 No
other European country has as strong
and diverse folk traditions as Slovakia.
Not surprising, considering that Slovakia
has been at the crossroads of both
traders and invaders for millennia
– bringing goods and ideas from
many other cultures and stimulating
creativity in the making of everyday
objects, entertainment and celebrations.
Helping to keep colorful local traditions
alive is the mountainous terrain,
which isolated and insulated communities
from each other and the homogenizing
influences of cultural "progress".
People in some Slovak villages
wore folk costumes until the mid-20th
century – both to preserve tradition
and as a sign of resistance.
While the country is now firmly in
the 21st century, Slovaks take great
pride in the distinctive music, dance,
handicrafts and folklore that have
been handed down through the generations.
Come and see it in museums,
like the one-of-a-kind tinkers’
exhibit of figures made out of metal
wire in Zilina’s Povazie Museum.
Or the glittering icons and
painted Easter eggs produced
by the Rusyn/Ruthenian people of Eastern
Slovakia showcased in Bardejov’s
Saris museum. You can also shop
for exquisite items made by contemporary
artisans to bring home.
 Step
back in time at any of 10 "open-air"
architectural museums where
peasant houses, churches and other
structures from centuries ago –
all reflecting building traditions
of a particular region and/or ethnic
group -- have been assembled and preserved.
Attend a performance of folk
dance or music regularly given in
Bratislava. Or at one of
the many folk festivals
held all around the country.
If things folk
interest you, keep a lookout for the
words "ethnography"
or "ethnographic museum"
– that’s the term used
to denote everything related to folk
traditions.
From clay houses to wooden
churches constructed without a single
nail, water mills, and even homes
hewn like caves from volcanic hills,
you will marvel at the ingenuity of
Slovak building traditions and the
respect and care with which these
historic structures have been preserved
or restored.
Places to see folk architecture:
 
For hundreds of years tribal-looking
geometric white designs have been
painted on the dark wood exteriors
of homes in one of the loveliest villages
in the country. Locally made embroidery
and other craft items are sold at
the museum, which occupies one of
the houses.
More info: www.muzeum.sk
Home of Slovakia’s best folk/ethnographic
museum (Slovak National Museum’s
Museum of Ethnography) includes an
open-air exhibit of 50 folk structures
from the end of the 19th century.
Buildings representative of all of
Slovakia’s regions were brought
here, including houses, church, farm
buildings, village school, blacksmith’s
workshop, wind and water mill, timber
mill, bridge.
More info: www.snm.sk/?lang=eng§ion=sidl&org=5&id=21
 
Remarkable living village of traditional
Carpathian mountain log homes, designated
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
More
info
 One
of the best open-air museums, the
Museum of Liptovska Village
showcases folk architecture saved
from several villages flooded when
a nearby dam was built. This is the
most complete representation of a
typical Liptov region village, including
a nobleman’s manor house, peasants'
homes, a school, church and other
structures.
More info: www.lhradok.sk/muzeum/skanzen-eng.html
A living museum, this is the only
inhabited traditional agricultural
village where you can also
stay in any of 200 historic houses.
Located near the magnificent Tatra
Mountains.
More info: www.spectacularslovakia.sk/ss2002/high_tatras_ascii.html
 
The Orava Open-Air Folk Museum has
about 20 traditional wooden buildings,
including a 15th c. wooden Catholic
church – one of the oldest in
Slovakia. Simple on the outside, the
church has elaborate 17th c. folk
paintings inside.
More info: www.zuberec.sk
People started digging caves in the
volcanic hills here 400 years ago
to hide from marauding Turks. These
refuges were expanded over the centuries
and transformed with all the comforts
of home, including windows and, today
– even electricity and plumbing.
Still used as residences, two now
have become a museum (Skalne obydlia).
More info: www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=pamiatka&ix=sob
Towns where you will find
other open-air museums/folk architecture
reserves.
For more information
on each open air museum can be found
at:
www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=1zoznam_en
 
