Slovakia has struggled with a low international profile. Often
overlooked as the Czech Republic's little sister, it is a young country
with an old culture and history, and a people who are proudly Central
(not Eastern) European. Although for much of the twentieth century
Czechs and Slovaks lived together in one state, there are important
differences between them, differences that ultimately contributed to
separation in 1993 and the rebirth of a sovereign Slovak state.
Generally speaking, the Slovaks are more "Slavic" than the Czechs--their
pace of life is slower, and their spare time is more often filled with
friends, family, and music. They are known to be resistant to change,
yet change has been a constant in the state's short economic and
political history--from the fall of communism in the Velvet Revolution
of late 1989, to the Velvet Divorce of Czechoslovakia in 1993, to
widespread economic diversification, expansion, and global influence, to
European Union membership in 2004, and the adoption of the euro in
2009-- and they have adapted with quiet optimism. Slovakia has been
referred to as the economic "tiger" of Europe, and now that it has EU
membership and a healthy industrial economy, Europeans are starting to
take notice. Its popularity as a tourist destination has been growing
rapidly in recent years. Slovaks call their country the Heart of
Europe--a term that describes not only their geography but the Slovak
character, which is warm, deeply hospitable, and immensely proud.
Visitors who step outside Bratislava's Star� mesto (Old Town) and take
the time to explore the country beyond will discover a landscape of
plains, meadows, mountains, natural spas, and hundreds of ancient
castles, and a people at once modest, stoical, humorous, and responsive.
This book captures the essence of what makes the Slovak people unique
and explains something of the quirks and memorable aspects of their
lifestyle. It opens a window onto their inner world, their customs and
celebrations, and describes what to expect and how to behave in
different situations. While the country is not without its frustrations
for foreigners, most visitors succumb to its charms. Few have left
without yearning to return to "the little big country."
