A Hidden Gem

globetrotters society journal

A hidden gem

Slovakian Ambassador to Indonesia HE Stefan Rozkopal explains how Slovakia’s tourism is up and rising. Tyara P Hansel writes

Besides Indonesia, HE Stefan rozkopal also serves as Slovakian Ambassador to Singapore, Democratic Republic of TimorLeste, the Philippines, and Southeast Asian Nations Assocation (ASEAN). The diplomat is also a polyglot; he speaks English, Bahasa Indonesia, Russian, German, and Polish.

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fine settings from top opposite page

Bratislavský hrad or Bratislava Castle; the Jaskyna Domica cave this page

Castle Bojnice is a Romantic castle with some original Gothic and Renaissance elements built in the 12th century in Bojnice

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country located at the centre

of Europe, bordering with the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, and Austria. Slovakia, if compared to Indonesia, is a very small country with a total area of 18,933 square miles.

In spite of being such a small country, Slovakia boasts diverse natural assets: tall mountain peaks, extensive forests, meadows, and pastures, not to mention its beautiful flora and fauna. There are also extinct volcanoes, canyons, caves, abysses, grand rivers, waterfalls, mineral springs, and many more. Slovakia, in comparison to other European countries, is densely forested—most situated in the Carpathian mountains. The oldest forest is the Tatra National Park; the smallest, the Pieniny National Park; and the largest, the Nízke Tatry National Park.

Travellers can find one of the largest caves in the world in Slovakia’s Slovensky raj National Park, and the country’s National Park of Poloniny is inscribed onto the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Natural Wonders

Many songs and poems present Slovakia as the land between the Tatras and the Danube. The Tatras are considered the gem of the West Carpathian Arch, which occupies a great part of Slovak territory—in the western and eastern parts. The most visited and most popular range is the High Tatras, which is “built” of resistant granite and crystalline shale rocks and is known as the tallest mountain range in Slovakia (Twenty-five of its peaks are taller than 2,500 m).

The Tatras was formed by glaciers and is home to a wonderful set of natural beauties: glacial valleys, cirques, lakes, waterfalls, and peaks. The Tatras is often referred to as “the miniature Alps”, as on a small area of 341 square kilometres, it offers everything found in the Alps with the exception of glaciers. The peaks of the Tatras are also the tallest in the whole Carpathian Arch.

“We have plenty of beautiful caves opened to public for free, including icy caves with ice whose age goes beyond hundreds of thounsands of years, and aragonite caves, which are among the world’s largest caves,” said HE Stefan Rozkopal.

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The most important caves in the country include Demänovská jaskyna, Dobšinská l’adová jaskyna, and Domica, most of which can be visited in a company of a guide. The underground cave system of Slovenský kras and Aggtelek karst was inscribed as the first natural beauty of Slovakia onto the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1995.

City Life

The capital of Slovakia is Bratislava. It spreads along both banks of the Danube River in the extreme southwestern part of the country within a short distance from both the Austrian and Hungarian frontiers. There are only a few cities in Europe that boast a fine setting like Bratislavas.

Its position on the confluence of the Danube and Morava River endows Bratislava with the special atmosphere of a central European metropolis. It used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary; now the country has turned into a modern city and important centre of commerce and industry in Eastern Europe.

“Slovakia offers many possibilities in the field of hospitality, business, and MICE—all can be enjoyed in big urban cities or in tranquil yet well-equipped mountainous resorts. Beautiful castles, châteaux, palaces and many historic architectures deliver a full-scale cultural experience to visitors. In 2012, the second-largest city of Slovakia, Košice, was bestowed with the title ‘The Capital of European Culture’, bringing an honour to Slovakia while confirming the quality and beauty of this city, region, and country,” the ambassador explained.

While the conspicuous assets of Bratislava are its castles and the Church of St Martin, Košice—the metropolis in the east of Slovakia—takes pride in its importance: the Cathedral of St. Elisabeth from the 14th century, which happens to be the largest Gothic temple

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A Skier’s Paradise

The universal beauty and diversity of Slovakia, complemented by favourable climatic conditions, cultural, and historic sights, and a variety of folklore attract more and more visitors to Slovakia every year.