Slovakia has the highest density
of centuries-old wooden churches anywhere
in Europe. Weathered, dark wooden
shingles seem to ripple and flow,
like snakeskin, over these organic-looking
structures, mostly located in northeastern
Slovakia.
More information: www.museum.sk/dostol/defaulte.php
?co=e_dostol
For a map of wooden churches
churches www.museum.sk/dostol/defaulte.php
?obj=&ix=e_mapa
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Distinctive Slovak folk art
includes naïve/primitive painting
on wood or glass, sculptures of wood,
stone or clay with pastoral or religious
themes, painted Easter eggs, woodcut
prints.
Traditional handicrafts include:
Embroidery, lace, ceramics
(faience or majolica), metal (wrought
iron, handcast cowbells, tin and steel
wire creations), wood carvings, fabrics
with intricate woven or dyed decorations,
costumes, baskets and other items
woven from straw/grass/cornhusks.
Where
to see folk arts and crafts:
Orava
Gallery and Slanica Island of Art
Click
here for more information.
Slovak
National Museum/Museum of Ethography
(Martin)
 Best
collection of folk art , handicrafts
– including folk costumes with
distinctive embroidery designs and
patterns for each region.
More info: www.snm.sk/?lang=eng§ion=sidl&org=5&id=21
Saris
Museum
(Bardejov)
Known for excellent collection of
icons
[see Museum
section]
Wooden
churches in Eastern Slovakia
(Bardejov and Humene regions)
Some of best icons are still within
churches.
More info: Churches/Cathedrals
Gallery
of a Naïve Art (Galleria insitneho
umenia)
(Pezinok)
Located in a reconstructed mill, this
museum features more than 100 works
by major Slovak naïve artists.
Administered by Slovak National Gallery.
More info: www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=galeria&ix=snggiup
Slovak
National Museum
(Bratislava)
Haban ceramics collection. The Haban
or Anabaptists were persecuted elsewhere
in Europe and settled here in the
17th century.
Tinkers'
Exhibit (at Povazie Museum in Zilina)
(Zilina)
Until you see these creations, you
won’t know why you should go.
Tinkers create decorative and practical
objects out of metal wire, which can
be gold- and silver-plated and as
intricately woven as lace. More than
300 items of this unique Slovak folk
art are housed within a giant birdcage-like
structure (made out of wire, naturally).
Life-size human figures, birdcages,
jewelboxes, baskets, fairy tale creatures,
animals and birds. Tinkers of this
area invented the modern shopping
cart!
More info: www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?
obj=muzeum&ix=pvm_en
Beekeeping
Museum
(Kralova)
More than just about the techniques
of caring for bees, this museum includes
folk art objects -- carved wooden
decorations for beehives, often representing
the owners.
More info: www.museum.sk/muzeum/defaulte.php?co=mvns
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(Ustredie l’udovej umeleckej
vyroby)
Stores throughout Slovakia sell folk
art and crafts by contemporary craftspeople.
Main showroom in Bratislava, but shops
also located in Banska Bystrica, Bardejov,
Piestany, Tatranska Lomnica, Prestov
and Kosice. ULUV is an organization
dedicated to encouraging the development
of folk artists and craftspeople,
as well as cooperation between producers
and designers. They also offer craft
workshops.
More info: www.uluv.sk
Another chain of shops offering paintings,
toys, ceramics and other items by
Slovak artists and craftsman. Stores
are located in Trencin, Zilina, Kosice
and Bratislava.
More info: www.remesla.lawit.sk.
Interesting site on Slovak
folk artists: www.slovakheritage.org/Folkartists/folkartists_home.htm
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Slovak folk dance and music groups,
such as the Slovak State Folk Ensemble
(or SLUK – www.sluk.sk),
the Lucnica ensemble (www.lucnica.sk),
the Sarisan ensemble of Presov (www.sarisan.sk)
and others have performed around the
world.  You
can find performances in the major
cities throughout the year, or during
the many folk festivals (below). Folk
dancing is also a living tradition
in Slovak villages, where it is enjoyed
at holidays, weddings, and other celebrations.
Slovak folk music uses an extraordinary
205 different kinds of instruments.
Best known is the fujara – similar
to a bassoon – traditionally
played by shepherds. The making of
fujaras, pipes and violins is also
a craft practiced by hundreds of Slovaks
to this day.
FOLK
FESTIVALS
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