Have you ever heard about the crazy Easter customs in Slovakia which include guys pouring a bucket of cold water on girls and getting money or chocolate in return? Keep reading and all secrets will be revealed!  But before we get to the part where we discuss the true origins of the well-known “Ice bucket challenge“, let’s put you in the picture about the basic traditions of a Slovak Easter.

Easter is the most significant Christian holiday. Because it is a moveable holiday, its date changes every year. In Slovakia we celebrate Easter for 5 days – from Thursday until Monday. Every day has its name and importance: Holly Thursday (Green Thursday); Good Friday (Big Friday); Holy Saturday (White Saturday); Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Prior to the Easter we have 40 days of fasting which end on the Good Friday. During these days people should avoid meat. Good Friday is the biggest fast days of all. You can also do a symbolic fasting during which you stay of something you really enjoy – chocolate, alcohol, cigarettes, or favorite pc game.

by DRHURD.com

When the fast is over…

As any other Slovak holiday, Easter is also connected with the specific dishes, drinks, habits and superstitions. Preparations for the biggest day of the year starts on Green Thursday. Ladies in the house are busy cooking and baking all types of the Easter goodies. The foods most typical for the Easter are Paska bread, egg cheese – Hrudka, smoked pork ham (of lamb), bacon and sausages, hard boiled eggs and various pastries. Who cooks what and how is really different in every family. Most of the times it’s mothers teaching their daughters the secret recipes. The daughters adjust them a bit and introduce them to the new generation. Same dishes have different names based on the region.

by kosicednes

On White Saturday, housewives take a sample of everything they have prepared, put it in the wooden basket and go to church to get their work blessed. Blessing of the Easter Food Baskets on Holy Saturday or Easter morning is a tradition among Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian Central and Eastern European nations. Food from the basket can’t be eaten until the Easter Monday and it traditionally becomes Easter breakfast for the family. Typical basket should include Paska bread, egg cheese – Hrudka, smoked pork ham (of lamb), bacon and sausages, butter, hard boiled eggs, various pastries bottle of wine, bit of salt and candle that gets lighten up during the blessing process.

Easter decorations

Before we move to the actual Easter habits Slovaks practice on Easter Monday, I have to mention our Easter decorations. To decorate your house before Easter is equally important like the cooking. It’s mostly women who decorate. Symbols of Easter in Slovakia are lamb, small bunnies, little yellow chicks and painted egg shells called “kraslice” (sg. kraslica). Baby animals are pagan symbols of spring and new life – end of night and beginning of day (end of winter and beginning of the spring).

Kraslica is an eggshell with two small holes on the two sides of it. The egg inside has been blown out of the shell. The techniques for decorating the eggs are different: the ornament is drawn with melted wax, the egg is then painted, the wax melts and then on the color background there is a white ornament left. To master this skill you need to practice. Today it’s mostly our grandmothers who decorate eggs in this way. When I was a kid, I painted my kraslice with the water colors and the final touch ups consisted of glitter.

Picture of “kraslice” by Tady

There are two more flowers, rather bushes, and one tree associated with our Easter decorations and Easter itself. The bushes are called “zlatý dážd” (golden rain) and “bahniatka.” People collect the branches and put them in the water. Then they hang their kraslice and other decorations on them. The tree associated with the Easter is willow. Men use willow branches to make “korbáč.“ They use it later on Easter Monday to whip single girls. Yes, I really meant to say whip.

Easter Monday is considered to be the most important Christian holiday – the day of Christ’s  resurrection. As a native born Slovak it has never crossed my mind that there is something special about the way we celebrate the Resurrection Day. It was the horrified looks of my foreign friends when I explained our habits.

