Spectacular Slovakia

Peter chats to Michal Kaščák, Pohoda Festival founder, about what will follow after the festival was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19.

Ecuadorian Jorge Mancero, who is helping a community in northern Slovakia, sat down with Peter to talk about Čadca, Slovakia and Ecuador. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

The former royal town, Pukanec, has a rich history of mining, pottery and growing vines. But the story of Samko Šikeť of Pukanec is a whole new story. Presenter: Anna Fay Guest: Peter Dlhopolec

Spectacular Slovakia welcomes back Sergei (Russia) and Ingeborg (Norway), who live in Košice. This time, they will take listeners to the Belianske Tatry mountain range. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Volunteers Suna Uzun from Turkey and Sebastian Pellizzari from Austria talk about one of their first hikes in Slovakia. Did they find any gold at the top of Veľký Rozsutec in the national park Malá Fatra? Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Súľovské skaly, or the Súľov Rocks, are must-climb mountains for everyone as they offer much more than a hiking experience. Presenters: Anna Fay, Peter Dlhopolec

Anna and Peter talk about hiking Šíp peak, or Arrow peak in English, located in northern Slovakia. It’s time to pack up and seek out an adventure in the hills. Presenters: Anna Fay, Peter Dlhopolec

People in Slovakia are often inconvenienced by delayed trains and buses, but Briton Graham Strouts managed to avoid wasted hours at the train station by cycling all the way from Spain to Slovakia. Find out how he managed to cycle such a long way and what ultimately brought him to Bratislava, a place he has called home for over two years now, on this episode. Presenter: Anna Fay

Ingeborg Jørgensen and Sergei Batiashov reveal what their life in the capital of eastern Slovakia has been like in the last three years, what to do in Košice, and where to go. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Spectacular Slovakia sets out on a trip to Banská Štiavnica to relive an actual love story. Listen to how a bank, without money but filled with love boxes, preserves the old love story of Andrej Sládkovič and Marína Pišlová. Guest: Katarína Javorská Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

What would MasterChef judges say if they were served pampúchy? Peter has finally learned how to make Slovak doughnuts thanks to his grandma. Guest: Ľudmila Kučerová Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Spectacular Slovakia will take you for a walk near Bratislava in the first episode of 2020. Have a listen to learn more about two hills, Malá Baňa (Small Mine) and Veľká Baňa (Big Mine), and how to get there. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec Guest: Ľubo Mäkký (Hiking.sk) Map Guide: https://mapy.hiking.sk/?trasa=kpI23

The Spectacular Slovakia podcast will return with its first episode of 2020 on January 29. Get your candle ready. Why? Anna and Peter will explain in the teaser.

Listen to the last and festive Spectacular Slovakia episode of 2019. Peter will take you on a tour of Slovak Christmas traditions with help of Viktória, Janka, Katka, Alžbetka and Marek – five students from the Lutheran Grammar School in Bratislava. Sing along to some Slovak carols featured in the podcast. Veselé Vianoce and Happy 2020! Photo: TASR

Anna and Peter discover more spellbinding and unknown facts about Bratislava in this episode. Join them and you will learn why beer has long been considered liquid bread. Photo: TASR Book: Po stopách dávnej Bratislavy by V. Tomčík

James Thomson takes Peter on a tour around the biggest and best-known open-air market in the country, Trhovisko Miletičová, or simply Miletička. What will they find there? Photo: TASR

Anna and Peter will reveal where you can find the oldest Bratislava cinema and introduce you to a few forgotten Bratislava greats, including the iconic Schöne Náci. The latter even has something in common with one of the most successful US rappers. Photo: TASR Source: Po stopách dávnej Bratislavy by V. Tomčík

