Did You Know

Interesting Facts about Slovakia

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Slovakia.

Speed

Did You Know?

19 curious facts about Slovakia.

Slovak violin virtuoso Charles (Karol) Dobias has been concertmaster with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet orchestra, the Stratford Festival orchestra and the National Ballet orchestra.
The national emblem of Slovakia is a red Gothic shield with a silver double cross mounted on the central peak of three blue mountains, which represent the three ranges of the Carpathian mountains (Tatra, Fatra, Matra).
The hill known as Krahule near the town of Kremnica, Slovakia, is the geographic centre of Europe.
Svätopluk I, Ruler of Great Moravia from 871 to 894, is considered the greatest leader of the first western Slavic state. Under his reign, Great Moravia reached the peak of its power and territorial expansion.

For special events, such as weddings and festivals, many Slovaks wear traditional clothing. There are more than 60 regional styles. Most feature white shirts and blouses with elaborate embroidery, sometimes in gold or silver thread..
Wine-making in Slovakia is a tradition that goes back more than 2,000 years. The towns of Pezinok and Modra in western Slovakia, near Bratislava, are famous for their wines.
In the Middle Ages, Slovakia was a centre for gold and silver mining. In the 15th century Slovakia produced 40% of the world's gold and 30% of its silver. Today, the mining town of Banská Stiavnica is being restored with the help of a grant from UNESCO.
Slovakia manufactures more ice hockey pucks than any other country in the world.
Michal Martikan of Slovakia won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games for whitewater slalom canoe at the age of 17, the youngest person ever to win gold at this sport. It was also the first Olympic gold medal for Slovakia after its separation from the Czech Republic.
Before the 18th century, there were no medical schools in the entire Hungarian Empire. Doctors were usually trained in Germany or Italy. In 1770, the first medical school was established at Trnava University.