Just like in Banská Bystrica, Trnava also holds a traditional fair of crafts and folk music over the weekend. (source: TASR - Lukáš Grinaj)
In Bešeňová, a sauna experience and theatre merge
Žilina Region boasts of several unique spas and water parks where you can indulge in adventures and relaxation.
Spa Lúčky is a popular spa village in Liptov, one of the tourism areas in the region. Apart from rare mineral springs and a nice view of the Veľký Choč peak, many head here for the popular Lúčanský Waterfall.
Bešeňová, on the other hand, is a well-known water park in the village of the same name. It offers an unforgettable sauna experience thanks to sauna rituals.
"Today, sauna rituals are literally an art that can captivate sauna users," said Peter Kolenčík from the water park.
A sauna ritual in Bešeňová. (source: Courtesy of Bešeňová)
Other travel news:
Thanks to YouTube, people in Latin America know where the Živčáková pilgrimage site is.
Eastern Slovakia has a new zipline attraction. Adventure-seekers can 'fly' above a 'Croatian' lake.
In a new beekeeping museum, visitors can lie down in an apiary and listen to the peaceful buzzing under them.
Mirror in a gallery window
The Slovak National Gallery has put another exhibit, of silver colour this time around, in its gallery window at the Esterházy Palace.
A mirror, which was originally part of a larger women's toilet set, comes from the workshop of the Viennese silversmith Josef Carl Klinkosch. He lived from 1822 to 1888.
The alliance coat of arms, created by combining the coats of arms belonging to a married couple, has revealed more about the item.
The coats of arms belonged to the Saint-Genois and Wachtler families. They were connected only once, during the marriage of Hugo Moritz de Saint-Genois (1858 – 1891) and Eleonóra von Wachtler (1863 – 1943) from Bratislava. They got married in March 1889 in Budapest.
Eleonóra Saint-Genois' mirror. (source: Slovak National Gallery)
Considering the intimate nature of the artefact related to personal hygiene, experts assume that it was a wedding gift for the bride directly from the groom.
The newlyweds settled in Bratislava. In 1890, Hugo initiated the construction of a villa, whose architect and builder was probably Alexander Feigler, near the Horský Park green area within the farm yard called Eleonórin Dvor.
The villa still stands today.
Other developments
Ornithologists have discovered a great bustard's nest for the first time in 12 years.
Nigel Marven, a popular UK documentary maker, spent several months in Slovakia working on a new documentary.
50 Cent, Anastacia, Kendrick Lamar and OneRepublic will play concerts in the coming weeks in Prague and Vienna.
GO-TO EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Banská Bystrica: The 364th edition of the Radvanský Jarmok fair takes place from September 9 to 11 in the city centre. This year's motif is the traditional craft of comb-making. Visitors can look forward to plenty of sellers, music, food, and carousels.
Bratislava: Grape harvest events take place in Rača, a borough of the capital, and in the nearby town of Modra.
Trnava: A regional capital close to Bratislava holds its own fair of traditional crafts this weekend too. With this map, you will not get lost.
Next week, Bratislava will host the popular White Night light festival. Here's what other events you can go to in Bratislava in the coming days.
An ode to Gagarin helped Slovak jazz
Slovak singer, composer, and long-term dramaturg of the Bratislava Jazz Days festival Peter Lipa opening last year's event. (source: TASR)
Holding a jazz concert in 1960s Czechoslovakia was no simple matter.
First, you needed to convince the authorities that what you were trying to do was not subversive – after all the genre did originate in the U.S. And then more often than not it was likely to bring a run in with the secret police.
So, what is the story of Slovak jazz?
Philosophy: "I regard Slovakia as my home. I do not have any desire to go anywhere else, nor can I imagine it," says the award-winning US philosopher Jon Stewart in an interview with The Slovak Spectator.
That's it for this week. Have a great weekend. - Peter
Do you have any tips? You can reach Peter at peter.dlhopolec@spectator.sk