Ľubo Mäkký of Hiking.sk returns to Spectacular Slovakia to give listeners easy hiking tips in western Slovakia. He will take you to spectacular hills: Vápeč of the Strážovské vrchy range and Kršlenica of the Small Carpathians. Lace up your hiking boots! Photo: FB Vápeč - 956 m Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Ľubica Lacinová, a researcher at the Centre of Biological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, recalls communist times and the Velvet Revolution (Nežná revolúcia). Photo: TASR (The Velvet Revolution Square street sign)

With complicated grammatical rules and verb forms, Slovak is a tough language for foreigners to learn. But there's hope! Listen to student Ali to find out which Slovak-language courses you can take in Bratislava to improve your language skills. Photo: TASR Presenter: Anna Fay

How does a fun-loving American and her family celebrate Halloween in Slovakia? With a strobe light dance party, indoor trick-or-treating and some pumpkin carving of course! Experience a multicultural Halloween by proxy on this week’s episode of Spectacular Slovakia. Photo: TASR Presenter: Anna Fay

Anna and Peter will travel back in time, to the year of 1907, this week. Back then, people in the settlement of Černová, nowadays a borough of Ružomberok, demanded their native, Andrej Hlinka, consecrate their new church. Little did they know bloodshed would occur instead. Listen to the latest episode about the Černová Tragedy to find out more. Photo: TASR Sources: Historická Revue (history magazine), Tragédia v Černovej a slovenská spoločnosť - The Černová Tragedy and Slovak Society (book by R. Holec, 1997), Černová 1907 (book by R. Letz, 2017)

Mountaineer Ľubomír Mäkký of the hiking.sk website joins Peter in this week’s Spectacular Slovakia episode to explain why it is worth walking up to mountain huts in the High Tatras. Learn more about some cosy mountain huts and must-do (and manageable)hikes in the mountains on this week's episode. Photo: Chata pri Zelenom plese/Hut by the Green Lake (TASR)

Anna and Peter are inviting you to their listening party on this week’s Spectacular Slovakia. They will reveal just how many Slovak folk songs there are, but most importantly, they will play a few folk songs with whimsical lyrics. Can you help them fix a furnace that fell apart? A list of folk groups featured in the podcast by YouTube: Heľpan, Hradišťanka, Hromnica, Ištvánci, and Darinka & Milan Stingray. Photo: TASR

Peter and Anna talk about Martin Benka, a Slovak painter, in this week's Spectacular Slovakia. Join them on their quest to learn more about his life, paintings, and why he is important to the country's history. They will also tell you where to go to see his artwork and why he loved Amsterdam.

This week, Spectacular Slovakia spotlights the art of storytelling, a verbal craft typical for Slovak regions like the Hont Region. You can listen to two stories popular in the area: ‘The Bull on the Tower‘ and ‘How a Gypsy Prayed’. Aside from storytelling, you will also learn where the Hont Region, also called Poiplie, lies and what it has to offer. Presenters: Anna Fay, Peter Dlhopolec

Cardiffian Mike Valek, based in the Slovak town of Piešťany, compares and contrasts Slovakia and Wales on this episode of Spectacular Slovakia. He even mentions Owain Glyndŵr! Wait, who? Photo: Pixabay Snippets: Gwyneth Angharad (YouTube), Dinogad's Smock (YouTube) Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

American Hannah Falchuk taught English at a grammar school in Revúca, one of the Gemer Region centres. Listen to the latest episode to find out where to head out for a trip in the region and why to fall in love with this corner of Slovakia, despite some drawbacks. Photo: Slavošovce Tunnel by TASR Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Expat Talley Sjoberg Varney has lived in five different countries and travelled quite a lot as a child with her parents, too. Working as a school counsellor in Slovakia, T. S. Varney talks about mental health and how to cope with culture shock. Listen to “shoulds” and “should nots” when it comes to lifting your spirits. Presenter: Anna Fay Picture: Unsplash

This week, we’ll dive into the history of Slovakia as we discuss the 1944 Slovak National Uprising (SNP). He might not be Slovak, but James Thomson is a history devotee and knows enough to introduce us to this period of Slovak history. We’ll also tell you where to visit to discover more about the uprising. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec Photo: TASR

Anna and Peter have a chat about the best breakfast spots in Bratislava. They will tell you more about US and Slovak breakfast. No matter what time you listen to the episode, go get some breakfast!

