Slovak Spectator

More young Slovaks want to become police officers and soldiers. What changed?
Better benefits and recruitment campaigns are bringing results, but the police and armed forces still face major personnel shortages.

Russian phone numbers found in road cameras, PS says
The opposition wants the interior minister out as Fico plays down security risk.

The forgotten Slovak who jumped into Normandy during WWII
The story of Andrej Babjak was discovered by chance.

Russia’s big plan for the Baltics, a road-camera scandal, and a new mystery: Who stole the Danube?
A monthly look at disinformation and hybrid threats across Central Europe, the Baltics and Romania.

Tourist boom overwhelms tiny Slovak paradise. Police forced to ban cars from lake village
A 1970 single-seat chairlift has helped bring visitors back to the once-famous holiday resort.

Slovak firms face €70,000 hit for every extra degree of summer heat
Central bank study finds rising temperatures are squeezing revenues and profits, with agriculture, construction and manufacturing particularly exposed.

‘I can fix anything’: Blacksmith brings the clocks of Slovakia’s biggest cathedral back to life – for free
The timepieces at Košice’s Gothic landmark had been out of action for years – and its bells will soon ring out again.

Wizz Air swaps Greek beaches for the Balkans with new Bratislava route
Sarajevo flights start from €19.99 each way while the airline quietly drops Mykonos from its 2027 schedule.

News digest: Fires in national parks keep firefighters busy (+ photos)
Fico mocks Russian camera fears, Košice police charge two Lithuanians, and fancy a motorcycle at auction?

The Slovak town where you can pose at a 1950s American petrol station
The retro photo spot at a car museum in Brezno is one of two new family tourism projects in the region.

EU restricts ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging as new rules take effect in Slovakia
Food packaging containing PFAS above new limits can no longer be sold, while businesses also face new requirements on packaging and waste.

‘They have no water to cook, shower or flush toilets’: Drought hits villages near Košice
Around three quarters of the country is experiencing extreme drought.

Illegal blueberry harvesters target Slovakia’s Tatra National Park
Around 40 people were caught last Friday, while similar problems have been reported in other national parks.

Tax inspectors buy €1.20 ice cream and minutes later seller faces probe as customers step in and police are called
Authorities say the receipt was only issued after the inspectors revealed their identities.

The prehistoric mysteries hidden in Slovakia’s caves and valleys
From a 15,000-year-old archaeological landscape to the mysterious Moravian Venus, Slovakia is home to prehistoric sites of international importance.

News digest: A 500-km journey on one of Slovakia's hottest days. A bear travels to Poland
A suspected wartime naval mine is found in the Danube near Komárno, a favourite tourist hotspot abroad gets a bit too hot, and the public security agency warns that new traffic cameras are insecure.

Wages are rising surprisingly fast – so why don’t workers feel richer?
Salaries advertised by employers have jumped 7.4 percent in a year – but inflation is eating into the gains as stark divides emerge between sectors and regions.

A taste of Slovakia: bábovka, the marbled cake for Sunday (+ recipe)
Easy to make, pleasingly light and made for sharing, this cocoa-swirled cake is a staple of Slovak home baking.

Foreigners learn what really makes Slovak so difficult (in a fun way)
A selection of short feel-good stories from Slovakia.

One-of-a-kind supercar designed to rival Ferrari goes on display 30 years after its debut
Financial difficulties meant only one Innotech Mysterro prototype was ever built.