Ladies, watch out! It’s Easter Monday

On Monday morning girls have to get up early in order to avoid being splashed with bucket of water in their beds. Then they have make sure that have enough dry clothes ready in order to survive more water splashing and whipping with korbac. Yes, on Easter Monday Slovak women and girls get splashed and whipped. The water splashing tradition is called “Oblievacka” and the whipping part is named “sibacka.” It’s the day hated by women and loved by men

by Bystricoviny.sk

Every single lady needed to get splashed in order to stay healthy and beautiful for the whole next year. The tradition is most visible in the villages, where people tend to honor our national heritage more. Guys had to start very early if they wanted to go through the whole village until noon, because splashing in the afternoon wasn’t polite. They dress up in the national costumes and visit all their cousins, aunts, sisters. On the way through the village they have fun and sing. Once they arrive to the girl’s house, they pull out all the single women out of the house and splash them. Girls, obviously, put some fight into it, so the scene looks like two guys are hold a poor thing while the third, fourth, fifth, etc. splashes her with bucket of water (if they have some mercy they put warm water in).

In the cities guys also visit their relatives. However they tend to move around in smaller groups and wear normal clothes. They don’t carry buckets, just very stinky perfumes J Some often just shower girl in the shower. After the oblievacka and sibacka, women reward men with sweets, fruit, money, painted Easter eggs, or ribbon for their korbac. While it is not required to give Easter eggs to visiting males on Easter Monday, only a few men will leave the house without a drink or small refreshment.

Many people would think that this tradition is humuliating for women without experiencing it. Actually, Allan Stevo, a traveller from Chicago living in Slovakia grabbed the essence of this tradition quite well:

I do not agree with this tradition being called humiliating. I know people who do not like it and therefore decide not to follow it. In the worst case scenario there is still the option of not opening the door. I can ensure everyone reading this that nobody will break inside somebody else’s residence and make them follow this tradition by force. Also please note, as I mentioned in the beginning, only good friends and family members visit each other nowadays, so it also cannot happen that random girl walking down the alley is attacked by “water thugs”.

You can read more on his blog: 10 Videos that You Might Not Like – The Sibacka Captured on Film

When I was younger I always looked forward Easter. I prepared goodies with my mum and painted egg’s shells with my dad. He even showed me how to make a korbac. I really enjoyed all the water-splashing, whipping and the overall atmosphere. I come from a big family and all my cousins and uncles payed me visit. Also my friends and classmates always showed up. I loved the attention. I ran around the house, played a little hide and seek with the visitors. As I grew older I’ve become less fan of it. However these days, when I live abroad, I’ve re-discover the beauty of our traditions and habits. This year I come home for Ester after a long time. I even take my Dutch boyfriend with me. He can’t wait for fun he is going to have splashing me, my mum and all my female friends

As you can see, it’s not the hidden Easter eggs and cute chocolate bunnies that make our Easter traditions so unique. Today’s Easter Monday divides people into two groups – those who love it (obviously mostly guys) and those who wouldn’t mind skipping all the fuzz around it (all the single ladies). Honestly, I don’t know who came up with all the whipping and splashing  and why it’s so different from all the other Easter celebrations. It must have something to do with some old pagan customs Slavic people used to have before the Christianisation. Truth is that all the whipping and splashing is responsible for some of my greatest childhood memories which I am going to remember my whole life. And I guess it was worth getting a little  bit wet.

If you think you would like to know more about the traditions in Slovakia come and visit us! Take a look at the tour Folk Traditions; or plan your own tailor-made tour and learn more about this fabolous country!

The post Do not visit Slovakia during Easter before you read this! appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.

Love. 4 simple letters that can change your life. Love is universal. Feeling described by the word love hits everyone the same. The hormones produced by your body are the same. When you are in love it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. It’s only the manifestation of your love that is based on your culture and background.

Slovak love is the same like American, Turkish, Spanish, Eskimo or Swahili. However, our customs and traditions to express our feeling are bit different and unique. Today we live in the gender equality era. Rules between girls and guys, guys and guys or girls and girls got mixed up. The boundaries and etiquette are long gone and it’s up to you how you say “I love you” – “ľúbim ťa.”

