Good evening. Here is theTuesday, October 29 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
More trains for All Saints’ Day travellers
Main station in Prešov, eastern Slovakia. (source: TASR - Veronika Mihaliková)
As All Saints’ Day and the autumn holidays (October 30-31) approach, the national railway company, Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK), is set to bolster its services by adding 34 extra carriages to 22 InterCity (IC) trains. This initiative aims to ensure seamless travel for passengers during this busy period.
From Thursday, October 31, to Monday, November 4, ZSSK will also operate supplementary trains throughout Slovakia. In total, 25 additional trains will be deployed during this season, including six express trains and 19 fast trains.
ZSSK advises travellers to purchase their tickets in advance to avoid long queues at ticket counters. Passengers can easily secure their tickets online, via the mobile app, or through SMS ticketing.
The average occupancy rate for the busiest trains currently stands at 81.5 percent from Tuesday, October 29, to Monday, November 4.
Related: Public transport will be enhanced in Bratislava and Košice on November 1 and 2, while it will operate on a holiday schedule on October 30 and 31.
Shops: November 1 is a public holiday, which means that most shops will be closed.
Cemeteries: Cemeteries will be open longer or around the clock on the following days. There will also be an increased police presence in the area, as petty crime tends to rise during this period.
Event: The Garden of Remembrance in Zvolen, central Slovakia, will host its traditional Dušičková slávnosť celebration. On All Saints’ Day, visitors from across Slovakia are invited to honour their loved ones. They can light beeswax candles and place them on the water. Additionally, there will be paper notes and pens available for what are known as messages to heaven, which will be hung on strings between the trees. People will be able to warm themselves with coffee or tea. Zvolen’s natural cemetery is the first of its kind in Slovakia and has been operational since 2017. It offers biodegradable urn burials amidst flower beds or at the roots of trees.
Garden of Remembrance in Zvolen. (source: TASR - Silvia Tannhauserová)
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
Health: Doctors in hospitals begin resigning; Prime Minister Fico must respond.
Parliament: Today, the government coalition struggled to secure a majority in parliament, as demonstrated by repeated failed voting attempts.
Hiking: As winter closures commence in the Tatras this weekend, visitors can still plan trips to the region.
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FEATURE STORY
The Slovak-American determined to master the soft ‘L’ in Slovak
MaryJo Kacvinsky. (source: Archive of M. K.)
Just days before her interview with The Slovak Spectator, MaryJo Kacvinsky received the exciting news that her Deed of Slovak Citizenship had been approved. Reflecting on the significance of this achievement, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to honour her heritage and her ancestors’ journeys. Read more about her story here.
Newsletter: The latest edition of the Slovak Roots monthly newsletter is out now. Don’t miss it.
EVENT
Evening tours at Bojnice Castle
Because of its romantic appearance, Bojnice Castle has hosted many film crews over the years. (source: Radovan Stoklasa for TASR)
The Slovak National Museum – Bojnice Museum warmly invites all visitors to a unique evening tour of Bojnice Castle. During the tour, guests will uncover fascinating tales about the Will-o’-the-Wisp, a spectral figure from European folklore, known for luring travellers with its mysterious light. Visitors will also delve into the secrets of funeral rites for noble figures.
Date: November 1 and 2
Time: from 18:00 to 21:40
Admission: €5-13
IN OTHER NEWS
Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, a representative of the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), has declined co-financing for a project to protect grassland birds, stating on social media that “Slovakia has no grasslands.” The Slovak Ornithological Society (SOS)/BirdLife Slovakia responded, cautioning that the decision is politically motivated and will affect some of the country’s most endangered bird species, as well as local farmers and rural landscapes. The organisation emphasised that grasslands are indeed a part of Slovakia’s natural heritage. (TASR)
The Stop Corruption Foundation has launched a public petition in support of Zuzana Dlugošová, the chair of the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers, who is facing threats of criminal charges from Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer). According to the foundation, Kaliňák announced the potential criminal complaint in connection with the office’s actions concerning investigators from the former National Crime Agency, who are prosecuted for their inquiries into corruption and organised crime involving individuals connected to the Smer party, including Kaliňák. The foundation alleges that Kaliňák has repeatedly lied in his arguments against Dlugošová, claiming she fraudulently granted whistleblower status to these investigators. This assertion is untrue; the status was granted by the prosecutor, and no court has deemed the decision fraudulent.
The Demokrati party claims that PM and Smer leader Robert Fico travelled to Croatia by private jet over the weekend with Smer MP Anton Stredák, departing for Split without a security detail. According to Demokrati party leader Jaroslav Naď, he was also accompanied by a businesswoman involved in the sale of luxury homes.
Reconstruction of the railway station in Košice. (source: TASR - František Iván)
Italy has taken back 23 tonnes of waste that was illegally transported to Slovakia. The waste had been stored in a warehouse in the Trenčín Region. The police continue to investigate the case.
The majority of Slovaks (73.4 percent) genuinely trust the party they would support in an election, while over a quarter would vote according to the “lesser evil” principle. This is according to a September survey by the Focus agency for the DEKK Institute, which found that Demokrati and SaS attracted the highest number of “lesser evil” voters. (TASR)
Average apartment prices in Bratislava are approaching levels seen in Western European capitals. In the first half of this year, the price per square metre for older apartments in Bratislava reached €3,770, while for new apartments it exceeded €5,000 per square metre. Prices in the Slovak capital have now surpassed those in Rome, where a square metre costs €3,179, according to an analysis by the real estate company Re/Max.
ČSOB, one of the largest banks in Slovakia, has announced that it will lower interest rates on all mortgage fixations, which is seen as an unusual step. (Finančný kompas)
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Wednesday will bring partly clear to cloudy skies, with morning fog or overcast conditions expected. Light rain may occur in some areas, though temperatures will remain mild. Daytime highs are forecasted between 13°C and 19°C. (SHMÚ)
OCTOBER 30 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Šimon, Simona.
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