Slovakia has a rich cultural heritage affected for better or for worse at regular intervals by other occupying peoples.  The impact of centuries of cultural repression and control by foreign powers is also evident in much of Slovakia's art, literature, and music.

Folk Art

Folk arts and crafts, which include wood carving, fabric weaving, glass painting and metal work, have a long tradition in Slovakia, especially in rural areas.  Examples of folk architecture, such as wooden churches and brightly painted houses, are found throughout the country. The development of folk art and crafts in Slovakia is well documented across an abundance of archaeological sites around the country.

www.vlkolinec.sk
www.napri.sk
www.slovakheritage.org
www.vychodna.com
www.gotocentraleurope.com

Folklore

Folklore is of enormous importance to Slovaks, who celebrate it through a great diversity of cultural events centred around the spoken word, performance, dance and song, with or without the accompaniment of music.  These folklore traditions are seen as extremely important in maintaining the identity of the various groups of people that make up the nation.  As a result, we have many festivals celebrating clan cultures.
Traditional Slovakian music is one of the most original in Slavic and European folklore.  Its oldest form is liturgical from the time of Great Moravia (9th century) which is the origin of the sacred music of the 15th and 16th centuries.  National Slovakian music was heavily influenced by liturgical and chamber music.
In the High Tatras region alone, there are four different languages spoken besides Slovak and each of these languages is fiercely protected by its people.

Festivals

Festivals in Slovakia take many forms and are performed in all corners of the country.  If you have not been to one, it is very difficult to describe, except to say that the combination of music, dance and theatre leaves an indelible picture of the people and their way of life.
Summer in Slovakia is the time for folklore festivals and almost every regions has a major event, the most famous being the Vychodna and Detva festivals held traditionally in the first and second weekend of July.  There are regular festivals held at Prybilina and Osturna which we try to incorporate into our cultural programme.