Competition in cooking and eating national meal, bryndzové halušky, in Turecká. (source: Sme - Ján Krošlák)
Western Slovakia
Trenčín
MUSIC FESTIVAL: Pohoda festival 2017 – The 21st year of the Pohoda festival combines various genres of music, as well as theatre, political and cultural discussions, readings, and more. The participating performers, foreign and Slovak, include among others, Solange, alt-J, MIA, Ylvis, Birdy, Jake Bugg, Boys Noize Live, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Slowdive(band), Future Islands, Elektricity Big Band, Mark Lanegan Band, Benjamin Clementine, Beardyman's Dream Team, Mykki Blanco, TOMM¥ €A$H, elektro guzzi presents Parade, Bez Ladu a Skladu, B-Complex, POLEMIC, Chiki liki tu-a, Katarína Máliková, Auktyon, Laura a její tygři, Tolstoys, Chór vážskych muzikantov , and others. Starts: July 6 – 8; Trenčín airport. More info: www.pohodafestival.sk.
Bojnice
MUSEUM/EVENT: Night Tours at the Museum of Prehistory – In July and August, the premises of the Museum of Prehistory, showing the life and settlements of prehistoric Neanderthals will be open at night, to wander through the mysterious sites with torches. Starts: daily, 21:00 (lasting for one hour); Museum of Prehistory Slovakia, Rybníčky Street. Admission: €5-€6. More info: http://muzeumpraveku.sk.
Museum of prehistory, Bojnice (source: TASR)
Považská Bystrica/Sverepec
SPORT/MOTORBIKE: International championship of several motocross disciplines (MM SR - MX2 junior, MX junior125, MX2, MX Open, MX4, MX4+) takes palce at the National Motocross Centre (MX track) in Sverepec, close to Pvažská Bystrica. Starts: July 9, 0900 - 1900; MX track. More info: www.smf.sk/.
Motocross (source: TASR)
Púchov
ART/COURSE: Harmony Art – Summer Art Symposium ZIV and a new drawing course in English with harmonising programmes will be held in a beautiful place in nature. An interesting programme includes, classical landscape painting with lessons in painting and art, for beginners and intermediate painters, and also for people who are just interested in harmony there will be music and art therapy, meditation, training, wellbeing. Starts: 11-16, Čertov – wellness hotel Javorník, Lazy pod Makytou (Púchov District). Price: €300 EUR (includes 5 nights’ accommodation, half board, programme). Booking, more info: ziv@ziv.sk; www.ziv.sk/courses-in-english.html.
Šamorín
CONCERT/GALLERY: Summer Musical Evening – The Slovak band Longital and Golnar & the Mahan Trio, a grouping of Iranian/Egyptian musicians, will perform their experimental rock/world-jazz music in a former synagogue-turned-gallery. Starts: July 14, 19:30; At Home Gallery, Mliečňanská 5. Tel: 0903/255-681; www.athome.gallery.org.
Nitra/Ivanka
CUISINE/FOLKLORE: Naj Guláš – The 10th year of an event combining a competition for the best goulash with performances of folklore troupes draws attention to the village lying close to Nitra. Starts: July 15, 15:00; Dom Matice slovenskej, Dolnočermánska 737, Nitra. More info: www.kamdomesta.sk.
Červený Kameň/Častá-Trnava
CONCERT: Gemini na hrade / Gemini at the Castle – Old Celtic and Irish songs will resound at the medieval Červený Kameň castle, as played by the Trnava-based band Gemini. Starts: July 15; Červený Kameň, Častá, Trnava. More info: http://hradcervenykamen.sk.
Central Slovakia
Banská Śtiavnica
CLASSICAL FESTIVAL: BachTribute – The sixth year of the festival of Bach’s Music will be opened by organist Marek Štrbák, playing the compositions of Nicolaus Bruhns, Dietrich Buxtehude, Mozart, J.S. Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann and Naji Hakim. Other guests are Matúš Sliacky (organ), and Adam Stráňavský (piano). Starts: July 6-8, 1900, St Catherine’s Church / Elementary Art School, Trojičné Square. Info: www.bachtribute.eu.
Marek Štrbák (source: Courtesy of M. Štrbák)
Orava Castle
MUSEUM/EVENT: Night of the Bloody Countess – The night tour of Orava Castle will focus on the history connected with the infamous countess Elizabeth Bathory (who is also in the Guinness Book of Records). She was accused and sentenced to life in confinement, walled in at Čachtice Castle, by Orava Lord Gyorgy Thurzo. Starts: July 7, every 15 minutes between 2100 and 0130. Admission: €5-€8 (tickets only online, at www.oravskemuzeum.sk until July 6). More info: www.oravskemuzeum.sk.
Žilina
CONCERT/COMMEMORATIVE EVENT: Vrba-Wetzler Memorial 2017 – A concert and a ceremony will conclude the symbolic march from Auschwitz to Žilina, following in the footsteps of Slovak heroes, Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler, who escaped the Holocaust and the death camp. The works of F. Chopin, P. Ben-Haim, A. Skryabin and S. Prokofiev will resound in the culmination of week-long marching, discussions and meditations in a memorial dedicated to two men who fled from Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, to write their memories later in Žilina, in a report trying to save thousands of Jews from death. Starts: July 8, 18:00, New Synagogue. Admission: free. More info: www.vrbawetzler.eu; www.stanica.sk.
Turecká
CUISINE/COMPETITION: HaluškyFest – The Slovak and European Championship in Cooking and Eating Bryndzové Halušky is an annual event, hailing the Slovak national meal of dumplings with sheep cheese (bryndzové halušky). The event has grown into a two-day feast, offering a craft market, a musical programme, a tombola, a disco party, but – most of all, on the second day – the competition in cooking and eating (both for speed) bryndzové halušky. Starts: July 14-15; centre of the village of Turecká. More info: www.haluskyfest.sk.
