SLOVAKIA – General information

For many  scandinavian and non-scandinavian tourists, Slovakia is a still an unknown holiday country. Lack of information, insufficient publicity and advertising abroad might be main reasons why it is still a country to be discovered and explored.

Slovakia as a tourist destination can be recommended for all age groups with various interests.

Slovakia is a relatively small country. Its area of 49.038 km2 can be compared with the size of Denmark, Baltic States or Switzerland. What population figures concerns, with 5 million inhabitants belongs Slovakia among such countries like Denmark, Finland, Norway or Croatia.

Slovaks are ca. 86% of the total population. The national minorities represent ca 14% of Slovakia’s inhabitants: Hungarians form 10%, Gypsies 2%, Czechs 1% and other nationalities 1%.

Slovakia can be characterised mainly as a Catholic country. The religion has still its place and significance in society life. More than 65% of population adhere to the Roman-Catholic, the rest to other Christian non-Catholic Churches. (Among them) the Evangelical of Augsburg confession and Greek Catholic and Orthodox are the most numerous and important churches.

Slovakia is a Central European country and moreover it is an inland country without access to the sea – the closest is the Adriatic Sea (only 361 km). Although Slovakia is a little country, it offers many tourist attractions. It has rich, various and colourfully nature: mountains of Alpine rigorous character, sunny and fertile lowlands, extensive and dense forest and meadows, carst canyons, caves and abysses, highland lakes, grand rivers, waterfalls and mineral springs. World of nature is inhabited by over 2400 original plants and more than 40.000 animal species (bears, European bison, chamois). Total surface of protected areas, national parks and preserves exceeds 9.500 km2. Carpathians are the largest mountains in Slovakia and the High Tatras mountains situated in the northern part of the country - alongside the border with Poland - are the most popular one. The High Tatras are the smallest Alpine high mountains in Europe, but here you will find the highest peak in Slovakia – Gerlachovsky stit (2654 meters above sea level).

Slovak caves and under earth carst formations are considered to be unique in the world. There are more than 400 carst caves throughout the country - mainly in the Slovak Carst National Park that stretches over the largest carst area in Central Europe. Twelve best-known caves, among them two ice caves, are open to the public.

Slovakia has numerous curative mineral springs and thermal water. In the course of 19th century those healing waters were the basis for spas town development. Today the Slovak spas town are taking up traditions of natural medicine treatment and offer complete wellness services to more and more local as well as foreign guests coming to this places to search for health, relax and beauty.

Slovakia is a country with rich cultural heritage. It can be seen in the medieval towns, romantic castles and ruins, magnificent manor houses and archaeological sites. Moreover during its long over 1000 year-old history this country situated between the Tatras mountains and the Danube river was submitted to different culture influences: Hungarian, Czech, German-Austrian as well as Orthodox-Ukrainian. Some of Slovak historical jewels - picturesque 14th century old mining towns Kremnica, Banska Stiavnica and Bardejov are on the UNESCO list. There are many others historical places as for example Levoca town with the highest Gothic main altar in the world (18,6 m). Over 100 castle ruins situated on the rock or in the mountains are also typical for Slovakia.

The rich culture heritage is left not only in numerous castles and manor houses of Hungarian or German noblemen or bourgeois, but also in varied genuine folk architecture and folk art. In typical Slovak villages Vlkolinec and Cicmany you can admire masterpieces of beautiful decorated wooden houses. Worth to see are wooden churches built mainly in the northern and eastern part of the country (the best-known are Greek Catholic and Orthodox wooden churches).

Additional facts:

Capital: Bratislava (449. 500)
Other large cities: Kosice (242.000), Presov (93.400), Nitra (87.500)
Language: Slovak
Government: Parliamentary Republic
Administrative Divisions: 8 regions
Economy: Industry – chemical products, machines, automobiles,
GDP per capita: 13,300 USD
Currency: 1 EUR = 100 cents
Area: 49 035 km²
Population density: 109,9 people per km²
Population: 5 430 000 /from 2003/