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Slovak Republic
Form of state: Republic
Capital: Bratislava (428 672 inhabitants)
Larger Cities: Košice (240 915), Prešov (92 687), Nitra (87 357), Žilina (86 685), Banská Bystrica (84 919), Trnava (70 191), Martin (60 772), Trenčín (58 872), Poprad (55 037), Prievidza (54 405), Zvolen (44 328)
Geographical information
Size: 49 037 km2
Height above sea level: 95 m (river Bodrog) - 2655 m (Gerlach)
Neighbouring countries: Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria
Population
Total population: 5 401 000
Population density: 111/km2
Official language: Slovak
Nationalities: Slovak (85,8 %), Hungarian (9,7 %), Romany, Czech, Ruthenian, German, Ukrainian, Polish, others.
Time zone: Central European time (GMT +1 hour), daylight savings beginning on the last Sunday in March and ending on the last Sunday in October - GMT+2
Climate
The Slovak Republic is located in a moderate zone with characteristic changes of season. The average daily temperature is -2ºC in winter and 21ºC in summer. The coldest month is January; the warmest are July and August. Snow remains on the ground an average of 130 days per year in the highest elevations.
Currency: Slovak Crown (SKK), 1 SKK = 100 hallers (h)
Visa and other necessary documents
Valid personal ID card is enough for the citizens of the European Union. The list of the countries the citizens of which need valid visa for entrance into Slovakia can be found on the web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of SR www.foreign.gov.sk or information can be received directly on the relevant embassy.
Insurance
Except ordinary travel insurance when one does mountain-tours, insurance is needed to be organized in case the mountain rescue intervention is needed. In some areas this insurance is part of the tourist fee. For further information about insurance and its purchase, please contact any of the tourist information offices.
Medical services
In every bigger city there is a hospital. In smaller towns and tourist areas ambulances and drug-stores can be found. The drug-stores are open during working days mainly from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., during weekends and public holidays there is always one drug-store in a city which is open 24 hours a day.
Before arriving to Slovakia it is recommended to establish a health-insurance that is usually part of package of travel insurance.
In case of need for medical intervention call 112 or the specialized rescue service.
Rescue service
Air rescue service 18 155
Road service (ASA Slovakia) 18 124
Mountain rescue service 18 300
Water rescue service 02/5263 4407
Important telephone numbers:
SOS, emergency calls 112
Police 112, 158
ÚAMK - Slovakia (dispatching and information service to motorists, 24/7 crash and emergency) road service – 0123
Ambulance/Rescue 112, 155
Fire/Rescue 112, 150
Information about train connections in our country as well as in Europe - 18 188
Rescue line 0850/111 313 - (telephone advices of experts regarding how to administer first aid and what to do in situations of life-threat)
How to make phone calls
International dialling code of SR: 00421
Mobile operators operating on the territory of SR: Orange, T-mobile, Telefónica O2
Slovakia is covered very well with mobile telephone networks that make it possible to realize phone calls also from some of the Tatra peaks. Only the very outlying territories are without signal.
In the cities, public phone booths can be used that operate on coins or telephone cards. The cards can be bought at the post offices or in some of the news-stands.
Non stop information about telephone numbers (charged):
Directory assistance for Slovak numbers 1181
Directory assistance for foreign numbers 12149
Where to acquire information
Information regarding traffic is provided in every tourist-information office or at the foreign branch of the Slovak Tourism Agency. The personnel of every tourist agency will be happy to plan your trip. Tourist information can be acquired also on the telephone number 16 186 (charged). If you want to get information from other city and its neighbourhood, different from the one in which you are at the moment, please, indicate the local area code before the telephone number itself (e.g. if you are in Bratislava and you need to get information from the city of Trenčín, call (0)32/16 186).
Gastronomy
Slovakia has a over 2 000 restaurants of mid- to high-class that are comparable to West European standards. European continental cuisine is commonplace, but there are regional and foreign specialties as well - from Slovak specialties in the north to Hungarian cuisine and specialties of Danube fisherman in the south of Slovakia. Restaurant tip is usually 5 - 10% of the price.
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