The main interests are concentrated on cultural and historic sights (Bratislava, Trnava, Levoca, Košice, and Bardejov), summer tourism and ski resorts (in the High Tatras and Low Tatras, Mount Vel’ká Fatra, and Mount Malá Fatra), and ethnographic centres and folklore events (Martin, Východná, Zuberec, Pribylina, Cervený Kláštor), as well as thermal swimming pools (Dunajská Streda, Štúrovo, Diakovce, Piešt’any, Bojnice, and Bešenová). Spa towns have special categories and have become popular tourist attractions in Slovakia as they provide good facilities, a pleasant environment, and geothermal healing water.

Slovakia can easily be called a tourist’s paradise for its ski resorts. The Tatras range, for instance, has the ideal natural condition for winter sports. Slovak and foreign tourists mainly visit the West Tatras, the High Tatras, the Belianske Tatras, the Low Tatras, the Malá Fatra mountains, and the Vel’ka Fatra mountains. The High Tatras

ranks among the most attractive regions in Slovakia with a wide variety of hiking possibilities.

Trbské Pleso and its Dream Area are famous for their perfect terrains for snowboarding.

More demanding skiers usually visit Tatranská Lomnica, or take the ski lift to Skalnaté Pleso, where there is a fantastic ski event until the end of May. There are also ski areas equipped with machines that can produce artifical snow in the lower terrains of Skalnaté Pleso.

Slnava, the Orava dam, Liptovská Mara dam, Domaša dam, and the Zemplínska dam are among the favourite places by the riverside during the summer. The hydroelectric system of Gabcíkovo on the Danube and the artificial water reservoirs in Štiavnické vrchy are becoming more popular for tourists. In the southwestern part of Slovakia, a great number of thermal swimming pools can be found in Senec, Galanta, Dunajská Streda, Oravice, Bešenová, Liptovský Mikuláš, and Poprad—all pools were formed by a geothermal process by which the hot rocks below the surface of the earth are close enough to warm pools of water on the surface.

Insider Tips

“You can explore Slovakia anytime of the year, depending on your weather preference.

There are many people who prefer winter over summer. The winter in Slovakia usually starts

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winter solace this page

Dobsinska Ladova Jaskyna Ice Cave opposite page from above

Ski resorts in Slovakia are ubiquitous.

They're usually concentrated on the High Tatras and Low Tatras, Mount Vel’ká Fatra, and Mount Malá Fatra areas; Lanovka na Lomnicky

Photos: private doc

in Slovakia. Adults and children alike love to spend their Sunday afternoons on the charming central square, playing around the fountain.

at the end of November and lasts until the end of February. During this time, you’ll find fogs, rain, snow, hail, heavy rain, or heavy snow with temperatures ranging between 0 and -15 degrees Celcius. The whole countryside is beautiful, as it is covered with white snow, and the sunshine makes everything shimmer in silver sparkles.”

“However, I don’t recommend Indonesians to visit Slovakia in wintertime. I suggest that Indonesians explore our country in between April and October. At this time, you experience the spring, where everything blooms; the summer, where you see forests radiate in green and fresh harvests everywhere; and the autumn where nice, soothing breezes colour the countryside with fresh air. During this time, the weather is friendly, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 36 degrees Celcius.”

In addition, HE Stefan also explained to us about Slovakian food. “Try the roasted goose in one or two small cities not far from Bratislava, such as Slovenský Grob or Chorvástky Grob. We love to eat everything including beef, lamb, poultry and fish. Slovakia is a small country but every region has its own culinary features and specialities worth giving a try. However, I do recommend that you ask before you eat­—whether the food contains anything that’s considered non-halal, such as pork or lard, or not. Oh—one more thing, just don’t forget to savour the fantastic Slovakia wines and cheese,” the ambassador said, wrapping up the interview.

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