A total of 17 tram carriages for an atypical narrow-gauge track that will pass through Čiernohorská valley will arrive in spring 2021. (source: TASR)
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
The first colour issue of The Slovak Spectator went out in late May of 1995, when Slovakia had no real history of free press. The beginnings were hard, but a Coca-Cola ad, published in the first issue, cleared the path for The Slovak Spectator founders to keep the paper going.
The first issue of The Slovak Spectator. (source: Dan Stoll's archive)
The Slovak Spectator has become a successful English-language paper in Slovakia, celebrating 25 years of existence. Return to the nineties with Richard Lewis, Daniel J. Stoll, Eric Koomen and Rick Zedník, who only dreamed of grand success back then.
TRAVEL
1) Reasonable prices, tourist facilities & amazing Slovaks
James Thompson wrote one of the editions of Spectacular Slovakia in 2009. “Slovakia was – and remains – an extremely agreeable country to travel around,” he says a decade later. Read through his travel memories of Slovakia and useful recommendations.
2) Destroyed lookout platform at Bojnice Castle reopens
The lookout platform has been closed for a long time as it became a target of vandals. A group of falconers will take care of it from now on and install camera traps on the site.
3) A cycling route to connect Kopčany and Holíč
Construction work on the cycling route in the town of Holíč has begun. The route will first connect Holíč Castle with the Church of St. Margaret of Antioch and then with a bridge that leads to the Morava Region in the Czech Republic.
4) John Lennon is an eternal part of Bardejov
Bardejov is inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list. Its surroundings are even more intriguing. Tourists can enjoy a spa moment and visit wooden churches here.
5) Tram carriages from Basel to arrive in Čierny Balog
In the spring of 2021, 17 tram carriages for an atypical narrow-gauge track that will pass through Čiernohorská valley will arrive. Besides tourist aims, they will also serve commuters.
Our new SPECTACULAR SLOVAKIA WEBSITE is up and running!
A vast collection of pocket-sized travel guides, along with some fascinating travel articles, podcast episodes, and helpful travel tips, are just a click away.
PODCAST
(source: SME)
The Spectacular Slovakia podcast has become a quizcast this week. How well do Slovaks and foreigners know Slovakia – its literature, music, politics, tourist spots and history? It is time to find out by answering 16 easy and hard questions. There is no need to take it seriously. Have fun and discover Slovakia throughout the quiz.
WEATHER LORE
If it rains on the eve of May 1, the rest of the year will be nice.“
WEEKEND READS
1) A Slovak gangland boss will recount his version of events
An ordinary man has turned into the most powerful crime boss in Slovakia. Mikuláš Černák serves a life sentence today. A new film, which he helped co-write, will show Černák’s perspective on the nineties. However, the film will not justify his actions and glorify him.
Grössling has been closed since 1994. (source: TASR)
2) Bratislava to restore the legendary Grössling bathhouse
The topic of immersion has become the main idea of restoring the decayed bathhouse in the centre of Bratislava, one of many brownfields in the capital. The bathhouse was built in 1895. Major reconstruction took place in 1970.
3) Artificial intelligence helps people in their daily lives
Artificial intelligence (AI) as a scientific field has existed for over sixty years. It is everywhere around us without us realising it. It uses learned knowledge to make decisions in new situations, thus showing signs of intelligence. But how do we benefit from it?
