Hello. This week, we are going international from start to end, but we are also going to take you on a hiking trip and recommend the best events in Slovakia.
The Legacy of Václav Havel in the Work of Young Graphic Artists is a public display running until November 5 in a Bratislava park near the Danube. The last Czechoslovak president would have celebrated his 85th birthday this week. (Source: TASR)
Czech far-right abuses Nagy
Towards the end of a pre-election campaign in the Czech Republic, the far-right party Volný blok (Free Bloc) decided to remake Slovak singer Peter Nagy’s hit Láska je tu s nami (Love Is Here with Us) into a political song and use it for its promotion on social media without Nagy’s consent.
The outraged singer learnt about the party’s misstep from his fans.
“I have never allowed for the use of my name, my face, or any of my songs in a political campaign,” Nagy said, “not even when they offered me millions in Slovak korunas.”
The songwriter asked the far-right party for an explanation and an apology. He also demanded that the party delete its rendition from social media, which has already happened.
Listen to the original song here.
Peter Nagy plays a concert at the Topfest festival in Nové Mesto nad Váhom, western Slovakia. (Source: TASR)What's on in Slovakia
- KOŠICE: The Biela noc (White Night) festival has moved from Bratislava to Košice, where it will run until October 24. Due to the worsening Covid situation in the city, installations in various locations are open to visitors only during the weekend evening hours (18:30-22:00) and only to vaccinated people. For the latest, follow the festival’s Facebook page.
- POPRAD: The International Mountain Film Festival will start on October 13 in Poprad, Kežmarok and Spišská Nová Ves. Several films will be screened online as well. Buy tickets here.
- BRATISLAVA: The Slovak Queer Film Festival began on October 6, and the contemporary dance festival Bratislava in Movement is also underway, with several performances planned for the weekend. The New Drama theatre festival kicks off on Monday, and the Slovak National Theatre invites foreigners to subtitled shows in October and November, starting October 8 with War and Peace.
A scene from the 'War and Peace' play at the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava. (Source: Ľuboš Kotlár)- BANSKÁ BYSTRICA: The Asylum Festival takes place in the city until October 9; it is open to vaccinated people only.
Norwegian ‘Cinderella’ coming soon
People in Norway have long adored the 1973 Czechoslovak fairy tale classic Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Three Nuts for Cinderella), directed by Václav Vorlíček, so they decided to recreate the film and give it a 21st-century flavour.
The Norwegian Film Fund has released a trailer for the film, which is called Tre Nøtter til Askepott in Norwegian. The film, in which Norwegian pop singer Astrid Smeplass stars as Cinderella, will hit cinemas in Norway on November 12.
It will be a breathtaking ride with brilliant archery and, of course, crazy costumes and a good amount of magic, the film fund said.
The remake, directed by Cecilie A. Mosli, was shot in an open-air museum in Lillehammer, Norway, while the original film was filmed in various locations around the Czech Republic and Germany.
Other developments from this week:
- HBO Max, the WarnerMedia streaming platform, will launch in Slovakia and other European countries in 2022. At the end of this month, the platform will launch in northern Europe, Andorra and Spain.
- YouTuber David Dobrik, who was born in Košice, left the USA after a decade to finally visit and reunite with his grandmother.
TRAVEL
Climbing a ‘dry’ peak
Only a few kilometres from the town of Vrútky, an important railway junction, the lesser-known peak called Suchý (‘dry’ in English) is located.
The bald, 1,468-metre peak forms, alongside other peaks, the southern part of the Krivánska Malá Fatra mountain range. Hikers can find a cross with a Slovak flag on its top and enjoy views of Žilina, the Malý Kriváň and Veľký Kriváň peaks, the Kysucké Beskydy and Súľovské skaly hills, as well as the Veľká Fatra mountain range.
Under the peak, a mountain hut called Chata pod Suchým was built in 1948, which is still in operation today. The hut is one of the stops for hikers if they set out on a trip to the peak from the village of Nezbudská Lúčka. It takes about four hours to reach the hilltop.
The Chata pod Suchým mountain hut. (Source: Facebook/Chata pod Suchým/Janka Parížeková)Another option is to hike from the village of Turčianske Kľačany and stop at the mountain hut Chata pod Kľačianskou Magurou before continuing to Suchý, which is also a nature reserve.
Žilina: Archaeologists came to survey the chapel remains, but they dug up a horse skeleton instead.
Tatras: Over the past months, the number of people taking one-day trips to the High Tatras has been slowly growing but remains far behind last year’s numbers.
Zemplín: The town of Michalovce has launched the Zemplín region mobile app for visitors of the eastern Slovak region.
Bratislava: The former erotic club in the park Sad Janka Kráľa will be rebuilt into a modern eating place.
WEEKEND READS
How to remain Italian in Slovakia
Matteo Sica is one of the Italians living in Slovakia trying to not just preserve their Italian culture for themselves, but also share it with Slovaks.
The painter arrived in the country for a professional internship at the Italian Embassy in Bratislava ten years ago and he has since made Slovakia his home.
Sica's postcard and moka pot. (Source: Courtesy of Matteo Sica)In fact, the number of Italians living in Slovakia has steadily grown over the past 20 years. Besides language teaching and gastronomy, they make their living here by working in the energy sector, construction or banking and financial services.
Sica ended up finding a large network of friends and colleagues in Slovakia, even though Bratislava was not his first choice of destination when he arrived. Many Italians living in Slovakia now tell a similar story.
Other reads:
American artist Alan Craig’s diverse skillset and hankering for adventure have led him down interesting paths in Slovakia and beyond.
What does it feel like growing up in Slovakia as a child from a mixed Slovak-Italian marriage?
That is it for now. Thanks for joining me. Have a great weekend. - Peter
Do you have any tips? You can reach Peter at peter.dlhopolec@spectator.sk