Halušky Fest in Turecká (source: Sme - Ján Krošlák)
Banská Bystrica
FOLKLORE: Echoes of Old Church Slavonic under Kráľova Hoľa/Echoes from Abroad – The festival of polyphonic religious and folk choir music, Echoes of Old Church Slavonic under Kráľova Hoľa, presents not just Slovak choirs but as part of its Echoes from Abroad feature, also the Czech vocal group Darebnice from Uherské Hradiště, and Божичі/Bozhichi, a mixed group from the Ukraine. Starts: July 14, 17:00 (July 15 – climbing the Kráľova Hoľa hill, 8:00, Municipal office in Telgárt; July 16 – holy mass in Greek-Orhodox Church in Telgárt, 10:00); Stredoslovenské osvetové stredisko (Central-Slovak Education Centre) courtyard, Dolná 35. Admission: 3 €; ticket sale: IC, SNP Square 1. More info: www.sosbb.sk/…/folk/ozveny/2017.
Banská Štiavnica
LANGUAGE COURSE: Esperanto Summer School of 2017 – The event is meant for both beginners and advanced learners of this international communication language and offers all levels – A1-C2 – of skills to be taught in a week. In its 11th year, it will include about 250 people from 20 countries. Starts: July 15(8:00)-23; Andreja Kmeťa Secondary Grammar School, Kolpašská 1738/9. More info/registration: http://ses.ikso.net.
Eastern Slovakia
Košice
MUSIC FESTIVAL: Hevhetia – The summer music festival Gevgetia has already begun, but it continues in Košice with a gig from the Czech Otto Hejnic Trio on July 6, and then until September 9 either in Smelly Cat, or in Kasárne KulturPark, offering musicians and bands like Aga Derlak Trio (PL) on July 13, Krzystof Kobylinski & Erik Truffaz on July 14, Jacek Kochan – musiConspiracy (PL) on July 20, Los Quemados (CZ) on July 27, Linda Kovács Recycle Trio (HU) on August 3, The Flash! (PL) on August 10, Jacques Kuba Séguin Quartet (CAN/PL) on August 17, David Kollar & Arve Henriksen on August 24, Early Birds (PL) on August 31, and Quasars Ensemble (in Vojtech Loeffler Museum) on September 9. Starts: July 6, 20:00; Smelly Cat – Cafe & Bar, Hlavná 100 (booking: 055/7289-844). More info: www.hevhetiafest.sk.
Košice
ZOO/SAFARI: Offroad Zoo Košice-Kavečany – The Košice zoo offers daily drives among the animals in a special safari vehicle with a guide. The package – for a minimum of four participants – includes a drive, a dinner in Gazdovský dvor Daktari ZOO restaurant (package can be negotiated also without the dinner), the guide, and a gift. Starts: June-September, daily, 15:00, 16:30. Price: 100€ (for 4 people). Booking (daily between 8:00 – 14:00): 055/7968-013, 055/7968-028; propagacia@zookosice.sk. More info: www.zookosice.sk – zážitkové programy.
Zoo in košice-Kavečany (source: TASR)
Prešov
CLASSICAL MUSIC/FESTIVAL: ARTIS – The 5th year of the festival of classical music Artis, bringing four concerts in total, will be opened on July 6 by the music of the nobles from the 18th century, as performed by the Solamente Naturali ensemble of early music, called When the Lords Met. On July 23, the Saxophone Syncopators will perform own compositions for four saxophones, as well as arrangements of classical, jazz and ragtime music. Starts: July 6, 19:00; Orthodox Synagogue. Admission: €4-€10. More info: www.artis-oz.sk.
Kežmarok/Prešov
OPERA/REFORMATION: The anniversary of German religious reformer Martin Luther is connected with many events, one of them being the premiere of the opera by Slovak composer Víťazoslav Kubička, Hrad Prepevný / A Very Strong Castle, first in a wooden church in Kežmarok, then in Prešov(two days later), and still later in Modra and Necpaly. On October 31, it will be festively performed at the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava. Cast includes Marianna Gelenekyová, Andrea Hulecová, Roman Krško and Peter Šubert, as well as local and national choirs and orchestras. Starts: July 7, 17:00; wooden Articular (evangelical) church Kežmarok. More info: www.ecav.
The wooden evangelical articular church in Kežmarok (source: Sme)
Košice
SPORT: Beach Plaza Terasa (BPT) Sport Weekends: The daylong sport weekends will include in the summer 2017 season the „Eastern Cup in Beach Volleyball“on July 8-9, the badminton cup in July 22-23, the Slovak Championship in beach volleyball on July 28-30. Starts: July 8-9; OC Galéria Shopping. More info: www.kosicezapad.sk.
Košice
CULTURE FESTIVAL: Košické Leto 2017 – The Košice Summer 2017 series this season offers a host of sporting and cultural events, making the holidays an attractive time to stay in, or visit, this eastern-Slovak city. Regular events include „Five o'clock TeaTime“ - always at 17:00 – summerhouse in City Park), e.g. Martin Brečko & Tone Bridge in the park on July 16, Summer Slovak Tango on July 30; „Picnic in the Park “at 15:00 (City Park) on July 9 and other days (Gabi the Magician, ViaCassa, Fit klubKošice, DJ CAmp, Wine Boys, EBRAR, lukostrelba, Cassovia Petanque Club); family Saturdays in the park (July 9) and more. Lasts: druing the whole summer season. More info: www.kosice.sk.
