Slovak journalist and public figure Kristína Tormová officiated a wedding ceremony on Thursday. Tormová, reflecting on the experience, expressed her love of weddings — noting she prefers attending others' ceremonies over her own, as they come without the stress of being the central figure, despite having been married twice herself.
As the summer holiday season reaches its peak, Slovak travelers are voicing complaints about service quality at airports and on train services across the country. Passengers have reported issues with conditions at airports and aboard trains, raising concerns about the country's transport infrastructure during one of its busiest travel periods of the year.
The public library in Veľký Krtíš, a town in southern Slovakia, is organizing a range of educational and cultural activities for local residents. Alongside its regular programming, the library is using the summer period to develop a permanent training room in the form of a creative workshop, which will be used for systematic educational sessions aimed at schoolchildren, students, and the general public.
Passengers on Slovak express trains are encountering a scaled-back catering experience as traditional restaurant cars have been replaced by so-called bistro zones — compartments equipped with little more than a portable refrigerator. The change has drawn criticism from travelers, who say the new setup falls short of the dining car service they previously enjoyed. Many passengers say they would welcome improvements to the on-board food and drink offering, suggesting demand exists for a more comprehensive catering solution on long-distance rail routes.
Slovakia's public defender of rights (ombudsman), Róbert Dobrovodský, has welcomed a legislative proposal to compensate women who were unlawfully sterilized, while stressing that the specific parameters of the compensation mechanism will be crucial to its effectiveness. The proposed law addresses a long-standing human rights issue in Slovakia, where women — predominantly from the Roma minority — were subjected to coercive or non-consensual sterilizations, a practice documented over several decades and condemned by international human rights bodies. Slovakia has faced repeated calls from European institutions to provide adequate redress to victims. Dobrovodský indicated that while the intent of the legislation is a positive step, the details of how compensation will be assessed and distributed will determine whether the law truly delivers justice to those affected.
A man who cultivated a marijuana plot near a chapel and harvested more than two kilograms of the drug has been convicted and faces a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years under Slovak law. The defendant had sought a suspended sentence rather than imprisonment. Instead of serving time behind bars, he will undergo residential treatment for drug addiction, a court-ordered measure reflecting both the severity of the offense and his dependency issues. Growing and possessing significant quantities of cannabis is a serious criminal offense in Slovakia, with penalties escalating sharply for amounts exceeding legal thresholds.
An international summer school has opened in Stará Lesná, a village in the High Tatras mountain region of northern Slovakia. The event runs from Sunday through Friday, July 24, bringing together participants for a week of academic and educational activities in one of Slovakia's most prominent natural and resort areas.
As summer temperatures soar across Slovakia, the country's national tourism promotion body, Slovakia Travel, along with regional tourism organizations, has recommended a selection of natural destinations where visitors can find relief from the heat. Caves, gorges, and historic mine tunnels — known as štôlne — scattered across Slovakia offer naturally cool environments that maintain low temperatures year-round, making them ideal destinations during hot weather spells. Slovakia is home to several internationally recognized cave systems, including the Domica and Demänovská Cave of Liberty, both of which maintain interior temperatures of around 8–12 degrees Celsius regardless of outside conditions. Gorges carved by mountain rivers similarly provide shaded, cooler microclimates suitable for hiking and relaxation. The recommendations are part of a broader effort by Slovak tourism authorities to promote domestic travel and highlight the country's natural heritage during the peak summer season.
A specialized summer camp in Slovakia is giving visually impaired children the chance to explore the world through hands-on experiences, helping them build confidence and independence in a safe environment. Participants took part in activities including archery and close-up encounters with nature — such as touching the legs of an ant — designed to stimulate senses other than sight and push the children beyond their usual boundaries. Such camps play an important role for blind and partially sighted children, who often have fewer opportunities to engage with the physical world around them. The program aims to combine adventure with safety, ensuring that participants can experience new challenges without unnecessary risk.
Caring for one's mental health is increasingly recognized not as a sign of weakness, but as a fundamental requirement for a healthy and fulfilling life. Mental wellbeing and psychological balance are gaining attention as essential components of overall health, with growing emphasis on accessible guidance and resources for maintaining emotional and mental stability.
