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 The
republic of Slovakia (Slovensko) - independent since 1993 - consists of
the long, narrow strip of land which stretches from the fertile plains
of the Danube basin up to the peaks of the High Tatras - perhaps
Europe's most exhilarating mountain range outside of the Alps. The
country's numerous mountains have long formed barriers to
industrialization and modernization, and parts of the country remain
surprisingly rural and unspoilt, some to the point of neglect.
There was only one independent Slovak state before 1993, when the
country operated as a German protectorate during World War II - a period
which remains a blot on the nation's history . Before 1918, current-day
Slovakia was known as the region of Upper Hungary and lay under Magyar
rule for roughly a millennium; Bratislava even became the Hungarian
capital when the rest of Hungary was occupied by the Turks. However, in
1918, the Slovaks threw their lot in with their Slav neighbours, the
Czechs, forming Czechoslovakia. This lasted 75 years until the country's
"velvet divorce" took place in 1993. Although many Slovaks were ready to
go it alone, it has to be said that others had major reservations about
this, and none was given the chance to decide in a referendum. Political
corruption, nationalism and slow-moving reforms put off overseas
investors until a change of government in 1998, since when the country's
economic prospects under Prime Minister Dzurinda have brightened and
firm steps towards joining the European Union have begun.
For the first-time visitor, perhaps the most striking cultural
difference from the Czechs is the Slovak attitude to religion.
Catholicism is much stronger here than in the Czech Republic, and the
churches are often full to overflowing on Sundays. The republic also has
a much more diverse population, with over half a million ethnic
Hungarians in the south, as well as thousands of Romanies (gypsies), who
live a fairly miserable existence throughout the country, and several
thousand Ruthenians (Rusyns) in the east. Bratislava , the capital, is
potentially disappointing, especially for those who arrive expecting a
Slovak Prague. Taken on its own terms, however, the city is a rewarding,
lively place with a compact old town. Poprad provides the transport hub
for the High Tatras , the most spectacular of Slovakia's many mountain
ranges, and is also the starting point for exploring the intriguing
medieval towns of the Spis region, east Slovakia's architectural high
point. Further east still, Presov is the cultural centre of the
Ruthenian minority, while Kosice , Slovakia's vibrant second city,
boasts a fine Gothic cathedral, ethnic diversity and a lively
independence from much of the rest of Slovakia.
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