Slovak Spectator

‘We do not accept any strong odours, especially the smell of curry’: Trnava gym posts notice in Hindi, Slovak and English
Indian residents question why gym’s hygiene warning specifically included Hindi.

New rose garden in eastern Slovakia offers a place to switch off
The Pilgrim’s Garden combines decades-old roses, art and spiritual tourism at a pilgrimage site in Vysoká nad Uhom.

Slovakia’s Andy Warhol Museum is back. It looks very different
The rebuilt museum in Medzilaborce has reopened with a Warhol hologram, immersive digital installations, a walkable green roof and more than 400 of the artist’s works.

Former theatre chief allowed to speak publicly about culture minister again
The Constitutional Court found that the Regional Court had interfered with his fundamental rights.

Robert Fico’s anti-fascism has a blind spot at home
The prime minister warns of fascism abroad while overlooking the extremists his own political camp has defended or helped legitimise.

Last Week: When the compass on your “four corners” foreign policy always points east
Fico’s supposedly multilateral approach actually means never blaming Moscow.

News digest: Slovakia’s largest multicultural festival faces FPU-related funding crunch
A strike alert in northern Slovakia, a Slovak win at the Canoe Slalom World Cup, and traffic restrictions in the capital for Saturday's night run.

The family betting on Slovakia’s rare grapes
Víno Kmeťo has grown from a small restored vineyard into a major winery known for Dunaj, Hron and its flagship Torysa.

‘They’re surprised by how nice the city is’: The food guide changing perceptions of Bratislava
From kapustnica to overlooked architecture, Jakub Slámka reveals what surprises foreign visitors to Slovakia’s capital.

Jake Paul makes surprise appearance at Košice Airport
The American boxer appears to have made a brief stop in eastern Slovakia to pick up his fiancée after a family wedding.

New bus service links Trenčín and Zlín, with a stop at a renowned Czech spa
The year-round service operates three times a day, including weekends and public holidays.

The coolest classroom in Slovakia might be in Zvolen
A selection of short feel-good stories from Slovakia.

Profits hold steady: Slovakia’s top family businesses in 2025
Family firms generated about €600 million in combined income, but the median profit fell as the gap between companies widened.

News digest: Why Fico wants Russian sanctions back on the table every six months
New turbines for the largest hydropower plant, Bratislava’s artisanal ice lollies, Ryanair keeps Košice–Malaga flying through winter.

Both my great-grandfathers left Slovakia for Canada. Their children later met and married in Montreal
Štefan Marejka left Turzovka in 1923, Michal Lukča left Holčíkovce in 1929.

‘Algorithms love conflict’: Which Slovak politicians ruled social media this summer
Opposition politicians dominated the rankings. Polls, provocative messages and a president filming himself from a car got people reacting.

Bratislava’s oldest gay club closes after 31 years
The owner of Apollon blames restricted opening hours and rising costs, but says the club could return elsewhere in the capital.

The airport bus numbered 911. New service links Vienna and Bratislava four times a day
FlixBus has launched a year-round connection between the neighbouring capitals.

What can fiction tell us about Bratislava?
Julia Sherwood, co-editor of a new anthology of Slovak writing, explains how 10 stories capture the changing voices, places and identities of the capital.

3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
Live music at Račianske mýto, traditional Slovak crafts in the Old Town and some of the world’s most promising young pianists.