(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. Here is the Friday, September 2 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 restores 10 official spots for grilling in its forest parks
The restored barbecue spot at American Square under Kamzík hill. (source: Courtesy of Mestské Lesy v Bratislave)
Mestské lesy v Bratislave, Bratislava’s municipal forest company, has comprehensively renovated and restored 10 places for grilling food in the forest parks it administers. Visitors can already use them, as it is now possible to grill and toast again in the designated spots. As of the end of last week firefighters cancelled a ban on barbecue fires that had been in place because of the dry weather.
“I thank visitors to the forest park for their patience and compliance with the ban,” Marek Páva, who is in charge of managing the city department, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “I believe that the new firepits will be a pleasant compensation for the temporary restrictions and will make many barbecuers happy during the autumn recreation season.”
Anniversary of the week
Pavol Demitra (source: TASR)
Next Wednesday, September 7, will mark 11 years since a plane crash in Russia that claimed 43 lives, among them most of the players of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team, including Slovak star Pavol Demitra.
Feature story for today
The Croatian linguist who has made Slovak his life’s work
Croatian linguist Siniša Habijanec. (source: TASR)
It is a common misconception among non-Slavic foreigners that Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians and Bulgarians, for instance, can easily understand each other’s languages.
"Slavic languages are close, especially their basic vocabulary. However, in terms of their development they moved away from each other long ago, especially when it comes to phonology and pronunciation. To say that we [would be able to] understand each other’s languages is an exaggeration," says Croatian linguist Siniša Habijanec.
More stories on Spectator.sk:
BRATISLAVA: Why is an Irish daily raving about Slovakia's capital?
WHERE TO GO: Tips for the top 10 events in the capital between September 1 and September 10, plus regular religious services in different languages, training courses, and temporary exhibitions.
ENERGY: As Europe looks to wean itself off natural gas from Russia, following that country’s invasion of Ukraine, liquefied natural gas (LNG) has come sharply into focus as an alternative source of supply.
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Picture of the day
Parliament opened its doors to the general public during an Open House event on September 1. (source: SITA)
In other news
On Monday, September 5, the school year will officially start in Slovakia.
Slovak tourists have been heading to Spain, but also to Italy, Greece and Cyprus during this last weekend before schools go back, based on data from flight booker Kiwi.com. They spend an average of roughly €100 per person on plane tickets.
The cabinet on Friday approved a scheme to distribute money to large regional hospital projects from the EU Recovery Plan. The plan allocates €1.3 billion to the health-care sector.
September started with a tragic road toll in Bratislava Region, where three people died in traffic accidents – a car passenger, a cyclist and a motorcyclist.
After a one-year pandemic break, the international Roma festival Gypsy Fest is returning to the capital. Its 14th year will take place from today and tomorrow (September 2 - 3) on the Main Square in Bratislava.
The Bratislava waste incinerator in Vlčie Hrdlo, operated by the municipal Waste Collection and Disposal Company (OLO), is to undergo its biggest technical shutdown in the last 20 years. The maintenance procedure is scheduled to take place from October 8 to December 12.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
