Culture Slovakia
Slovakia's cultural image is distinguished by its geographical location in the heart of Europe, as the country’s culture has been heavily influenced by many nations and ethnic groups. As such, influences from the German, Austrian, Hungarian and Slovakian cultures became more heavily intertwined and are still visible in Slovakian art, literature and music. Museums and galleries manage and care for the rich and diverse heritage: they are the key to getting to know the culture and the interesting history of this country. The international music festival in Bratislava, the castle festival in Zvolen and numerous other cultural events ensure that everything created by cultural traditions, as well as modern art and culture in Slovakia are presented. A plethora of historical buildings from various past centuries and epochs, in various conditions, still exist. Interested visitors will find Romanesque rotundas and Gothic sacral architecture, as well as Renaissance and Baroque homes. Larger cities offer entire streets of houses documenting changing, sometimes combined architectural styles from past centuries. The cities of Bratislava and Košice appear very cosmopolitan, despite their smaller size, due to their close proximity to several countries and many ethnic minorities. In addition, there is the coffee house atmosphere typical for former Austro-Hungarian cities, as well as their excellently maintained Old Towns with spectacular sights, e.g. the Bratislava Castle. The Tatras' alpine landscape is the main tourist attraction in Slovakia. Around the towns Poprad and Štrbské Pleso (see Vysoké Tatry) you will find well connected winter sports and hiking areas with opportunities for mountain climbing. Also characteristic for Slovakia is a high occurrence of caves: 13 caves are accessible to visitors. The largest, Demänovská Cave of Liberty, is 9 km long. Additionally, the country offers many medieval fortresses and castles.
