metals (Banska Bystrica, Krompachy – copper, Ziar nad Hronom – aluminum, Sered ‘- nickel) and the armaments industry (tanks, heavy armored vehicles, recoilless , Munitions). The Refinery and Petrochemical converted 6.5 million tonnes per year of crude oil (Bratislava, Nováky). A number of chemical plants (fertilizers, synthetic fibers, medicines, rubber products), footwear (Partizánske, Teplice), wood (Zvolen, Vranov n. Topľou, Spisska Nova Ves, Ružomberok), Stationery. In addition, the machine (6.0 thousand. Pieces of cars, 2000. 0.6 million – refrigerators and freezers, 1992, 216 thousand. – Televisions, railway wagons, footwear and agricultural machinery, steel structures), clothing, food, the main beer ( Poprad, Topolcany), tobacco, confectionery. The largest centers of industry: Bratislava, Kosice, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Martin, Nitra.

Slovakia – Guide with tips for your holiday

Slovak Republic (short form Slovakia; officially Slovenska Republika), country in Central Europe. The Slovak Republic is bordered to the north of Poland, in the east to Ukraine, Hungary to the south and west to Austria and the Czech Republic. The Slovak Republic went on 1 January 1993 as the Czech Republic from Czechoslovakia as an independent state out. Slovakia, covers an area of 49 035 square kilometers. The country’s capital Bratislava.

Slovakia is largely a mountainous country and is pervaded by the Carpathians. The various groups such as Mountain High Tatras, Slovak and Low Tatras Erzgebirge by river basins and valleys (including Waag and Gran) separated. In the area of the High Tatras, in the north of the country, is the highest peak of Slovakia, the Gerlsdorfer peak (2 655 meters). This mountain is also the highest peaks of the Carpathians. In the east reaches the Hungarian lowlands on Slovak territory. The Danube forms part of the border with Hungary. On the northern shore of the river spreads the level of the big bulk from. In Slovakia, there are numerous natural mineral springs.

In Slovakia, there is temperate continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. After the East take the annual fluctuations in temperature. The highest annual average temperatures are around 10 ° C in the Low Countries reached. There are about 500 millimeters annual rainfall, while the much cooler mountainous regions (such as the High Tatras) to 2 000 millimeters can be achieved.

Slovakia is about 42.5 percent forested. By air pollution and acid rain is a big part of the forest damage. Firs and pines are particularly in the higher regions of the characteristic trees, while in the root zones of oak, ash and maple dominate. Larger forest areas exist in the Tatras, in the Erzgebirge and in the Carpathians. The stock of wild animals is due to pollution and deforestation greatly diminished, but in the Carpathians are still brown bears, wolves, lynx and wild cats at home. Among the striking birds of the major river valleys include ospreys, cormorants, herons and gray.

Before the 5th century

From around 500 BC, the territory of modern-day Slovakia was settled by Celts, who built powerful oppida on the sites of modern-day Bratislava and Havránok. Biatecs, silver coins with the names of Celtic Kings, represent the first known use of writing in Slovakia. From 2 AD, the expanding Roman Empire established and maintained a series of outposts around and just north of the Danube, the largest of which were known as Carnuntum and Brigetio. Near the northernmost line of the Roman hinterlands, Limes Romanus there existed the winter camp of Laugaricio (modern-day Trenčín) where the Auxiliary of Legion II fought and prevailed in a decisive battle over the Germanic Quadi tribe in 179 AD during the Marcomannic Wars. The Kingdom of Vannius, a barbarian kingdom founded by the Germanic Suebian tribes of Quadi and Marcomanni, as well as several small Germanic and Celtic tribes, including the Osi and Cotini, existed in Western and Central Slovakia from 8–6 BC to 179 AD.

Čachtice Castle

In the 17th century a mad Hungarian countess named Alžbeta Báthory (known as Bloody Liz to her mates) tortured and murdered more than 600 peasant women at Čachtice Castle (Čachtice hrad ), where she was eventually imprisoned.

Legend has it that she bathed in their blood to keep her skin young, but that’s largely been dismissed by scholars. A fire destroyed the castle in 1708 and the ruins aren’t much to look at today, but atop castle hill you have great views of the adjacent regional nature reserve and an eerie, lonely feel.

There are no roads directly to the site, so getting there is by train, and travel is a bit tricky to coordinate between the villages and towns, so check return schedules at www.zsr.sk carefully.

When to Go

May, June and September are the prime visiting months, with April and October as chillier and sometimes cheaper alternatives. Most Slovaks take their holidays in July and August when hotels and tourist sights are more than usually crowded, and hostels are chock-a-block with students, especially in the Tatras mountain resort areas. Luckily, the supply of bottom end accommodation increases in large towns during this time, as student hostels are thrown open to visitors. Centres like Bratislava and the mountain resorts cater to visitors all year round. Elsewhere, from October or November until March or April, most castles, museums and other tourist attractions, and some associated accommodation and transport, close down.

Bratislava

Bratislava (Slovak pronunciation (help·info): [ˈbracɪslava], historically known by foreign and alternative names) is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of 426,000, the country’s largest city.^[1] Bratislava is in the south-west of Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two other countries.^[2]

Bratislava is the political, cultural, and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak presidency, the parliament, and the government. It is also home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other important economic, cultural, and educational institutions.^[3] The headquarters of many of Slovakia’s large businesses and financial institutions are in Bratislava as well.

The history of the city, long known by the German name Pressburg, has been strongly influenced by various peoples, including Austrians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews and Slovaks.^[4] The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary under the Habsburg monarchy from 1536 to 1783. Bratislava was home to the Slovak national movement of the 19th century and to many Slovak, Hungarian and German historical figures.

Slovakia

Slovakia (long form: Slovak Republic; Slovak: Slovensko (help·info), long form Slovenská republika (help·info)) is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (almost 19,000 square miles). The Slovak Republic borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, OECD, WTO, and other international organizations.

The Slavic people arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia between the 5th and 6th century AD during the Migration Period (Migration of Nations). Various parts of Slovakia belonged to Samo’s Empire, the first known political unit of Slavs, Great Moravia, the Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg (Austrian) monarchy, Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia throughout history. Slovakia became independent on January 1, 1993 with the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia in the Velvet Divorce.