American Talley Sjoberg Varney, who lives in Slovakia, has been a practitioner in aromatherapy for about 10 years. How can aromatherapy help us? Talley also talks about yoga, meditation, and their benefits. Namaste! Presenter: Anna Fay Picture: Pixabay

May I have your attention, please? We are sorry that your journey will take longer than planned. In the interest of safety and comfort, we are going to prepare you for your trip around Slovakia prior to your train departure. Listen to the podcast before your phone dies as there may not be a plug on the train to charge your phone. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec Picture: Zomri

Piešťany, one of several spa towns in Slovakia, is unique in several aspects. Mike Valek from Cardiff has lived there for four years. He joins Peter Dlhopolec to disclose what life in Piešťany is all about.

Jedáleň is a Slovak self-service canteen that was popularised under socialism. Years after the revolution, it was rediscovered as a hotspot for affordable, hearty meals. What kind of vibe does a jedáleň exude? What meals can you get there? And why do you need to come in before midday? Listen to this podcast and fall in love with the jedáleň. Guest: James Thomson Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec Photo: Bushra Ahmed Charif

This week’s Spectacular Slovakia episode will be about visits to the best art galleries in Bratislava. Is your favourite on the list? Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

“It’s lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them,” reads the 1885 book by American novelist Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A young boy, Huck, and a black slave, Jim, spend most of the novel on a raft travelling down the Mississippi River, the second largest river in the USA. Tourists can go on a similar adventure on the Dunajec River in northeast Slovakia, which serves as a borderline between Poland and Slovakia. Join Anna and Peter on their raft journey down the Dunajec.

Press play and discover out more about Bratislava, and most importantly, about Vilnius. Which capital is going to win the battle? Lithuanian student Ugnė Mažonaitė and American Anna Fay, who have experienced both of the capitals, talk about what these cities have in common and where they differ. What is Plus Plus Plus and why is it worth a visit in Vilnius? Why should you try kibinai, saltibarsciai and cepelinai? In which capital can people enjoy more parks? And where can you stumble upon an independent republic within the city? Listen to Spectacular Slovakia's Episode 42 to learn more. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Slovakia's biggest music festival, POHODA, is drawing near. Have you wondered why the festival starts on Thursday? How many types of toilets there are on site? Is the festival green? And how can #spolunapohodu help you get to the festival? Its international PR manager Suzanne Verschueren from Belgium popped by our studio to tell us more about what to expect from this year's edition at Trenčín airport. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec Photo: Michal Augustini/Pohoda

As the reformation movement expanded across Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Catholic Habsburg empire, which included Slovakia, began to oppress Protestants. Although reluctantly, Emperor Leopold I eventually allowed them to build their churches under strict conditions scribbled in Article 25 and 26. There are nearly 40 wooden churches in Slovakia today, but only four are truly articular and Lutheran. Sunday church service, weddings and baptisms are still held in them. Listen to Peter and Anna's stories from their visits to the churches, which Protestant Scandinavians are believed to have helped build.