Our grandparents and their grandparents lived in a different world. They lived according to the unspoken social rules based mostly on Catholicism. I would say the general rule for expressing love in Slovak is, or used to be, that it’s up to a guy. Girls usually passively waited to be picked out of the crowd. I can’t say that adultery or pre-marital sex didn’t  happen, of course it did. We are just people. But without ever present social media, cameras and smartphones, it was easier to keep it a secret.

by J.Kvaltinova

Love superstitions

Because single young girls didn’t have many choices to present their feelings openly, they did various rituals to influence their love of life or to find a perfect match. Some of the rituals were supposed to predict when and if they get married, other how their future husband will look like, etc. Note that being singe girl after 20 was a huge problem and shame for the family.

A special chapter of love superstitions is dedicated to Christmas. Christmas/Winter equinox was a magical time of the year not just for Christians, but also for pagans who lived in Slovakia before them.

4^th December – Day of St. Barbara – On St. Barbara’s Day, single girls were supposed to get a branch from a cherry tree. In order for magic to happen, they needed to water it early in the morning every day with fresh water transported from the source to the brunch in their mouth. This wasn’t always handy because springs with a fresh water or local wells were not close to the house. When the cherry tree bloomed on Christmas day the girls were supposed the get married soon. Girls who couldn’t pick or decide in between marriage offers got more branches and gave them names of boys. The one that bloomed showed the name of the future Mr. Right.

13^th December – Day of St. Lucia (Lucy) – On St. Lucy’s Day single girls got an apple they kept until the Christmas night. They bite into the apple every day until 24^th December midnight. With their last bite at midnight, they were supposed to see the name of the future groom in front of them. A modern representation of the habit is to write names of 13 boys on 13 separate pieces of paper. Then fold the papers and burn one of them every day (without looking at the names) until Christmas. The name on the last paper was the name of your future husband.

Christmas Night and Christmas Day are also rich for the old superstitions. Single girls were supposed to leave the house for a walk during preparation of the Christmas dinner. The man they meet on the walk is supposed to be their perfect match. Fasting was another way how to get Mr. Perfect. Stricter the fasting better the husband. Another tip for a solo lady was to peel an apple and throw the apple skin behind you in the corner. The letter the apple skin reminds the most, was the first letter in the name of the upcoming fiancée.

Early in Spring girls made little flower wreaths and tossed them into rivers. Whoever picked the wreath was supposed to marry the girl who made it. I really wonder how this one worked out cause the wreaths unusually traveled quite far away. Person who picked them, if any, must have no clue how they got into water.

Last calendar day of Autumn – 30^th November – St. Ondrej (Andrew) – had also magical power for young single ladies. At midnight before St. Andrew’s Day a girl went to knock on a chicken shelter (a place where you keep chickens at night) and ask if she is going to get married. If she hears a cock (male chicken) first, she will get married and if she hears a hen first, poor thing is supposed to come next year again. Another habit associated with St. Andrew is that girls baked fresh bread and put a piece of it in front of a dog. The piece eaten as the first by dog showed which girl is gonna get married first.

Expressions of love and engagement

Once a guy picked his bride it was time to show it. And wait if the loved one’s family will accept his offer.

Early in the spring boys go to the forest where they cut down a tree, mostly a young birch. They decorate the tree with long and colourful ribbons and build it up in front of the girl’s house. The tree is called Máj. This was done every night before the first day of May. If the tree stood crooked than it was a shame for a girl’s family as well for a guy who build it. On 1^st May groups consisted of local musicians and young single boys visited every house with the Máj built night before. They danced with every girl in the house and as a reward they received some booze.

by P.Ďurčo

If the guy likes a girl, he also asked for her bloomed cherry brunch and wore it on his hat. He also could have asked for another little gift, like a flower or flock of hair he then wore on his clothes.

Once the guy decided he wants to marry a girl, his family sent an elder family member to the house of a future bride. If he came back with a positive answer it was time to celebrate. This was not any official engagement, it was more a private try out that was supposed to save you a public humiliation in the case the bride family says no. And yup, parents had a strong word in their daughter’s marriage choice.

