UNESCO World Heritage Sites The World Heritage Convention was adopted by UNESCO in 1972 to protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage. Each year sites from the around the globe are nominated for inclusion on a list of World Heritage sites. The following are the Slovak sites that have been accepted by UNESCO and their date of acceptance. The complete list can be found at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list. The brief descriptions are taken from the website. Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity (1993) Over the centuries, the town of Banská Štiavnica was visited by many outstanding engineers and scientists who contributed to its fame. The old medieval mining centre grew into a town with Renaissance palaces, 16th-century churches, elegant squares and castles. The urban centre blends into the surrounding landscape, which contains vital relics of the mining and metallurgical activities of the past. Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments (1993) Spišský Hrad has one of the largest ensembles of 13th and 14th century military, political and religious buildings in eastern Europe, and its Romanesque and Gothic architecture has remained remarkably intact. The extended site features the addition of the historic town-centre of Levoča founded in the 13th and 14th centuries within fortifications. Most of the site has been preserved and it includes the 14th century church of St James with its ten alters of the 15th and 16th centuries, a remarkable collection of polychrome works in the Late Gothic style, including an 18.6 metre high alterpiece by completed around 1510 by Master Paul. Vlkolínec (1993) Vlkolínec, situated in the centre of Slovakia, is a remarkably intact settlement of 45 buildings with the traditional features of a central European village. It is the region’s most complete group of these kinds of traditional log houses, often found in mountainous areas. Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst (1995) The variety of formations and the fact that they are concentrated in a restricted area means that the 712 caves currently identified make up a typical temperate-zone karstic system. Because they display an extremely rare combination of tropical and glacial climatic effects, they make it possible to study geological history over tens of millions of years. Bardejov Town Conservation Reserve (2000) Bardejov is a small but exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a fortified medieval town, which typifies the urbanisation in this region. Among other remarkable features, it also contains a small Jewish quarter around a fine 18th-century synagogue. Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (2007) The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathian, an outstanding example of undisturbed, complex temperate forests, constitute a transnational serial property of ten separate components along a 185 km axis from the Rakhiv Mountains and the Chornohirskyi Range in Ukraine, west along the Polonynian Ridge, to the Bukovské Vrchy and Vihorlat Mountains in Slovakia. They contain an invaluable genetic reservoir of beech and many species associated with, and dependent on, these forest habitats. They are also an outstanding example of the recolonization and development of terrestrial ecosystems and communities after the last Ice Age, a process which is still ongoing. Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of the Carpathian Mountain Area (2008) The Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area inscribed on the World Heritage List consist of two Roman Catholic, three Protestant and three Greek Orthodox churches built between the 16th and 18th centuries. The property presents good examples of a rich local tradition of religious architecture, marked by the meeting of Latin and Byzantine cultures. The edifices exhibit some typological variations in their floor plans, interior spaces and external appearance due to their respective religious practices. They bear testimony to the development of major architectural and artistic trends during the period of construction and to their interpretation and adaptation to a specific geographical and cultural context. Interiors are decorated with paintings on the walls and ceilings and other works of art that enrich the cultural significance of the properties. