Ice hockey, the national sport
One anecdote sums up Slovakia's passion for ice hockey. When Slovakia won the World Championship in 2002, the jubilation that engulfed the country was described by observers as a second Velvet Revolution! Field hockey players Zigmund Palffy and Peter Bondra became true national heroes. Since that success, the national team has never managed to win another major title, but it has often taken pride of place (3rd in the 2003 and 2015 world championships and2nd, and therefore finalist, in 2012). In 2019, Slovakia hosted the world championship, but the team was unable to get out of the group stages and finished in 9th place. In any case, each competition is enthusiastically followed throughout the country.
Slovaks also keep a close eye on the North American NHL, the world's most prestigious championship, where the best Slovak players play. Local competitions are also very popular, setting the stadiums of Bratislava, Košice and Trenčin alight. It would be a mistake not to attend a field hockey match during your trip to Slovakia; the games are real shows, with cheerleaders, hysterical commentators and fired-up fans.
Soccer, the other passion
Soccer comes in second place, even though it's the most popular amateur sport: every town and village has its own pitch. While local clubs rarely distinguish themselves on the European stage, the national team is making slight progress and occasionally appears on the international scene. Not least thanks to Marek Hamšík, the greatest player in the history of Slovak soccer and top scorer for the legendary Napoli club (ahead of legend Diego Maradona). Eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2016, the national team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and will play in the qualifying play-offs in March 2020 in a bid to qualify for the Euro in the summer.
Assault on the mountains
Slovaks take full advantage of the countless possibilities offered by the peaks, particularly in the fabulous High Tatras massif. At weekends, they don their hiking boots and take to the many well-maintained mountain trails. In summer, in the absence of the sea, Slovaks bathe in mountain lakes. In winter, the ski slopes are never far away. Even if the resorts are relatively modest, all mountain villages have their own ski lifts installed on the hillside to take advantage of the snow from December to April. The mountain ranges also offer great opportunities for climbing enthusiasts, and there are over seventy sites, mainly in the west and center of the country. Mountain biking is also on the increase: numerous bike parks have opened and over eighty trails are currently signposted. A whole infrastructure is being put in place, with increasingly regular cyclo-buses.
Hiking. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking in Slovakia, with over 12,000 km of marked trails. Trails of varying degrees of difficulty, in a wide variety of mountain ranges. Slovaks know how to make the most of it! All equipped with their hiking boots, since walking is a way of life for them, they storm the country's hiking trails whenever they have a moment to spare. There are also 5,300 km of trails for cyclists. In short, Slovaks are devoted to their natural heritage and are exemplary in the way they protect it... and enjoy it!