Many people like to give back to their community, but few are as dedicated as American Jennifer Sturgeon, a full-time volunteer who has lived in Bratislava for two years now. Whether it’s organising a charity Christmas bazaar or smiling at strangers on the street, Jennifer does what she can to make Bratislava a better place, one act of kindness at a time. She has plenty of tips on how locals and foreigners can volunteer their time in Slovakia, including a creative and generous way to dispose of free hotel toiletries. Presenter: Anna Fay

With cliffs towering above and water raging below, a visit to Slovenský raj (Slovak Paradise) is not for the faint-hearted (or clumsy). But Briton Jacqui Fay, who worked as a diplomat in Bratislava for three years, insists it is well-worth a visit. This national park in eastern Slovakia, famous for its adventurous paths through waterfalls, gorges and ravines, is not just for fearless rock climbers. Presenter: Anna Fay

Briton Jacqui Fay worked as diplomat in Bratislava from 1995-1998 and has returned several times since to visit her daughter, Anna. Jacqui has many fond memories of life in Slovakia, including pancake races in Hviezdoslavovo námestie and broomball, a strange take on hockey involving witches brooms and tennis balls, in Železná studienka. Slovakia has experienced many monumental changes since Jacqui lived here, but one thing that remains the same is the warmth and generosity of the Slovak people, she insists. Listen to this former diplomat and her daughter discuss Bratislava then and now. Presenter: Annay Fay

How to put on a Slovak folk costume? Naomi Huzovicova has learned when her daughters joined the local folklore group in her town, and even a few years into their hobby she learns something new every year. “The attitude towards folklore has changed a lot in the 15 years I’ve been in Slovakia,” Naomi admits. Folklore music is still quite popular in Slovakia and people would often be able to sing at least a few folk songs. Are Slovaks losing their touch with their folklore culture? Listen to what Naomi has to say on the subject.

Everyone in Slovakia knows why Trnava is called the Little Rome. Hence, it is time for Massimo Guglietta from New Jersey to hear the legend, as well. Massimo, who is currently living in Trnava, joins Peter to chat about why he has fallen in love with the city. Its spirit, people, local football club Spartak Trnava, bike lanes, pub Zelený kríček (Green Bush) and club 69 are some of the things and places he loves the most. Listen to Massimo's stories, and you will also learn how he discovered Berlin in Trnava, where you find the best burgers, and why you should set out for a trip to Trnava.

Spring has sprung in the Slovak capital! Visitors can take advantage of Bratislava’s bike-sharing service, which invites tourists to try sightseeing on two wheels. How safe and enjoyable is it, though? James Thomson was cycling around Bratislava before it was cool and he can compare the situation now to some ten years ago. He and Anna Fay have tried the bike sharing service, and they both have some tips about the best routes around Bratislava and some scenic rides around the Danube. While the shared bikes are a step in the right direction for Bratislava in becoming more bicycle-friendly, there is still room for improvement. Presenter: Anna Fay

Everyone in Slovakia should go to Modra at least once in their life, says American teacher, Grace, who has lived in Modra for seven months (and has been the only American there, apparently). The once royal town was the home of one of the most shining personalities of the history of Slovakia, Ludovit Stur, who is also responsible for how difficult the Slovak language is. Modra is just a short bus or car-ride away from the capital and is a destination for wine lovers and those partial to (or curious about) majolica. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec

Dating a Slovak, or dating in Slovakia, sometimes has its peculiarities. Two Americans who live in Slovakia and date Slovaks talk about their own experiences in this week’s episode of the Spectacular Slovakia podcast. Do Slovak men talk a lot or should you be ready to do the talking? Are they huggers or less affectionate than Americans? Listen to Anna and Grace to find out. Presenter: Peter Dlhopolec The Spectacular Slovakia travel podcast is the latest addition to our range of travel-related products. This programme is part of The Slovak Spectator subscription, and our readers receive it every Thursday morning as part of their subscription. More information: Print+audio: shop.spectator.sme.sk/newspaper Online+audio: www.sme.sk/predplatne-spectator

Canadian Naomi Hužovičová talks about Easter cuisine and one of the weirdest traditions in Slovakia.

Skanzen is not a Japanese means of transport,. It is a name for open-air museums in Slovakia that show what village life once looked like. Each region has its own. Naomi Hužovičová has visited a few of them and has some useful advice for tourists who are up for an excursion into the past. Good news for parents - a visit to a skanzen is a child-friendly activity.