Once the families agreed upon marriage, the groom’s family visited the bride’s family where they set up the rules and agreed upon “terms and conditions.” Mostly they just divided money and property among the families. In this part young couple didn’t play a big role. It was the parents talk. This meeting took place a week after the initial contact from the groom’s elderly.

by Z.Skalička

Once the money was divided it was finally time for the proper engagement. Finally, we can talk about the actual  wedding associated traditions and some kind of celebrations. For the engagement lunch or dinner, close family members were invited. It always took place in the house of the bride. The young couple exchanged rings. It can happen that only a bride receives a ring, but usually a groom gets some kind of gift as well (ring, watch, necklace, etc.) Young groom officially asked parents of the girl for her hand and thanked them for taking care of her. He also thanks his own parents. Once everybody agrees, a young couple asks for blessings from both parents, bride’s and groom’s. After the engagement, the couple goes to the church where they announce their plans to the priest. Three following Sundays, the priest announces upcoming marriage during Sunday masses and asks the village people if they know about any issues that could stop the marriage. If no one shows up, the couple is free to get married after 3 weeks from the engagement.

by hellomagazine

Wedding traditions vary from region to region. They are so broad that they would need to be described in a separate post.

From the girl perspective, there is something magical about our grandpas’ chivalry and old fashioned etiquette. Young people knew what to expect, how to react and also had an idea about what’s going to happen. Today we live in a socially undefined era and young girls don’t have a stable ground to stand on. Will he call? If yes, what should I say? On the other hand, we are free to date various partners and learn from our mistakes. We also can pick our partners based on feelings and not on money (at least in my case) ?

As I said at the beginning, love is universal. It’s a state of mind that turns your world upside down. To be in love is a wonderful feeling and I wish you all to experience it at least once in a life. So if you have someone special in your life, don’t forget to cherish him/her and enjoy the time you can spend together!

Happy Valentine!

The post Funny Slovak Superstitions about Love and Marriage appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.

You would say that Christmas starts on 24/25 Dec. But that’s not entirely true for Slovakia. Because most of the Slovaks are Christians, our Christmas starts 4 weeks ago, to be more exact 4 Sundays before the actual Christmas eve. This period is called Advent. Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning “coming”.

by bystricoviny

During this period we prepare various Christmas decorations we will use later, bake gingerbread and other types of pastry, deep-clean houses (traditional period of cleaning windows and curtains :p ) and if you are a true  Christian believer you also go to church to get confession, so you can welcome baby Jesus with a clean soul. All the parties, weddings, big celebrations are postponed during this expectation period. There are of course some exceptions to this rule.  Very typical for this period is so-called Advent calendar or Advent wreath. Most of the time it is a wreath decorated with 4 candles. Every Sunday prior to the Xmas Eve, for the period of the 4 following Sundays, one candle is burned.

It’s also the time when cities and towns start to prepare for Christmas. They put on decoration, Christmas lighting and organize Christmas markets. December is a very cold month and you need some mulled wine and warm punch to keep yourself fit. It also gets dark pretty early, so nice afternoon walk through the Christmas market with all those lights and some nice booze will set you into the mood for some Xmas shopping.

by nitralive

Slovak Christmas lasts three days. We celebrate from 24^th until 26th . We also receive our presents at 24^th, on the Christmas Eve after the dinner. Tradition is that we build up our Christmas tree on 23th Dec, but these days everybody is busy and people build up the tree usually the weekend before Christmas Eve. Some families with small kids build up their trees on the night from 23^rd  to 24^th. So when the children wake up in the morning they have a special surprise from Baby Jesus. And yeah, our gifts get delivered by the baby Jesus, not by the Santa Claus ? And yes, none of the kids ever questioned the fact how can a baby deliver the presents. It’s all just part of the Christmas magic.

by najmama

There is one more thing you can’t forget before the Christmas Eve. Buy a carp. Carp is a traditional fish we eat on Christmas. But it’s a tradition, not an obligation. A lot of people end up eating a different kind of fish. Before Christmas, you can buy live carp in a lot of supermarkets and on open door markets. You bring this poor thing home and keep it in your bath until the dinner time. Your kids get excited from new fish and they name little “Nemo”. They take baths together, feed it until one day little Nemo gets cooked and served ?

