Archive of articles - December 2004, page 9

Gross foreign debt at $19 billion

Building Červený Kameň Castle

NO RECORDS exist on ancient Červený Kameň Castle, near the western town Modra. All that is known is that in 1414, it had two parts - an upper and lower castle. Archaeological findings show both were located on what is today's courtyard.The upper castle consisted of a main tower, palace, chapel and water reservoir. The lower castle was made of two residential towers and a food storage room. Both parts were gradually taken down and a Renaissance fortress was built.

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Czech firm sells majority stake in JOJ TV

Parliament to discuss budget

One World film festival in Žilina

THE INTERNATIONAL One World film festival, which is travelling Slovakia, will stop in Žilina for four days. Focusing on human rights issues it will screen 26 documentaries at the Stanica Žilina-Zárečie cultural centre from December 9 to 12. One of the films is the Bratislava film festival's winner, Ethiopia: Live Aid, by Clifford Bestall. The film documents journalist Michael Buerk's return to Ethiopia 20 years after his original report on that country's dire state created huge concern in the developed world.

Reader feedback: How things change - well, almost

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Town budgets are "go"

THE CABINET has finally defined how state income taxes will be distributed to regional governments and municipalities, allowing towns and villages to get on with the task of designing their 2005 budgets.On December 2, the cabinet approved a directive establishing the distribution of income tax revenue worth Sk31 billion (€775 million).As a result of budget decentralisation, municipalities and regional governments are entitled to a direct proportion of state income taxes to fund their budgets.

Crown ignores key interest rate cuts

SDKÚ silent on benefactor

KIA land buyout possible

Ski Window

Thanks to the snowstorms, Slovakia offers excellent snow conditions right now. Many resorts have very good ski-and-stay packages and ski slopes are uncrowded. The recent storm, however, damaged the Tatra electric railway and the gondola to Lake Skalnaté pleso.

SURVIVING Slovakia

We are moving to Slovakia and would like to take our dog and cat with us. Is there anything special we need to do to avoid problems at the borders?If you want to take pets with you into Slovakia make sure you consult a vet and get the following stamps on your International Vaccination Card or Pet's Passport.

Slovak troops head for Middle East

The Andrássy Mausoleum

AN ART-NOUVEAU marvel from the early 20th century, the Andrássy mausoleum sits beneath the Krásna Hôrka Castle in eastern Slovakia. It was built by Dionýz Andrássy, the last descendant of the Andrássy dynasty, who controlled Krásna Hôrka for almost 400 years.

Salt more precious than gold

THERE is an old Slovak folk tale about a king who had three daughters. When the time came for him to decide on a successor, he asked his daughters a probing question to see who had the wisdom to follow him to the throne. "How much do you love me?" the king asked.The eldest princess said he was dearer to her than gold. The middle one valued him above her silver jewellery. His youngest and most beloved daughter said, "I love you more than salt."

Live aid for Tatras

SINCE high winds toppled whole forests in the Tatra mountains November 19, all corners of Slovak society have pitched in to help, including musicians."The catastrophic situation in the High Tatras shook all of Slovakia," said management at the Slovak Philharmonic. "Our mountains cannot help themselves. The situation begs for help across society."No musicians or institutions have yet put on a concert the size of Bob Geldof's (Geldof promoted a concert for

Revamping the SND

THE SLOVAK National Theatre (SND) is about to get a facelift. The Slovak cabinet has given permission to US company Truthheim Invest LLC to pour millions of euros into the site that houses the SND. The injection of capital will complete a construction project started nearly 20 years ago.While the original blueprints called for a bigger, more expansive staging area for opera, ballet and drama productions, Truthheim will tweak construction plans to suit business interests.