Countries

Big stories

All stories →
0

No products in the cart.

0

No products in the cart.

0

No products in the cart.

0

No products in the cart.

Vitajte na Slovensku

Country

Slovakia

70 places · 128 museums

📷 Of · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
museumtickets.com guide · Slovakia

Welcome to Slovakia

Castles on every rock, wooden churches, mining towns of silver and gold, and the High Tatras.

Slovakia is a small mountain country on the Danube, with more castles and castle ruins per person than almost anywhere in Europe. For centuries Bratislava was the coronation city of the kings of Hungary, and the mining towns of the hills made Europe rich with silver and gold. See Slovak art at the National Gallery, the giant Gothic altar of Levoča and the Andy Warhol museum near his parents' village. Plan your museum days on museumtickets.com, then eat bryndzové halušky and listen to the deep voice of the fujara.

  • 863Cyril and Methodius bring the first Slavic script to Great Moravia
  • 1563Bratislava becomes the coronation city of the kings of Hungary
  • 1993Slovakia becomes an independent state on 1 January
  • 2004Slovakia joins the European Union

Slovakia through the ages

Great Moravia, Hungarian kings, mining towns and a peaceful separation.

  1. 863

    Cyril and Methodius

    Two brothers from Thessaloniki bring a Slavic alphabet and liturgy to Great Moravia.

    See it at: Devín Castle
  2. 1328

    Kremnica

    The mint of Kremnica starts striking gold ducats, famous across Europe.

    See it at: Museum of Coins and Medals Kremnica
  3. 1563

    Coronations

    Bratislava becomes the coronation city; 11 kings and 8 queens are crowned at St Martin's.

    See it at: Bratislava City Museum
  4. 1944

    The Slovak National Uprising

    An uprising against the Nazi-allied regime and the German army begins in Banská Bystrica.

    See it at: Museum of the Slovak National Uprising
  5. 1989

    The Velvet Revolution

    Peaceful protests end communist rule in Czechoslovakia.

    See it at: Slovak National Museum
  6. 1993

    Independence

    Czechoslovakia divides peacefully; Slovakia becomes independent.

    See it at: Slovak National Museum

Women who shaped Slovakia

The first woman novelist, a founder of women's education and the first woman president.

Terézia Vansová

Author of the first novel written by a woman in Slovak and editor of a magazine for women.

Elena Maróthy-Šoltésová

Writer who led Živena, the association of Slovak women founded in 1869, and fought for girls' education.

See it at: Živena
Zuzana Čaputová

A lawyer who became Slovakia's first woman president in 2019.

Artists to look for in Slovakia

From the tallest Gothic altar to Andy Warhol's roots.

Master Paul of Levoča

Carver of the tallest Gothic wooden altar in the world, finished in 1517.

Ľudovít Fulla

Painter of bright folk-inspired modern pictures.

Martin Benka

Painter of the Slovak mountains, villages and people.

Koloman Sokol

Graphic artist of powerful black-and-white prints.

Andy Warhol

Born in Pittsburgh to parents from the village of Miková in north-east Slovakia.

Taste Slovakia

Sheep cheese, dumplings and sauerkraut soup.

Bryndzové halušky

Small potato dumplings with soft sheep's cheese and crispy bacon, the national dish.

Kapustnica

Sauerkraut soup with sausage, mushrooms and plums, served at Christmas.

Oštiepok

Smoked sheep's cheese shaped in carved wooden moulds.

Lokše

Thin potato pancakes, with goose fat or sweet with poppy seed.

Parenica

Steamed, spun sheep's cheese rolled like a snail.

Traditions and festivals through the year

Carnival, Easter water and shepherd flutes.

Fašiangy – late winter

Carnival processions with masks, music and a burial of the double bass at the end.

Easter Monday – spring

Boys whip girls lightly with willow switches and pour water on them, for health and beauty.

Jánske ohne – midsummer

Bonfires on St John's Night in the hills.

Východná – summer

The oldest folk festival in Slovakia, in a village under the Tatras.

Christmas Eve – December

Kapustnica, wafers with honey and garlic, and carp.

Hidden story

A flute taller than a man

Slovak shepherds play a flute almost two metres long.

Read the storyClose

The fujara is a shepherd's flute about 1.6 to 2 metres long, played standing, with only three holes. Its deep, breathy sound carried across the mountain valleys where shepherds watched their sheep. Making and playing it is on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage, and village craftsmen still carve them by hand.

Tips for art lovers

Castles

Many castles are ruins on hills; wear good shoes.

Mountains

The High Tatras are great for walks; check the weather.

Trains

Trains run from Bratislava to Košice through the mountains.

Closed days

Many museums close on Mondays.

Slovakia: plan your visit with museumtickets.com

On museumtickets.com: 128 museums with photos, the way there and the museums nearby. Save your favourites in the free Culture Passport and, where the museum offers it, pay your admission in advance.

Getting there

Getting to Slovakia

From the airport to the city centre by public transport, then the trains and local lines to the museums.

Arriving by plane

BTS
Bratislava M. R. ŠtefánikBratislava

Getting around Slovakia

Lines and timetables change. Check the operator’s website before you travel.

On the map