Slovakia Spectator
Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0200Weekend: The time of fairs and grape harvest festivities
Here's what to do during the weekend of 4-6 September.
Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:12:00 +0200Parking at Bratislava’s Horský park no longer free
The privately owned Búdková Street car park now charges up to €10 a day after years of free parking.
Thu, 03 Sep 2026 05:43:00 +0200Firefighter’s helmet was destroyed by flames. The fire service did not have it examined
Firefighters questioned whether they could rely on the protective gear.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 22:15:11 +0200News digest: €30 million now, but what about the next drought?
Coalition MP pays €10,000 over false claim, Kaufland workers weigh strike, purchasing power falls, Holocaust film pulled.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:01:04 +0200Slovakia’s family businesses hold their ground
Our analysis of more than 1,400 companies shows they generated €18.7 billion in revenues last year – wholesale accounted for more than one-third.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:56:36 +0200Five Slovaks in court after newborn baby stabbed to death in England
Four adults face murder charges after Baby S suffered 33 wounds in Sheffield.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:07:20 +0200Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
A castle after dark, rarely heard music, Jewish heritage sites, queer horror and an autumn show for cactus obsessives.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:33:16 +0200Slovaks earn more, but can buy less than a year ago
Real wages fell for the first time in two and a half years, with public administration recording the sharpest drop.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:07:54 +0200Coalition MP to pay €10,000 after blaming investigator for murder case he never worked on
Roman Michelko reached a last-minute settlement with suspended police investigator Ján Čurilla.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0200How the Ottomans and the Little Ice Age reshaped present-day Slovakia
Floods, droughts and warfare transformed the landscape in the 16th and 17th centuries, changing what people grew, where they lived and how they defended themselves.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:32:00 +0200Farming the fields of Zázrivá
The government outlawed the three-field rotating system for farming.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:24:00 +0200After years of delays, country’s largest hydropower plant is getting new turbines
The €465-million Gabčíkovo overhaul will take a decade. The tender took almost as long, and critics say too much about the deal remains hidden.
Tue, 01 Sep 2026 22:29:00 +0200Bratislava cinema cancels Holocaust film after staff object to Israeli embassy involvement
The film about Jewish athletes persecuted by the Nazis will now be shown elsewhere.
Tue, 01 Sep 2026 21:56:00 +0200Kaufland nears record profit. Its workers are weighing a strike
Employees are voting on possible strike action after 19 rounds of talks failed to produce a collective agreement.
Tue, 01 Sep 2026 21:09:48 +0200Russia warned Slovakia over Ukraine compensation plan. Fico then put it on hold
Moscow said joining a commission assessing claims for war damage would be an “unfriendly step”. Fico’s government denies bowing to Russian pressure.
Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:43:03 +0200Places to visit in central Slovakia that recall the 1944 uprising
Around 40 sites, including museums, memorials, bunkers and former battlefields, are linked to the Slovak National Uprising.
Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:14:18 +0200Two extreme environments in Slovakia reveal bacteria unlike any seen before
One has adapted to an environment rich in heavy metals, while the other has evolved to survive in extremely salty water.
Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:36:22 +0200Road rules change in September. Here’s what you need to know
Extreme speeding fines rise to €1,300, e-scooters are largely banned from pavements and new rules apply to phone use at pedestrian crossings.
Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:59:00 +0200For 22 years, he explained Slovakia to BBC audiences. Now his job has disappeared
Rob Cameron on the Slovak stories that stayed with him – and a country he sees as increasingly divided.
Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:12:50 +0200News digest: When Harald V walked Bratislava’s streets and called Banská Štiavnica “fantastic”
Already a record year for Bratislava Airport, across-the-board cuts suggested across public administration, and where to find Jurassic Park in Slovakia.