Slovakia's tourism industry has grown remarkably since independence. By the late 1990s the country was receiving more than 500,000 visitors each year. Slovakia’s historic towns and numerous mountain ski resorts are the more popular tourist destinations.

There's a refreshing absence of McDonald's-style commercialism that is rampant across Western Europe. Quaint and jovial with a surprisingly rich cultural life, Bratislava is a capital city without the usual congestion. The High Tatras are a magnificent range of mountains dotted with villages with deep peasant traditions. You'll find Slovaks to be an extremely helpful, pleasant people prepared to go out of their way to welcome you. From folk festivals, to castle tours to snow boarding and hiking you'll find Slovakia a spectacular country to visit.

Officially, The Slovak Republic came into existence on January 1, 1993. Except for a brief period during World War II, during which Slovakia was a protectorate state of Nazi Germany, the Slovak people have been subjected to domination by stronger political entities, such as the Czechs of the Czechoslovak federation, the Magyars of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the sovereigns of the Habsburg Empire.

Although the history of the Slovak people as expressed in the nation state is less than a decade old, Slovaks have existed as a unique entity for over 1500 years. Please browse either the overview of the entire history of Slovakia or select a topical issues to find out more.

The development of Slovak culture reflects the country's rich folk tradition, in addition to the influence of broader European trends. The impact of centuries of cultural repression and control by foreign governments is also evident in much of Slovakia's art, literature, and music.

There are 12 state scientific libraries in Slovakia, 473 libraries affiliated with universities and institutions of higher learning, and 2600 public libraries. The University Library in Bratislava, founded in 1919, contains more than 2 million volumes and is the country's most important library. The Slovak National Library (1863), located in Martin, includes a collection of materials relating to Slovak culture.

Slovakia is also home to more than 50 museums. The Slovak National Museum (founded in 1893), located in Bratislava, contains exhibits on Slovak history, archaeology, and musicology, and is probably the country's best-known museum. Other museums include the Slovak National Gallery (1948), also in Bratislava; the Slovak National Uprising Museum (1955), located in Bansk Bystrica; and the Museum of Eastern Slovakia (1872), in Kosice.

Fine Art and Architecture
Slovak modern art is influenced both by Slovakian folklore and European art and is represented today by numerous artistic associations.
Contemporary sculpture is divided between the old generation with artists like V. Kompanok and A. Rudavskym who are from a classical school, using traditional material, and the younger generation who use more original materials and are inspired by a more psychological approach. A Slovak school of painting emerged in the mid-19th century. Sculpture and architecture also developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, much of it heavily influenced by western European styles. Peter Michal Bohn and J.B. Klemens were among the best-known artists of this period. The work of landscape and figure painters Ladislav Medansk and Dominik Skuteck received widespread attention in the late 19th century. The cubist artist Ester Simerova-Martincekova and surrealist Imrich Weiner-Kral were influential in the early 20th century. Other important 20th-century artists include Ludovit Fulla, Mikulas Galanda, Martin Benka, and Mikulas Bazovsky. Dusan Jurkovic was an important architect of the early 20th century.
Among the well-known pieces of Slovakian art is the Venus of Monoravy dating from the Palaeolithic era, art forms from the stone and bronze age, as well as religious architecture from the Great Moravian Empire. In Slovakia, artistic tradition in several forms developed long ago.