Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.
Road builders in Liptov unearth a long-hidden secret
The entry to the cave near Hrboltová. (source: Správa slovenských jaskýň)
A hidden cave has been uncovered during highway construction in Liptov. The cave, buried deep within a slope, would never have been found without the highway project. Now, its entrance lies right beside the new road. The small Hrboltová Cave will be a distinctive feature of the new highway near Ružomberok, the Tvnoviny.sk portal reports.
A digger’s scoop ended what could have been millions of years of darkness. Upon their first entry, speleologists discovered rich geological formations inside the cave.
"Beautiful pagodas, and in a section likely to be preserved after the highway is completed, truly unique soda straws can be found," described Pavel Herich, a speleologist from the Slovak Caves Administration.
Such thin stalactites, measuring up to one and a half metres in length, are not found in the hundreds of other caves in Liptov and the surrounding areas.
"The preservation of such long soda straws in the discovered cave is remarkable, especially considering that heavy machinery was removing massive amounts of rock in close proximity for months," Herich explained.
Christmas trees will get a second life
The Bratislava city company OLO - Waste Collection and Disposal began collecting non-artificial Christmas trees on Tuesday, January 7, from wooden enclosures installed across the city. In total, there are 730 collections locations.
According to a social media post by the city administration, the collection of Christmas trees, which must be stripped of all decorations, will continue until February 14.
The collected trees will then be given a second life in collaboration with partners, being transformed into wooden shelves for libraries, and the remainder into mulch.
The city said that the shelves made from Christmas trees will benefit socially disadvantaged families, as well as the city library, Bratislava Zoo, and other municipal institutions.
Bratislava rounds off its Christmas celebrations with a Three Kings procession
The Three Kings procession in Bratislava in 2023. (source: Pavel Neubauer)
The programme of Christmas celebrations in Bratislava concluded on Monday, January 6, with a Three Kings procession through the city.
Since late November, visitors have had the chance to enjoy Christmas markets, cultural events, and rides on the festive Christmas tram. "The holiday spirit filled the streets of the Old Town and several other city districts. In addition to the main organiser, 14 city districts and several municipal organizations also participated in the programme," stated the Bratislava Cultural and Information Centre on its website.
Bratislava's Christmas festivities officially began with the lighting of the Christmas tree in the city centre on November 21, 2024.
Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read:
When it comes to emerging talent in Slovak football, Eric Bile is the name on everyone’s lips. Žilina’s young star is turning heads across Europe.
Fancy spending a night at Trenčín Castle? Selected structures are to be repaired, and new exhibits added.
Near Tisovec, a town in central Slovakia, a small but captivating winter spectacle unfolds each year: an icefall nestled under the railway line.
Some of the world's oldest philosophical texts have been translated into Slovak for the first time.
After 60 years, the most important poet of Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko, is being published in Slovakia.
Political meme of the week
Caption: The person of the year and it's only January.
This meme, saluting the stand of a well-known Slovak actor, was published by the satirical site Zomri on its Facebook page.
President Peter Pellegrini will present state awards for the first time on Saturday. This is an important role for the head of state, showing which specific people and professions he believes deserve to be honoured. We do not yet know who the president will award the highest state award to. What we do know is that actress Zdena Studenková (pictured in the meme) will not be among them.
"They approached me, I politely thanked them and declined," Studenková told the Denník N daily. "I have no need to accept this award given the current situation of culture in Slovakia," she says. The Culture Ministry has, over the past year, become the source of numerous controversies. Most recently, foreign museums stopped cooperating with their Slovak counterparts.
You can send me your tips for good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: kseniia.husieva@spectator.sk. Thank you!
