The Slovak Republic's Coat of Arms

The Slovak Republic is a picturesque country in central Europe, protected on three sides by the Carpathian Arc and washed by the waters of the Danube in the south. It is a land rich in natural beauty. The undulating relief of its terrain, with the silhouettes of hills and mountains ranges, the calm flow of rivers, the spur of the Danubian plain and the rocky ravines of the High Tatras Mountains, has shaped its inhabitants since ancient times. The population has also stamped the look of the territory during the centuries with its own cultural imprint.

Slovakia's culture, although shaped by its own history and geography, has developed in accordance with wider European movements and challenges. The territory of present-day Slovakia has been under the influence of a variety of cultural centers. At the beginning of the national history - during the Great Moravian Empire period (9th and 10th Centuries) - it was mainly Byzantium. Later, since the 10th Century, Western (mainly German) influence prevailed.

The dominance of Western culture in the Middle Ages and in modern times has been most evident in the spheres of communication (Latin was the official language of the Hungarian feudal state until the beginning of the 19th century) and art (Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist styles). Slovak national culture has developed in interaction with the cultures of the other nations in the region (German, Hungarian, Czech). It absorbed some of their values and stimuli, and provided them with some of its own.

Slovakia has a unique variety of architectural styles and traditions condensed in a small territory. Slovak, Italian and German masons and craftsmen left behind a landscape dotted with gorgeous memorials to their wit and skills.

The Spis Castle and surrounding historical area constitute one of the four World Heritage Sites in Slovakia. The Castle's Romanesque architecture of the 11th - 13th Centuries has its monuments in Western (a basilica in Diakovce and a church in Bina) as well as Eastern Slovakia (the Spis Castle and the basilica in Spisska Kapitula).

The Gothic style is broadly represented by the St. Martin Cathedral, City Hall, the Franciscan Church or the St. John’s Chapel in Bratislava. St. Elisabeth Cathedral in Kosice, castles in Zvolen and Trencin, the church and monastery in Hronsky Benadik, the chapel in Spissky Stvrtok, the church of St. Aegidius in Bardejov, as well as a score of smaller frescoed churches throughout mainly Eastern Slovakia.

The crown jewel of late Gothic figurative and decorative art in Slovakia is a 58-foot tall wooden altar in St. James Church in Levoca, created by Master Paul of Levoca. The altar is considered to be the tallest Gothic wooden wing altar in the world.

Gold and silver mines in central Slovakia provided not only one third of the mineral wealth of the Hungarian Kingdom of that time, but also unique opportunities for technical advancement. Mines in Banska Stiavnica - another World Heritage Site - were the first in Europe to use black powder in mining. They also made the first use of waterpower for mining, using water routed through an elaborate system of canals and ponds.

The first technological college in Europe was established there in 1735 to provide a staff of engineers to operate the whole enterprise.

The Renaissance is reflected in the City Halls of Bardejov, Levoca and Bratislava, in the castles of Bratislava, Cerveny Kamen, Kezmarok, Orava, and the opulent noble town houses in Banska Stiavnica, Banska Bystrica, Levoca and mansions throughout central and eastern Slovakia.

Baroque and Classicism styles are seen mostly in Western Slovakia - in Trnava, Bratislava and Sastin Monastery, but you can find them also in eastern Slovakia (Jasov Monastery).

Folk traditions are well preserved in open-air museums throughout Slovakia, where wooden houses have been brought in from all over the country. The most famous open- air museums are in Martin, Pribylina, Zuberec, Brestova and Bardejov. There are also villages such as Zdiar, Cicmany and Vlkolinec where people live in these precious examples of craftsmanship, and even offer bed and breakfast services. The wooden churches of Eastern Slovakia have also become well known in Europe.

This large cultural and natural heritage has not gone unnoticed in the world. Spis Castle, the town of Banska Stiavnica, the Vlkolinec village and the marvelous natural site Slovak Karst - Aggtelek between Slovakia and Hungary have been included by UNESCO on the World Cultural Heritage List.

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