Slovakia is a Central European country, twice the size of New Hampshire, bordering Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine. It has a rich history, with settlements dating back 250,000 years. The Slavic people formed an empire in the 7th century, and the region was later conquered by the Magyars and the Ottoman Empire. Slovak nationalism grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, and after World War I, Czechoslovakia was formed. In 1993, Czechoslovakia separated into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Slovakia is less developed than its neighbors, with many rural regions and castles as top attractions. Flights, buses, and trains connect Slovakia to the rest of Eastern Europe.
Slovakia is a medium-sized country in Central Europe. It covers 18,900 square miles (49,000 square km), making it about twice the size of New Hampshire. It borders Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Ukraine.
People began living in Slovakia around 250,000 years ago, with large permanent settlements arising around 2000 BC. For the next few centuries the land passed from the Lusatians to the Calenderbergs to the Thracian tribes. Eventually Celtic tribes moved into the area, displacing most of the populations that had come before them.
In the 1st century, the Romans arrived, as did Germanic tribes, and the two groups conquered most of the region by the end of the 2nd century. The Huns moved and settled in the area during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, remaining there until the mid-5th century. It is widely believed that at some point in the 6th century Slavic groups began moving into the region, settling extensively, although there is some evidence to suggest they were already there.
The Slavic people united in the early 7th century, forming an empire under Samos and consolidating their power over much of present-day Slovakia for the first time. In the early 9th century Charlemagne joined the Slavs and conquered the rest of what was to become Slovakia. A few decades later a Slavic prince unified the whole region, creating the Great Moravian Empire. Over the next two centuries the Slavs would largely introduce Christianity and fight the Franks, at times losing control over portions of Slovakia.
In the early 10th century the Magyars conquered much of the Slavic lands, eventually forming the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarians resisted Slovakia against Tatar invasions and internal strife for the next few centuries, until the Ottoman Empire effectively destroyed the kingdom. However, the region of Slovakia managed to ward off Ottoman rule and came directly under Habsburg rule as Royal Hungary. Parts of Slovakia were captured by the Turks in the 16th century, but the region largely remained under Habsburg Austria and was the main site of fighting between the two powers.
Slovak nationalism grew during the 18th and 19th centuries, with Slovaks receiving help from Czechs in their struggles. In the early 20th century the Slovak people began to take power in the political process, resulting in a government backlash that suppressed many aspects of Slovak culture.
When the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed at the end of World War I, a joint republic was formed in 1918. Czechoslovakia, as the name suggests, grouped the Czechs and Slovaks, but also included the Ruthenians in the East. The new country also included sizable minorities of Germans and Hungarians. For the next twenty years Czechoslovakia remained free and democratic, alone among its neighbors.
After World War II, Czechoslovakia became a satellite of the Soviet Union. The country was completely under communist rule from 1948 onwards, with a brief lull in 1968 for a more liberal socialist state, which was crushed within a year by neighboring communist nations. In 1989, the Velvet Revolution began, which led to the fall of the communist regime.
In 1993 Czechoslovakia separated into two constituent nations, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Slovakia has continued to implement democratic and economic reforms ever since. While the country has had more trouble building its economy than its neighboring Czech Republic, it is steadily integrating itself into the world economy as a major player.
Many people like to visit Slovakia mainly because it is less developed than its closest neighbours. Slovakia is often seen as less pampered than its neighbours, with more open parcels of land and far more rural regions still living a traditional way of life. Many of Slovakia’s top attractions are castles and fortresses from the past millennium from various domains, including Cachtice Castle, Spis Castle, and Devin Castle, belonging to various Hungarian and Habsburg royalty.
Flights arrive daily in Bratislava from all major European hubs. Buses and trains also connect Slovakia to the rest of Eastern Europe and many tourists like to physically walk from neighboring Hungary.
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