Slovakia

The Slovak alphabet has 46 letters. The employment of diacritics alters the sound of letters and words. When you visit Slovakia and want to start and maintain a simple conversation, try the following phrases:

Hello. Dobrý deň. (DOH-bree deñ)
How are you? Ako sa máte? (AH-koh sah MAA-teh?)
Well, thanks. Ďakujem, dobre. (JAH-koo-yehm DOH-breh)
What is your name? Ako sa voláte? (AH-koh sah VOH-laa-tyeh)
My name is ______ . Volám sa______ . (VOH-laam sah_____.)
Pleased to meet you. Teší ma. (TYEH-shee mah)
Please. Prosím.(PROH-seem)
Thank you. Ďakujem.(JAH-koo-yehm)
You’re welcome. Prosím. (PROH-seem) Nie je za čo. (NYEE_eh yeh ZAH choh)
Yes. Áno. (AAH-noh) Hej (HAY) (informal)
No. Nie. (NYEE_eh)
Help! Pomoc! (POH-mohts!)
Good morning. Dobré ráno. (DOH-brehh RAA-noh)
Good afternoon. Dobrý deň. (DOH-bree deh-NYEH)
Good evening. Dobrý večer. (DOH-bree VEH-chehr)
Good night. Dobrú noc. (DOH-broo nohts)
I don’t understand. Nerozumiem.(NEH-roh-zoo-myehm)

The Slovak language is one of the more difficult languages to master. We avoid nouns and conjugate verbs. The pronunciation and spelling are the same. In Slovakia, there are language schools where you can study our language. If you are unable to locate a school in your area, you may take online language courses.

State holidays and Sundays
Most holidays and Sundays are similar, despite the fact that most people get the day off from work.

• Firm offices, state administrative offices (including post offices), and all other organizations, including schools, will be closed.
• Shopping in larger stores and shopping malls continues, even when smaller establishments sometimes close or have limited hours.
• Culture (museums and plays), recreation, and dining out all continue, sometimes with vigour.
• Hotels nearly always remain open, but if your stay includes a significant holiday, double-check.
• Travel is simple: gas stations with convenience stores are almost always open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; and public transportation in cities and between cities is available, albeit on a limited timetable.

The exception to this regulation is on Slovakia’s major holidays (an unofficial distinction): December 25 and 26, January 1, and the Easter weekend. A few stores and restaurants will remain open in most regions (at gas stations if you’re desperate), but the majority will be closed.
Slovakia observes the following holidays:

January 1st – Independence Day; New Year Day
July 5th – Holiday of Saint Cyril and Metod
August 29th –Slovak National Uprising
September 1st – Constitution day
November 17th – Day of Fight for Democracy

January 6th – Epiphany
March to April – Easter
September 15th – Our Lady of Sorrows
November 1st – All Saints’ Day
December 24th – Christmas Eve
December 25th – 1st Christmas Day
December 26th – 2nd Christmas Day

May 1st – Labor Day
May 8th – Victory over Fascism Day

August 4th – Day of Matica Slovenská

end of October – start of November – Autumn holidays
end of December – start of January – Christmas holidays
mid February – start of March – Spring holidays
end of March – start of April – Easter holidays
June 29th – September 1st – Summer holidays

To speak of Slovak culture and art is to acknowledge a tapestry of traditions, customs, and folklore, while also mentioning its staging under various regimes and the European backdrop overlaying it. Long rooted in rural life as subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and then as comrades inside a Soviet satellite state after WWII, Slovaks tried to maintain not only their language but also all the distinctive markers of their culture.

Along the process, Slovaks have embraced European artistic, intellectual, and political movements, assimilating into their specific milieu. All of these influences have left an indelible imprint on the “small large country,” providing an astounding diversity of cultural expressions with which to depict it.

Anyone interested in Slovak or Central/Eastern European culture and art will find plenty of folklore and tales, music, films, art, and literature to give the country, its people, and their issues a voice.

Slovakia is rich in gothic churches, medieval towns, horrible torture innovations, majestic mountains, and rising castles amidst pastoral agricultural settings. In such circumstances, legend after legend evolved, many of which were based on enigmatic historical characters.
Given the country’s terrain and history, it’s not surprise that various Slovak legends based on enthralling individuals have arisen. Slovakia’s numerous gothic churches, medieval cities, torture recordings, soaring mountains, and castles provide as open invitations to the imagination. However, the best legends are founded on at least a smidgeon of fact. Here are some famous historical figures who have inspired mythology.