A search operation at the Ľuboreč water reservoir in Slovakia ended in tragedy after divers discovered the body of a missing man on the bottom of the dam. Emergency services launched the search following the man's disappearance at the reservoir, with dive teams ultimately locating his remains on the floor of the water body. Ľuboreč is a reservoir in central Slovakia commonly used for recreation during warmer months, making drowning incidents an occasional risk at such sites.
Slovak gardeners and small-scale farmers continue to practice traditional tomato seed saving, a method that involves fermenting tomato juice to separate and clean viable seeds for future planting. The process relies on natural fermentation to break down the gel coating surrounding seeds, allowing strong, healthy seeds to sink and be separated from weaker ones. The technique, passed down through generations, allows growers to preserve specific tomato varieties and maintain seed independence from commercial suppliers.
A hospital pharmacist from the University Hospital of L. Pasteur (UNLP) in Košice, eastern Slovakia's largest medical facility, has issued practical advice for Slovak travelers heading abroad this summer, outlining the essential medications and supplies that should be included in a holiday first aid kit. The recommendations cover common travel health needs such as pain relief, digestive remedies, wound care, and sun protection, aiming to help vacationers handle minor medical issues without needing to navigate foreign healthcare systems.
A drunk driver without a valid driver's license caused a serious road accident near Medzev, a town in eastern Slovakia, injuring two Hungarian nationals who were traveling by motorcycle. The driver's passengers fled the scene without providing any assistance to the injured victims, an act that constitutes a criminal offense under Slovak law. The two motorcyclists sustained injuries in the collision and required emergency assistance. The incident raises concerns about road safety and the legal obligation to render aid following an accident, which Slovak law mandates for all parties present at the scene.
Slovaks named Dušan are marking their name day, a tradition widely observed across the country. The name Dušan, derived from the Slavic word for 'soul,' is associated with energetic and driven personalities, according to popular tradition. Name days are celebrated similarly to birthdays in Slovak culture, with friends and family offering congratulations.
Parents selecting summer camps for their children should pay close attention to online reviews and ensure programs offer a healthy balance of activities and rest, according to child welfare advocate Jozef Mikloško. Mikloško, a well-known Slovak public figure and children's rights advocate, recommends that camp schedules be varied and balanced, with sufficient room for both organized activities and downtime. He also stressed that programs should respect each child's individuality and personal limits, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
A Slovak festival organizer is facing scrutiny after disappointed attendees filed complaints about the event, which are now under investigation. The organizer has pushed back against the criticism, claiming to be fighting against much larger commercial rivals in a competitive industry. Authorities or a relevant oversight body are examining the grievances submitted by dissatisfied visitors, though the outcome of the review remains pending.
A police traffic operation in the Prešov region of northeastern Slovakia uncovered 188 violations, with officers detecting alcohol among three drivers and four cyclists. Authorities also administered three drug tests during the checks. Officers confiscated five driving licenses, four vehicle registration certificates, and one license plate as part of enforcement action. The operation highlights ongoing efforts by Slovak traffic police to curb impaired driving, which remains a persistent road safety concern across the country.
Around 10,000 people took to the streets of Bratislava on Saturday for the city's annual Pride march, with organizers and speakers framing the event explicitly as a protest rather than a celebration. Speakers on stage addressed the crowd with messages of resilience, with one declaring "I stand here despite the fear" — capturing the tone of an event held amid a political climate increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ rights in Slovakia. Slovakia, a predominantly Catholic country in Central Europe, has seen its ruling coalition — led by Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD party, a left-nationalist grouping — take a sharply conservative stance on gender and LGBTQ+ issues in recent years. The government has opposed same-sex partnerships and broader queer rights, leaving LGBTQ+ advocacy groups reliant on public demonstrations to keep visibility and political pressure alive. The Bratislava Pride march remains one of the largest annual gatherings in support of queer rights in the country.
A coalition of foreign diplomatic missions in Slovakia issued a joint statement expressing solidarity with participants of the Bratislava Pride march, using the message "We see you. We stand with you." The declaration signals continued international attention to LGBTQ+ rights in Slovakia, where the issue remains politically sensitive. Slovakia's ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD party — a left-nationalist grouping known for socially conservative positions — has been critical of LGBTQ+ rights advocacy. The diplomatic community's public show of support underscores tensions between Slovakia's international partnerships and its domestic social policy direction.