Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
11
Slovakia
by Mark Baker
S
lovakia's humble tourism motto, “A
Part of Europe Worth Visiting,” seems to
sum up the country's rather modest
ambitions when it comes to luring visi-
tors. Just barely a teenager—Slovakia
became an independent nation only in
1993—the country still seems unsure of
itself as a nation and what it has to offer.
But the motto surely underestimates Slo-
vakia's very winning charms. The moun-
tains, starting in the hills of the Malá
Fatra and running east to the Alpine
peaks of the High Tatras, are some of the
most starkly beautiful in Europe. And it's
unlikely that any country in Europe, or
anywhere else for that matter, has a castle
with the pure drop-dead shock value of
Spi
s
sk
;
Hrad. Slovakia's youthful capital,
Bratislava, has shed some of its hulking
Communist-era architecture and fixed up
its charming Old Town. The result is a
fun, lively, and energetic city that makes
Vienna feel fusty and overly mannered
and Prague feel forced and overly
touristed by comparison. And the Slo-
vaks' humility is part of the charm. The
rudeness or arrogance you sometimes
find in more popular destinations is
absent here. Just let slip in conversation
that you've come all the way from the
United States, or Canada, or wherever,
and the reaction you get will be nothing
short of amazement. You'll feel like a real
guest.
To be sure, you may have to put up
with some relative hardship now and
then. Standards for food and lodging,
especially off the beaten track, are a step
down from western Europe, and even per-
haps lower than you might find in the
Czech Republic or Hungary. But don't let
that deter you. Relax, enjoy the largely
unspoiled countryside, take a meal and a
glass of wine in a traditional “koliba”
restaurant, and let the natural warmth and
hospitality of the people win you over.
1 Getting to Know Slovakia
THE LAY OF THE LAND
Slovakia is a compact country, sandwiched between Austria and the Czech Republic
to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, and Hungary to the south. It
borrows a little bit from each of its neighbors. Linguistically and culturally it's closest
to the Czech Republic, with whom it shared a common state for more than 70 years.
With the Poles, the Slovaks share a deep Catholicism, and here as in Poland, you'll see
people lined up at the church door on Sunday morning. Hungary ruled over the Slo-
vaks for 1,000 years until 1918 and the Hungarian influence is still evident, if diffi-
cult to pinpoint. The easiest-to-see example might be in the cooking. The Hungarians
brought the peppers and paprika, and Slovak goulash has been the better for it ever
since. The Austrian influence is also strong but hard to describe. Vienna, for Slovaks,