by jancigovci

24^th December – Christmas Eve: It’s my  most favorite day of the  whole year. Since morning mums are busy in the kitchen cooking Christmas soup – kapustnica and making the mayonnaise potato salad. There are many variations to the soup. Some people make mushroom soup other make sour lentil soup. Rest of the family either help or just fool around and try to find something yummy to eat. You are not supposed to eat the whole day, so you can enjoy the Christmas dinner (See the golden pig). But with all that cooking you usually grab little something to eat anyway. TV is full of Christmas movies and radio plays Christmas songs all day long. Christmas Eve is celebrated together with the family. Parents, grandparents, kids, uncles, cousins will sit behind one table and enjoy this special feast.

by nfkms

Generally, our Christmas dinner consists of some starter, soup made of cabbage and mushroom and fish with a mayonnaise potato salad. It’s food that gets cooked only once a year and everyone looks forward to it. These dinners and recipes have many variations, depends on the region and family traditions.

Some of the families set one extra plate on the table for all the loved who are not among us anymore. Some put coins under the plates on the table, to have prosperous next year. Other families cut and share an apple, so they can meet in like this again. Some families pray, some don’t.

Back in the days, people were more superstitious and followed more traditions. On Christmas night, you could predict who will die or if someone in the family gets married. Also, the dinner looked differently. In the poorer regions, it consisted of the simple soup, richer people also got fish on their tables. Only the kids in the richest families received gifts.

by partnersgroup

After the dinner head of the family (usually the father/grandfather) goes to the living room where it’s the Christmas tree. Everyone else waits until the head of the family puts the gifts under the tree. Then he rings the bell and the rest of the family is allowed to enter the room as well. Then we open our presents. People with older kids who grew up from the baby Jesus phenomena arrange the gifts under the tree before the dinner, so they have less work later.

Rest of the evening we spend talking, having deserts, watching TV and just enjoying each other company. Kids spend their evening playing with new toys. Some people go to the church at midnight so they can sing together beautiful Christmas songs.

25^th December – Christmas Day: Everybody gets up late after the night full of digesting that yummy food from last night dinner. Nobody hurries up. Today it’s the day you visit your families and friends, come together an wish each other Merry Christmas.

In villages, groups of youngsters get together, dress up in folk costumes and walk around the village and sing Christmas songs and wishes. They stop in every village house where they get treated with pastry, lot of food and tapas and of course alcohol. Many people also go to church again. They pray together and celebrate that Baby Jesus got born.

by katgymbs

26^th December – Second Christmas Day: The second Christmas Day is very familiar to the first one. We mostly spend it with families and friends, finishing all the food from the Christmas Eve. The biggest difference is, that the ban of the parties is lifted. In many cities and villages, St. Stephan parties are organized.

Personal experience: Since I live abroad, I don’t get to see my family that often as I would like to. That’s why are these traditions and moments with loved ones so precious to me. On 24^th Dec my parents cook together the Christmas dinner. We have cabbage soup with forest mushroom and pork sausage. We don’t eat carp, rather have fillets. It’s my job to prepare the Christmas table, we always use special dishes, napkins, etc. I hide coins under each plate to make sure we all be rich next year (never works, but it’s a cute tradition). Dinner starts with a prayer, after which we all  eat a piece of garlic that is supposed to keep us a healthy whole year. After that, we have special round wafers with honey. That one is followed by the soup and then fish with the salad.

After the dinner, my dad goes to the living room to open the window for the baby Jesus and once the baby leaves we can come in and open the presents. Following days, we spend visiting families and friends and celebrating together. I always get like 5 extra kg from all the “super healthy” food, but I would never change a thing!

Merry Christmas  everybody!

The post Slovak Christmas Traditions appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.

1. Spiš Castle

This medieval castle was built in 12th century and gradually grew in size to become a political, economic and cultural centre of the region. Unfortunately, the castle complex was destroyed by fire in 1780 and the ruins have never been restored to its original appearance. Covering about 41 thousand square meters it belongs to the biggest castles in Europe. Movies such as Dragonheart, The Lion in Winter or The Last Legion were shot right here. Due to its historical significance, Spiš Castle was inscribed in UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. You can visit this castle during the UNESCO one-day trip from High Tatras.