Elizabeth Bathory, also known as the “Blood Countess,” was the daughter of prominent Hungarian aristocracy. She had practically total power because she was related to warriors, priests, and bishops. She wielded that power with a vicious passion at her castle of Cachtice, earning her the title of the world’s first female mass murderer. According to legend, after unintentionally discovering the youthful impact of blood on the skin, she began bathing in the blood of young ladies.

There are three White Ladies in Slovakia: one from Bratislava, one from Bojnice Castle, and one from Levoca. The one from Levoca is based on Julia Korponayova, who fell in love with the rebel Hungarian baron while spying for the Hapsburg emperor in Levoca, a town that was currently besieged by the Hapsburg army outside its walls. During the night, she stole his keys and let the soldiers in, resulting in the town’s destruction. This did not prevent her from dying in an untimely manner.

Janosik, known as the Slovak Robin Hood for allegedly stealing from the rich to give to the needy, is a popular figure in Slovak folk art. He inspired many legends and myths and is a persistent presence in Slovak literature. Janosik is revered by Poles for his valor as a soldier and as a symbol of resistance; yet, Janosik’s origins are in Terchova, a town in Northern Slovakia. Legends abound about him, involving his flawless character as an outlaw with a mission. One of the most well-known is Janosik’s Fist, which depicts his punishment of an arrogant despot on a boulder.

Legend has it that after King Philip of Spis Castle murdered the son of a Polish monarch, the Polish king sought vengeance by murdering King Philip’s daughter Barbora. The Polish king took the castle while Barbora and her sister Hedviga were alone in it. Hedviga jumped from the castle’s highest tower, assuming her sister was dead. Following her leap, a mystery visage appeared on a castle wall that is supposed to share a striking resemblance to Hedviga.

Other tales include The Virgin Tower, which tells the story of a knight named Nicolas whose bride died tragically after falling from a tower in Devin Castle.

Three Twigs of King Svätopluk, about the Great Moravian king’s lesson in unity and strength.

The Well of Love, which tells the story of a Turkish noble who reclaimed his love by digging a well for years until it reached water, and how his efforts were rewarded.

Bratislava Castle, with fascinating information regarding why the castle has such fascinating traits.

What better way to get a sense of Slovak life than to watch it? Here, we highlight some of the most astonishing films and filmmakers to come out of Slovakia since the Oscar-winning Shop on the High Street first hinted at the country’s incredible filmmaking skill.
If you enjoy European art-house cinema, you should pay attention to Slovak films and their many auteur filmmakers. Ignited by the worldwide New Wave movement that occurred abroad in the 1960s, Slovak and Czech directors delivered a variety of classics to world cinema while portraying a distinct setting and place.
Many creative films were made in Slovak film in the 1960s, inspiring generations of filmmakers since; these achievements are especially noteworthy given the limited context in which films were made, relying on governmental approval. (Unsurprisingly, several critically acclaimed films were prohibited at the time.)
Slovak films, with a flair for experimentation, dabbled with surrealism, magical realism, and avant-garde filmmaking techniques. Dazzling montages, theatrical approaches, puppetry (a Czech and Slovak tradition), and mime are only a few of the highlights of the best Slovak filmmaking.
Slovak filmmakers have produced a slate of films that are as poignant as they are visually appealing, beginning with the drama Shop on High Street (1966), which won an Oscar for its humane portrayal of the relationship between conscience and the pressure to go against it during WWII while the country briefly served as a German puppet state. What’s particularly fascinating here is how Slovak filmmakers frequently approach serious subjects with deftness and a sardonic sense of humor that, piece by bit, manages to capture the tone of the country.
Notable Slovak directors include:
Herz, Juraj
Sulik, Martin
Jakubisko, Juraj

Slovakia is a small country with a lot of good genes. Let us see who established a name for himself and brought glory to his motherland.

Adriana Sklenaříková –Supermodel

Andy Warhol – Artist, parents from Slovakia

Miroslav Šatan – Hockey player

Juraj Jánošík – Slovak Robin Hood

Svätopluk – King of Great Moravia

Aurel Stodola – Steam and gas turbines

Marián Hossa – Hockey player

Ondrej Nepela – Figure-skating

Timea Majorová – Steam and gas turbines

Daniela Hantuchová – Tennis

Juraj Jakubisko – Director

Ľudovít Fulla – Painter, illustrator