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Slovakia sits in the heart of Europe, straddling the northwestern end of the Carpathian Mountains and forming a clear physical barrier between the plains of Poland to the north and Hungary to the south. The spectacular High Tatra alpine range runs along Slovakia's northeastern border, shared with Poland. Gerlachovský (2655m/8708ft) is the highest of the mighty Tatra peaks. Although almost 80% of Slovakia is over 750m (2460ft) above sea level, the portion south of Nitra is a fertile lowland stretching down to the Danube River, which forms the border with Hungary. Slovakia also shares borders with the Czech Republic in the northwest, Austria in the southwest and Ukraine in the east.

Slovakia

Slavic tribes occupied what is now Slovakia in the 5th century AD. In 833, the prince of Moravia captured Nitra and formed the Great Moravian Empire, which included all of present Central and West Slovakia, the Czech Republic and parts of neighbouring Poland, Hungary and Germany. The empire converted to Christianity with the arrival of the Thessaloniki brothers and missionaries, Cyril and Methodius, in 863.

In 907, the Great Moravian Empire collapsed as a result of the political intrigues of its rulers and invasion by Hungary. By 1018 the whole of Slovakia was annexed by Hungary and remained so for the next 900 years, although the Spis region of East Slovakia belonged to Poland from 1412 to 1772. After a Tatar invasion in the 13th century, the Hungarian king invited Saxon Germans to settle the depopulated northeastern borderlands. When the Turks overran Hungary in the early 16th century, the Hungarian capital moved from Buda to Bratislava. Only in 1686 was the Ottoman presence finally driven south of the Danube.

The formation of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1867 gave Hungary autonomy in domestic matters and a policy of enforced Magyarisation ('Hungarianisation') was instituted in Slovakia between 1868 and 1918.

In 1907 Hungarian became the sole language of elementary education. As a reaction to this, Slovak intellectuals cultivated closer cultural ties with the Czechs, who were themselves dominated by the Austrians. The concept of a single Czecho-Slovakian unit was born for political purposes and, after the Austro-Hungarian defeat in WWI, Slovakia, Ruthenia, Bohemia and Moravia united as Czechoslovakia. The centralising tendencies of the sophisticated Czechs alienated many Slovaks and, after the 1938 Munich agreement that forced Czechoslovakia to cede territory to Germany, Slovakia declared its autonomy within a federal state. The day before Hitler's troops invaded Czech lands in March 1939, a clero-fascist puppet state headed by Monsignor Jozef Tiso (executed in 1947 as a war criminal) was set up, and Slovakia became a German ally.

In August 1944, Slovak partisans commenced the Slovak National Uprising, which took the Germans several months to crush. In the wake of Soviet advances in early 1945, a Czechoslovak government was established at Kosice two months before the liberation of Prague. The second Czechoslovakia established after the war was to have been a federal state, but after the communist takeover in February 1948 the administration once again became centralised in Prague. Many of those who resisted the new communist dictatorship were ruthlessly eliminated by execution, torture and starvation in labour camps. Although the 1960 constitution granted Czechs and Slovaks equal rights, only the 1968 'Prague Spring' reforms introduced by Alexander Dubcek (a rehabilitated Slovak communist) implemented this concept. In August 1968, Soviet troops quashed democratic reform, and although the Czech and Slovak republics theoretically became equal partners, the real power remained in Prague.

The fall of communism in Czechoslovakia during 1989 led to a resurgence of Slovak nationalism and agitation for Slovak autonomy. After the left-leaning nationalist Vladimír Meciar was elected in June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the federation dissolved peacefully on 1 January 1993. Meciar lost the prime ministership in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in March 1994 because of a failing economy and his increasingly authoritarian rule, but after general elections a few months later, he was able to form a new coalition government.

Immediately after the elections, Meciar cancelled the sale of state-owned enterprises, halted Slovakia's privatisation scheme and threatened independent radio stations and newspapers with legal action if they dared criticise the government. Not surprisingly, many Slovaks started to lose patience with Meciar's heavy-handed rule. The passing of anti-democratic laws brought criticism from various human rights organisations, European leaders and US President Clinton.

The elections of 1998 saw Meciar ousted by the reform-minded Mikuláš Dzurinda, leader of the right-leaning Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK). His first years in power were dogged by poor economic performance, high unemployment and ethnic tensions with the country's Hungarian and Roma minorities.

Nevertheless, Dzurinda completely changed the course of recent Slovakian history by launching a policy of economic and social reforms and accelerated economic and political integration into western Europe. Perhaps goaded by the advances of their neighbours, majorities of parliamentarians and ordinary Slovakians voted in favour of key reforms. In the past few years prices of goods and services have risen dramatically in Bratislava and investment has poured in.

June 2006 parliamentary elections brought to power what some worry are anti-reform minded parties. The coalition headed by Prime Minister Robert Fico of Smer, a left-wing party, also includes Meciar's nationalistic HZDS. For now, despite contradictory statements early on, Fico is promising to keep Slovakia on track to Euro conversion in 2009. Time will tell which direction the government decides to go next.

Lyme disease is transmitted by deer ticks, which are only 1-2 mm long. Most cases occur in the late spring and summer. The first symptom is usually an expanding red rash that is often pale in the centre, known as a bull's eye rash. However, in many cases, no rash is observed. Flu-like symptoms are common, including fever, headache, joint pains, body aches and malaise. When the infection is treated promptly with an appropriate antibiotic, usually doxycycline or amoxicillin, the cure rate is high. Luckily, since the tick must be attached for 36 hours or more to transmit Lyme disease, most cases can be prevented by performing a thorough tick check after you've been outdoors.