2. Bojnice Castle

The earliest mention of Bojnice castle dates from the 12th century. This castle was for many years owned by kings and aristocrats. The reconstruction in the 17th century brought the castle its romantic appearance. Now it is one of the most visited castles in Slovakia. This increasing popularity attracted many international filmmakers and a number of romantic, fairytale and fantasy films such as Fantagiro were shot right here. Under the ground is a large cave complex available for visitors during guided tours.

by Pudelek

3. Orava Castle

It’s surprising where the aristocrats from the Orava region decided to build the majestic Orava Castle. The highest part of the citadel is on a steep rocky limestone cliff 112 m above the Orava River. The first mention of Orava Castle can be found in the historical records in 1267 when it was declared as a royal property. Unfortunately, the castle complex was destroyed by a huge fire back in 1800. The largest reconstruction and restoration began after the WWII and nowadays the castle is one of the most visited attractions in Slovakia. Considering the value and specificity of the architecture, Orava Castle was named a site of national cultural heritage.

by Wojsyl

4. Bratislava Castle

The massive rectangular building with four towers stands on a strategic place – right above the Danube river in the capital city of Slovakia. Known as the symbol of Bratislava, the castle is undoubtedly the most popular sight in the city you should definitely visit during your stay in Slovakia. The first known inhabitants on the castle hill were Celts and Romans and the castle itself used to serve as a defensive fortification to protect against the enemies. Bratislava and its castle became a crucial part of the Hungarian and Austrian Empire. The castle was completely ruined by a fire back in 1811 and reconstructed in 1960’s to become a national cultural monument.

by K. Bauschardt

5. Stará Ľubovňa Castle

This castle is located in the eastern Slovakia, right above the town holding the same name, Stará Ľubovňa. Before you enter the castle, don’t forget to visit the open-air museum of the folk architecture under the walls of the castle. The castle was built at the beginning of the 14th century and it is open for visitors all the year round.

by Civertan

6. Trenčín Castle

Trenčín Castle was built on a settlement site, which existed here in the Bronze age. Celts, Germanic and Slavic tribes used to live on this place hundreds of years ago. The oldest building in the castle complex is a pre-Romanesque rotunda dated approximately from the period of the Great Moravia. The castle museum displays a huge collection of medieval weapons such as Gothic swords, sabres, oriental guns and rifles.

by M.Béreš

7. Smolenice Castle

It takes only one hour of driving to reach Smolenice Castle from the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava. The castle is perched above the village of Smolenice and the first mention dates from the 14th Century. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19 Century, the castle waited for a long time to be reconstructed. The restoration finished in 1950 and the castle became a property of Slovak Academy of Science. The building is mostly used for organization of scientific conferences, weddings and some parts of the castle are open for public visitors.

by K. Bauschardt

8. New Castle in Banská Štiavnica

The town of Banská Štiavnica is in its entirety inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of the curiosities of the town is the fact, that two castles are located in the town – the Old Castle and the New Castle. The New Castle was built in 16th Century as a main fortress against the Turks invading the region. The castle with 21 cannons became a part of signaling equipment used to inform about the approaching enemies.

by J. Korom

9. Devín Castle

Standing above the junction of Danube and Morava rivers, Devín castle has always played a big role in the history of the country. Thanks to its location and being very easy to reach from the historical centre of Bratislava, Devín Castle is regularly visited by many tourists all the year round.  The castle was destroyed by Napoleon’s army in 1809 and its ruins remind the turbulent history of battles and raids.

by K. Bauschardt

10. Strečno Castle

You simply cannot overlook the Strečno Castle on a steep rock cliff when you drive from Žilina to Martin in the Northern Slovakia. The castle offers marvelous panoramic views upon the river Váh and the surrounding valley. The ruins of the castle destroyed in 17th Century are open for public from April to November.

