The land that is now Slovakia has been inhabited for 4,000 yrs – by Celts, Germanic tribes, Romans and Avars. In fact, Slovakia formed the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.
Slavic people arrived in the 5th-6th centuries. The first Slavic political entity here was the Great Moravian Empire, which also included parts of today’s Czech Republic. It flourished briefly in the 9th century. However, invading Magyars (ancestors of the Hungarians) conquered the Slavs and for the next 1,100 years, until the 20th century, Slovakia was part of the multi-national Hungarian Kingdom.
In the 13th century the Tatars invaded, decimating the population in central Slovakia.


Greek guide greece rhodes rhodos kos holidays vacation guides rhodos cos hotels rhodes hotel holiday vacations.Hungarian kings provided trading privileges and other incentives to settlers from Germany, attracted by the region’s rich mines of gold, silver and other metals. This explains the very Germanic appearance of many towns, such as Levoca, Kezmarok, Bardejov and others.
The next wave of invaders came in the 16th century – the Ottoman Turks swept into Europe and occupied Buda. The Hungarians moved the seat of their government to Bratislava – known by different names throughout history – Pressburg, Pozsony and Posonium. . These were Bratislava’s golden days, and you see the evidence in such buildings as the Primate’s Palace and Palffy Palaces.
By this time, Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, ruled by the Hapsburgs. That empire crumbled in World War I. In 1918, Czechoslovakia was created, with American President Woodrow Wilson as an important advocate of the new country. But soon after came the rise of the Nazis and World War II. In 1948, after the Allies defeated Germany, Czechoslovakia became part of the Soviet Bloc.
The leader of democratic, Western-style reforms, known as the Prague Spring of 1968, was 1st Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, Alexander Dubcek – a Slovak! The Soviets sent in tanks to quash the reform movement, and Czechoslovakia went back to Soviet-style government.
In 1989, the Soviet era ended with the "Velvet Revolution", and Czechoslovakia became a democratic state. The countries went their separate ways in 1993, in what is called the "Velvet Divorce", and Slovakia was finally independent. In mid-2004, Slovakia became a member of both the European Union and NATO.Greek guide greece rhodes rhodos kos holidays vacation guides rhodos cos hotels rhodes hotel holiday vacations rhodes rhodos greece greek kos holidays hotels

Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million. The Slovak Republic borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union.

Bratislava is the seat of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, the Government of the Slovak Republic, national ministries and the other central bodies of the state administration of the Slovak Republic. It is situated in the centre of Europe in the south-western part of Slovakia.
The outstanding location of Bratislava provides conditions for tourism and recreational sports in the area of the town and its near surroundings. The wide network of sport facilities serves not only the citizens but also visitors to the town.
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Kosice, the second largest city in Slovakia, is situated in the valley of the Hornad River and Kosicka kotlina (the Kosice Hollow), at the foot of the Cierna Hora Mountains in the north and the Slovak Ore Mountains and the Volovske Vrchy Hills in the west. From the east, the Kosice Hollow is bordered by the Slanske Vrchy Hills. To the southwest near the Hungarian border, the renowned Slovensky Kras Hills are situated.
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