In Slovakia – a country rich in cultural and historical fortifications and ceremonial quarters – it is possible to count more than 100 castles and forts and at least twice as many mansions built in variol historical periods. Spiš Castle and its surroundings, the towns of Banská Štiavnica and Vlkolínec, the historical Šariš town of Bardejov and the wooden churches in the Carpathian Mountain Area are all listed in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
We should not forget the many spa centres with the beneficial medicinal effects of thermal and mineral waters such as Piešťany, Rajecké Teplice, Trenčianske Teplice and Spa Bardejov.
Its not only a long tradition of folk customs and rich culture of folklore that are characteristic of Slovakia. This young country is a dynamically developing modern society which a stable global place in the fields of science, culture and sports.
To emphasize the most popular achievements in sports: last year the Slovak national football team fought its way to the round sixteen of the World Cup in South Africa. Slovak ice hockey national team have reached even higher – the Slovaks won gold and the title of IIHF World Champion in Gothenburg in 2002. Until recently, Slovakia had the unflattering label of being the only IIHF World Champion country never to have hosted the Championship itself. The current IIHF World Championship has addressed the balance.