by J. Korom

11. Beckov Castle

This castle in ruins dating from the 13th century is located in Western Slovakia, in Trenčín region. An important route led here in medieval times. The castle is one of the few castles that survived the attacks of Turks and Tartar troops.

by K. Kapoutsis

12. Budatín Castle

Budatín castle was built to guard the confluence of rivers Váh and Kysuca where tolls used to be collected. This royal fortress from 13th Century can be found near Žilina, in Northern Slovakia.

by J. Korom

13. Krásna Hôrka Castle

This castle from 13th Century was extensively damaged by fire in March 2012. The fire was accidentally caused by two young boys attempting to light up a cigarette. They lit grass on the hill and the fire spread to the castle. Fortunately, the majority of castle treasures and collections remained undamaged, but the fire destroyed the roofs, bells in the tower and the exhibition in the Gothic palace. The castle is closed for public due to its reconstruction.

by J. Korom

14. Čachtice Castle

Have you heard about the world’s most sadistic female serial killer, Elisabeth Bathory? Remembered as “The Blood Countess” or “Countess Dracula”, Elisabeth was said to be a murderess of more than 650 victims. Some stories claim that Elisabeth had a routine of bathing in the blood of the virgins as a part of her beauty regimen. Čachtice castle was the seat of Elisabeth and its nowadays a perfect place for those who love mystical places.

by LMih

15. Nitra Castle

The city of Nitra was a metropolis of the Great Moravia Empire during the 9th Century. The castle right above the city dates from 11th Century and consists of four parts – the cathedral, the Bishop’s palace, the outbuildings and the well-preserved outer fortification walls with bastions.

by Xmetov

Would you like to visit Slovakia and see some of these castles? Take a look at the tour Highlights of Slovakia; or plan your own tailor-made tour and include those castles which you like the most in your personal itinerary!

The post 15 Amazing Castles You Must Definitely See! appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.

1. World’s highest number of castles and chateaux per capita

This is one of the most interesting facts about Slovakia that surprises travellers who have never visited Slovakia. Just imagine an incredible number of 180 castles and 425 chateaux in a country with the entire population far smaller than the city of New York! The most popular castles such as Bratislava castle, Orava castle or Bojnice castle draw thousands of visitors every year. The real highlight amongst Slovak castles is undoubtedly medieval Spiš Castle, which belongs to the largest castles in the Central Europe and was included in the UNESCO List of World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage.

by Pudelek

2. More than 6000 caves

Yes, it’s true. More than six thousand caves have been discovered in Slovakia so far! Most spectacular caves can be found in the national parks of Low Tatras, Slovak Paradise and Slovak Karst. Many of them  represent  unique natural wonders. Ochtinska Aragonite Cave  is the only one aragonite cave located in Europe and a huge 34 m high sinter column in Krasnohorska cave is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

by Paweł Kuźniar

3. First reservation of folk architecture in the world

The picturesque village of Čičmany in Northern Slovakia has a status of world’s first reservation of folk architecture. Surrounded by mountains the village is famous especially for its traditional wooden houses. The walls of these timber houses are decorated with white geometrical patterns, same shapes can be found on the folk costumes of the villagers. More than 130 houses belong to the historic preservation area.

by Mr. Theklan

4. The only capital in the world bordering two countries

The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, lies on the borders with Austria and Hungary. That makes the city the only one capital in the world that borders two independent countries. Moreover, Austrian capital Vienna is distant only 60 km! Both cities are stretched on the banks of Danube river and the boat cruise from Vienna to Bratislava takes only 90 minutes.

by Charlie

5. Currency = Euro (€)

Slovakia is not only a member of the European Union but also belongs to the Eurozone countries. In 2009, the Slovak Koruna (SKK) was retired from circulation after 16 years of using and replaced by a new currency – Euro (EUR). All surrounding countries except Austria use their own currencies, what gives Slovakia a big advantage for foreign tourists.