The damp continental climate over most of the Slovak Republic is responsible for warm, showery summers, cold, snowy winters, and generally changeable conditions. Higher altitudes produce colder weather and more snow in winter. Summers everywhere are sunny and enjoyable, though air conditioning is not common, expect pleasant average highs around 26°C (78°F). Winters usually linger around 0°C (32°F), becoming quite icy at night in the mountains.

This 19th-century poet is regarded as one of the masters of Slovak literature. Other outstanding poets of the Slovak National Revival were Janko Kráf, Pavol O Hviezdoslav and Svetozár H Vajanský.

Petr Jilemnický's immense and visionary Chronicle is a literary landmark about the Slovak National Uprising.

A quasi-autobiographical, coming-of-age novel about a young man facing the challenges of communist Bratislava in the 1980s. The author was involved in the underground journals that preceded the Velvet Revolution.

Practically every day is a saint's day in the Slovak Republic, and 'special days', festivals and public holidays are widely acknowledged. Public holidays include New Year's Day (1 January), Three Kings Day (6 January), Labour Day (1 May), Cyril and Methodius Day (5 July) and Christmas (24-26 December). The Bratislava Lyre in May or June features rock concerts. From June through August, folk life festivals take place all across the country. Vychondná Folklore Festival, held in July, 32km (20mi) west of Poprad, is the biggest. Bratislava has a summer cultural festival that brings events to town. Classical music concerts are held from late September to mid-October as part of the Bratislava Music Festivals. Bratislava Jazz Days takes place one swingin' long weekend in September.

Slovakia is well-known as one of eastern Europe's prime hiking areas, with national parks in the High Tatras as well as in lower mountain ranges scattered nationwide. Gentle river float trips are possible on the Dunajec River in Pieniny National Park. The best skiing is in Jasná, Nizke Tatry; it's also very good in the Malá Fatra. With its uncrowded roads and beautiful scenery, Slovakia is exceptional cycling territory.

Sky Europe runs daily flights to Bratislava (BTS) from 22 European cities (usually alternate airports). Connecting from farther afield is a bit trickier, but Czech Airlines has frequent connections through Prague. Slovak Airlines flies to Brussels and Moscow (in conjunction with Aeroflot), albeit infrequently. Once a week Sky Europe flies between London Stansted and the Poprad airport, beneath the High Tatras.

Bratislava is only 64km (40mi) from Vienna. Buses link Vienna International Airport (VIE) and Bratislava's main bus station just about hourly. Direct trains connect frequently with Prague (4.5 hours), Budapest (three hours) and Vienna (one hour). One daily night train connects Bratislava with Moscow (33 hours) and one with Warsaw (10.5 hours). A daily train to Kiev (21 hours) passes through Kosice on its way from Budapest. From mid-April to September, you can take a hydrofoil on the Danube from Bratislava to Vienna (1.5 hours) or Budapest (four hours). Walking in and out of Slovakia can circumvent the hassle of buying an expensive international ticket. For example, you can easily walk across the bridge over the Danube River between Komárno (Slovakia) and Komárom (Hungary).

Trenciánske Teplice is a spa town in West Slovakia. Hiking trails lead into the green hills flanking the resort. The resort has a thermal swimming pool and five hot sulphur springs. Those with a taste for the exotic should also visit the hammam, a Turkish bathhouse in the middle of town.

The Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras) are the only truly alpine mountains in Eastern Europe and one of the smallest high mountain ranges in the world. Narrow rocky crests soar above wide glacial valleys with precipitous walls while the lower slopes are covered by dense coniferous forest.

Enhancing the natural beauty packed into this relatively small area (260 sq km/100 sq mi) are 30 valleys, almost 100 glacial lakes and numerous bubbling streams. A network of 600km (372mi) of hiking trails reaches all the alpine valleys and many peaks.

Bratislava is Slovakia's largest city and has been the capital since 1969. Here the Carpathian Mountains, which begin at the Iron Gate of Romania, finally come to an end. If travelling by train, you'll see vineyards on the slopes of the Little Carpathians, where they meet the Danube River.

Many beautiful monuments survive in the old town, reminders of its past under Hungarian rule. The city is also home to several surprisingly rich museums. Franz Lizst visited Bratislava 15 times, and the opera productions of the Slovak National Theatre rival anything in Europe.

Wave after wave of mountains rise to a crescendo in the peaks that encircle the Vratná Valley. Malá Fatra National Park was created in 1987 largely to protect this prime piece of real estate. Heavily forested summers are a symphony of green in the popular park. Trails, ski lifts and a cable car put you right among the scenery.

The excellent Museum of Jewish Culture (Múzeum Židovskej Kultúry) is in the grounds of Bratislava Castle. Displays on the history and culture of the region's much-persecuted Jews are in English and are deeply moving. Black-and-white photos show Bratislava's old Jewish ghetto and synagogue, which were demolished in the 1960s.

In the 17th century a mad Hungarian countess named Alžbeta Báthory (known as Bloody Liz to her mates) tortured and murdered more than 600 peasant women at Čachtice Castle (Čachtice hrad), where she was eventually imprisoned.

This castle, at the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, was the main Habsburg military bulwark. From here you can look across the river into Austria and south to Hungary just down the way. A small fort was built in the 13th century and a palace was added two centuries later.

The sprawling ruins of Spišský hrad are the largest in Slovakia, some claim in all of Central Europe. The fortress was first constructed in 1209, wrecked by the Tatars in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 15th century.