Slovak architects turned a 300-year-old stone house into a modern guest house. (source: Tomeu Canyellas)
Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.
Mallorcan landmark gets makeover at the hands of Slovaks
An experienced team of architects from Slovakia's BEEF Architekti architectural studio have helped turn a 300-year-old house situated in the town of Andratx, at the foot of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain in Mallorca, into an informal cultural centre.
The site, called Sa Taronja, has previously served as a chicken farm, studio and gallery. In 2017, it was bought by its current owner, who wanted to use its cultural potential, the Refresher.sk website reported.
The project is divided in two parts. The BEEF Architekti studio worked on the first one, which consists of a stone town house on the edge of a densely built-up area. The house mostly served for accommodation.
The architects were tasked with rebuilding it as a guest house with four apartments and an office for the manager. The team of architects comprised Rado Buzinkay, Andrej Ferenčík and Ján Šimko. In cooperation with workers with Slovak roots they removed all superfluous material to leave room for the original building and its natural massive tectonics, they told Refresher.sk.
They opened up the space, and added new, modern touches to the original building and its components. They included in the interior many artefacts they found on the compound, like an antique table and chairs, typical Mallorcan glass, and even paintings from the golden era of the cultural centre of Sa Taronja.
Slovak athlete wins silver medal with great finish
It had been six years since Slovakia last won a medal at the European Atheltics Championships.
Now, Gabriela Gajanová has won silver in the women’s 800 metres final at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, finishing just 13-hundredths of a second behind the winner, Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain.
Even though she started at a slower tempo, Gajanová gradually gained speed, and was hard on the heels of the leader in the final stages. With a time of 1:58.79, it was her best performance of the season.
“I’m still in shock, I’m incredibly excited,” Gajanová told the public-service broadcaster RTVS. “I got what I wanted. I went for it, I was brave in the race and fought until the last metres. I am incredibly happy.”
It is just the seventh medal at the championships for Slovakia since it became independent in 1993, and its fifth silver, the SITA newswire reported.
Gajanová, who has been training under the supervision of Swiss coach Louis Heyer, will also compete at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
One of the biggest butterfly gardens in central Europe opens near Trnava
A new butterfly garden has recently opened in the village of Vlčkovce, near Trnava in western Slovakia. It offers visitors the possibility to watch all the development stages of dozens of kinds of butterflies across an enclosed area of 240 square metres.
According to its founders, it is one of the biggest such facilities in central Europe.
“During the season, about 70-80 kinds of butterflies take turns here,” said Zoltán Velebný, the butterfly garden’s operator, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
One of the most interesting species living in the garden is the black-blue morpho butterfly, found mostly in South America, Mexico, and Central America.
Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read:
The Slovenský Kras mountain range in south-eastern Slovakia is home to an animal that lives nowhere else on the planet: the Bei-Bienko’s Plump Bush-cricket.
The unique floor design of the Salvator pharmacy in Bratislava sparked a cooperation between historian Julia Itin and photographer Štefan Cipár, resulting in a unique book. That partnership is now continuing with an exhibition showing the history of Bratislava tile floors and walls.
Selected express trains are to offer special compartments solely for women. With the exception of boys under the age of 10, men are not allowed inside. Selected express trains will also offer silent zone service.
An exceptional tourism attraction has opened in Košice Region: a system of self-service kayak rentals on the River Hornád, intended not only for skilled boaters but for anyone interested in a new experience.
Many Slovak words for 'ugly' have supernatural overtones, as if people might make the sign of the cross at you if you left the house without brushing your hair.
Political meme of the week
(source: Zomri.online)
Caption: Proud Slovaks returning from the WHO negotiations where they refused new WHO health regulations.
The satirical site Zomri published a meme that reacts to news that Slovakia was the only country in the world to formally dissociate itself from new amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR). The country was represented at the WHO talks by well-known anti-vaxxer and Slovak National Party (SNS) MP Peter Kotlár. Health experts said the move was an international embarrassment for Slovakia.
You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: radka.minarechova@spectator.sk. Thank you!