by Edroeh

6. Geographical midpoint of Europe

Near the village Kremnické Bane in Slovakia, right next to the St. John Baptist Church, is located the geographical midpoint of Europe. Unfortunately, due to the different types of calculations, Slovakia is not the only country which is proud of its geographical middle of Europe. Another 7 European villages claim to host this hypothetical midpoint as well. Famous recreational site in the ski resort Krahule near the village Kremnické Bane is named ‚The Centre of Europe‘.

by Fefeha

7. Travelling by train for free

Since November 2014 all children, full-time students less than 26 years old, widowed or disabled pensioners under 62 and seniors 62 and older are eligible to travel by train for free using the national railways. It is available only for citizens or permanent residents of countries that are member states of the European Union. All you need is a quick registration at cash desks to obtain your personal customer card. Afterwards, you ask for a zero-fare ticket for a specific train and enjoy the ride.

by Kurt Bauschardr

8. Remarkably diverse nature

Slovakia with  its 9 national parks and 14 protected landscape areas is literally a paradise for tourists. No trip to Slovakia would be complete without a visit to the wonderful mountains of High Tatras with peaks over 2500 m and glacier lakes that have been formed thousands of years ago. Other spectacular places are undoubtedly Slovak Paradise with its wild canyons, Low Tatras with lush alpine meadows and beautiful valleys in Little Fatra and Pieniny.

by gcnmrk5ii

9. More than 1300 mineral springs

Slovakia has incredible sources of mineral water and healing thermal springs. Most of them are actively used for therapeutic and recreation purposes within 21 spa resorts. While, for example, the US thermal springs are mostly viewed as the luxury and they are generally expensive, Slovakia’s spa resorts and aquaparks are affordable thanks to their long-lasting traditions. Romans, Celts and also famous Ludwig van Beethoven visited spa town of Piešťany to enjoy the healing effects of town’s thermal water.

by Bubamara

10. The highest wooden altar in the world

Old medieval town of Levoča is a home of the highest wooden altar in the world. This remarkable work was created by Master Paul. It is located in Church of St. James right in the historical centre of Levoča. 18,6 m high and 6 m wide altar was made without the use of a single nail! The entire town centre is also included in the List of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

by Lure

BONUS: One of  the most beautiful women in the world

According to U City Guides, Slovakia belongs to the top 3 countries with most beautiful women in the world. They even argue that the country can be especially proud of the grace the Slovak blondes were born with. There is probably nobody who visit Slovakia and is not excited about the natural charm of Slovak women. Walk around Bratislava and you’ll see why the women get so much attention!

by Georges Biard

The post DID YOU KNOW? 10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SLOVAKIA appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.

1. Undiscovered wilderness

Slovakia is the land of unlimited natural treasures. Explore high mountains with hidden caves, lakes and romantic canyons surrounded by the scenery of jungles and waterfalls. All of these places have remained undiscovered and not yet overcrowded with tourists. Visit national parks for more information about Slovak nature.

2. Living traditions

Tired of city life? Slow down, sit and listen – it’s the best way to enjoy Slovakia’s rich cultural heritage. Visit historical mining towns and sheep farms. Taste regional meals and wines. Live in wooden houses, drift down the rivers in old rafts and encounter locals who are proud of their traditions. Join Time for Slovakia’s guided tour of folk traditions and try all of them in one week.

by Andrij Bulba

3. Communist history

Experience fascinating contrasts of Slovak history in 20th century, when the country was a part of Czechoslovakia under the strong influence of Soviet Union. The socialist architecture with old-fashioned hotels, residential areas, monumental building and squares lurks around every corner. Would you like to travel in time and imagine the life of the people during the communist era? Check out this fantastic communism tour.

by Jorge Láscar

4. Slovak castles and churches

Slovakia with its 180 castles, 425 chateaux and more than 5 000 churches – that’s a living example of country’s fascinating history in the heart of Europe. Each castle has a long history of battles, disasters, myths and heroes. Many of Slovakia’s wooden churches have been inscribed in UNESCO List of Cultural Heritage. Read more about other highlights of Slovakia.

by Pudelek

The post IT’S TIME TO VISIT SLOVAKIA appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.