Good evening. Here is the Friday, September 16 edition of Today in Slovakia – the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
For weekend events and news on travel and culture in Slovakia, see the latest edition of our Spectacular Slovakia newsletter.
Bratislava is restoring its historic Calvary
The Bratislava Calvary (Source: Jana Liptáková)The civic association Bratislavská Kalvária is organising the blessing of the foundation stone for new stations of the cross that are being constructed at the Bratislava Calvary. The ceremony will take place this Sunday, September 18, at 15:30.
The aim of the association is to restore the Bratislava Calvary, which is one of the oldest in central Europe. It was founded in 1694.
Feature story for today
A night in a glass cell: A mansion in central Slovakia has come up with an unusual experience
Luxury tourist accommodation, Jelšava-style. (Source: Marcela Ballová)The Coburg mansion in Jelšava, whose history dates back to the 17th century, will soon become an even bigger tourist attraction.
Visitors to the region, once known as the Iron Heart of the Hungarian Kingdom, are already turning up at the local municipal office. They want to experience a night in a place surrounded by scary stories: some locals still believe that the mansion is haunted.
More stories on Spectator.sk:
- WHITE NIGHT FESTIVAL: Seven things you need to know so you don't get lost during this weekend's White Night festival in Bratislava
- EXHIBITION: The bittersweet story of the soprano known as Hungary's Maria Callas began in Bratislava
- SAUNA: Sauna rituals, waterfall, and caves: saunas as an experience
If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you!
In other news
- The Galandia thermal water park in Galanta has closed due to high energy prices. It plans to reopen in 2023.
- As part of European Mobility Week, the Ministry of Transport and Construction has acquired one e-bike and two e-scooters for its employees to use instead of ministerial cars for transport in Bratislava.
- Russian gas continues to flow via Ukraine to Slovakia. So far in September, up to 37 million cubic metres of gas per day has flowed from Russia to Slovakia. Slovakia’s gas storage facilities are now over 83 percent full.
- The Slovak Union of Pensioners (JDS) has asked Labour Minister Milan Krajniak and Economy Minister Karel Hirman for a meeting over proposals to address rising energy prices. The union reiterated that it is necessary to cap energy prices for all – households, public administration, as well as employers. It has rejected the energy savings limits proposed for households, saying they are already behaving responsibly and been saving energy for some time.
- Had parliamentary elections been held in the first half of September, the opposition Hlas party led by Peter Pellegrini would have come first, with 19.3 percent of the vote, according to a new opinion poll. Smer, another opposition party, would have come second, with 15 percent. SaS was the third most popular party, with 12.9 percent. Progresívne Slovensko came in fourth, with 10 percent, followed by OĽaNO with 7.9 percent, Sme Rodina with 7.6 percent and the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) with 6.2 percent. The far-right Republika party would have scraped into parliament with 5.2 percent, the survey, conducted by polling agency AKO, showed.
- Fans will be allowed to attend the soccer match between Spartak Trnava and Slovan Bratislava at the Anton Malatinský Stadium in Trnava on Sunday, September 18, only after their faces have been recorded. The Trnava police announced the move, adding that it was the organiser of the match that had decided to implement mandatory facial biometrics, which will be used to more easily identify violent or problematic fans.
- A positive antigen test (not self-administered, but that has been independently verified) is enough for people to get a certificate on having overcome Covid-19, the Health Ministry and the National Centre for Health Information (NCZI) have decided. The move is intended to facilitate the expected autumn wave pandemic for both patients and doctors. Until now, a PCR test had been needed.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Picture of the day
A greater flamingo has been spotted several times around Trnava. As a result, the species has been added to the official fauna of Slovakia. (Source: Courtesy of SOS/BirdLife Slovensko)