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage To supplement its list of the world’s cultural monuments, UNESCO has developed a new list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. It includes “traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.” Below are the Slovak contributions to this list. Fujara and its music (2008) The Fujara, an extremely long flute with three finger holes traditionally played by Slovak shepherds, is regarded as an integral part of the traditional culture of Central Slovakia. It is not just a musical instrument, but also an artefact of great artistic value due to its highly elaborate, individual ornamentation. The main tube of the flute measures 160 to 200 cm in length and is connected to a shorter tube of 50 to 80 cm. The instrument is characterized by deep “mumbling” tones, emitted by its lower register and very high overtones made possible by the length of the instrument. The melancholic and rhapsodic music varies according to the content of the songs, related to the shepherds’ life and work. The musical repertoire is based on melodies determined by the technical features of the instrument and sounds imitating nature, such as the gurgle of a stream or a wellspring. In the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Fujara became known and appreciated beyond the shepherds’ use. Through festivals, the instrument played by musicians from the Podpol’anie region gained recognition and popularity throughout Slovakia.The Fujara is played at various occasions throughout the year, but mainly from spring to autumn, by professional musicians and a few remaining shepherds performing at festivals. During recent decades the Fujara is increasingly played at special events. The communist era and the political developments in the 1990s have caused significant social, cultural and economic changes and especially young people have become estranged from traditional folk art. Individual initiatives, however, have been trying to safeguard the Fujara and the knowledge and skills related to it. Source: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/. Hit Storočia These are the results of a contest to choose the Slovak Hit of the Century held by Slovak Television in 2007. Rank Song Singer Music/Lyrics 1 Vyznanie Marika Gombitova J.Lehotský/K.Peteraj 2 V slovenskych dolinách Karol Duchoň Karol Duchoň/Peter Bažík 3 Voda čo ma drží nad vodou Elán Jožo Ráž/Jakub Petraník Láska Marcel Palonder Pocta Majakovskému Robo Grigorov Matka Tublatanka Vráť trochu lásky medzi nás Money Factor Nie sme zlí Elán Atlantída Miroslav Žbirka Miroslav Žbirka Greatest Slovak Albums This list of the one hundred greatest Slovak albums was chosen by a jury of 25 musicians, producers, broadcasters, and critics for the tabloid Nový Čas in 2007. Though she did not make the top 10, the best represented artist was Marika Gombitová with 11 albums in the top hundred. # Album Artist Year 1 Zvoňte, zvonky Prúdy 1969 2 Konvergencie Collegium Musicum 1971 3 Bioelektrovízia Banket 1986 4 Skúsime to cez vesmír Tublatanka 1987 5 Valec IMT Smile 1998 6 Hodina slovenčiny Elán 1984 7 Bolo nás jedenásť Milan Lasica, Julo Satinský & Jaro Filip 1981 8 Deň medzi nedeľou a pondelkom Peha 2005 9 Zelená pošta Pavol Hammel & Marián Varga 1972 10 Ôsmy svetadiel Elán 1981 11 Dunajská legenda Fermata 1979 12 Team 1 Team 1988 13 Žeravé znamenie osudu Tublatanka 1988 14 Modrý vrch Dežo Ursiny 1981 15 Ultrapop Hex 1997 16 Nie sme zlí Elán 1983 17 Pevnina detstva Dežo Ursiny 1978 18 Doktor Sen Miroslav Žbirka 1980 19 V cudzom meste Jana Kirschner 1999 20 Dievča do dažďa Marika Gombitová 1980 21 Tublatanka Tublatanka 1985 22 Robo Grigorov and Midi Robo Grigorov and Midi 1987 23 Nočná Richard Müller 1998 24 Počkám si na zázrak No Name 2000 25 Nohy Robo Grigorov and Midi 1987 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_100_Greatest_Slovak_Albums_of_All_Time. EU Protected Foods and Drinks Three EU schemes known as PDO (protected designation of origin), PGI (protected geographical indication) and TSG (traditional speciality guaranteed) promote and protect names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs. The Slovak products granted these designations are listed below. Slovak name English name Description Protected Geographical Indication: covers agricultural products and foodstuffs closely linked to the geographical area Oravský korbáčik Orava string This cheese is steamed and stretched into thin strands cheese which are then plaited to form small whips (korbáčik). It is associated with the mountainous region around the Orava River in northern Slovakia. Skalický trdelník Skalica stick This traditional pastry is made from dough that is pastry wrapped around a wooden stick (a trdlo) and grilled over a fire. It is then topped with sugar and crushed walnuts. It is associated with the town of Skalica on the Czech border, but has roots in Hungary. Slovenská bryndza Slovak bryndza This sheep-milk cheese forms part of the national dish when it is melted over halušky (a relative of gnocchi). It is produced in the mountainous regions of the country and has a sour and salty taste that gives a distinctive flavor to many dishes. Slovenská parenica Slovak smoked This sheep-milk cheese is steamed into thick strips that cheese are wound into a squat cylindrical shape and then smoked. Slovenský oštiepok This smoked cheese made from sheep or cow milk is known for its egg or pine-cone shape on which designs can be impressed. Tekovský salámový Tekov salami This cheese, associated with the Tekov region in central syr cheese Slovakia, gets its name from its long, cylindrical shape resembling a salami.