19 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Zemplin Michalovce won 3–2 over Trencin on Sat Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Zemplin Michalovce 8 win(s) Have scored 9 goals in their last 5 matches 19 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT?Zemplin Michalovce won 3–2 over Trencin on Sat 19 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches Zemplin Michalovce is playing home against Trencin at Zemplin Stadium on Sat Taylor-Hart had been one of Arsenal’s many released players in the summer of 2024 remaining a free agent for the first half of the 2024/25 campaign he appeared to have found his home for the remainder of the campaign Taylor-Hart terminated his contract for “family reasons” Less than five weeks after joining PAS Giannina, Taylor-Hart’s second free transfer to Slovakian side Michalovce was confirmed and he’s since gone on to make his second debut in a little over a month Taylor-Hart briefly played alongside former Gunner Miguel Azeez in Greece, and he’s now a teammate of ex-Arsenal academy midfielder Ben Cottrell at Micahlovce whom I have known since childhood and we played together at Arsenal “I learned a lot of positive things from him and he immediately convinced me to come to MFK Zemplín I want to help the team as much as possible and have a successful season with them.” It’s certainly not commonplace for a player to make two permanent transfers in such quick succession but PAS Giannina were evidently understanding of Taylor-Hart’s personal circumstances He’ll hope to make more of an impression with his new club Both MSK IUVENTA Michalovce and Hazena Kynzvart have made a very big step towards the EHF European Cup Women 2024/25 semi-finals Conservas Orbe Zendal BM Porrino were the winners of this weekend’s double-header The only double-header took place in Greece this weekend where the Spanish side Conservas Orbe Zendal BM Porrino and the Greek O Porrino took only a one-goal lead before the break but they managed to secure a convincing 23:15 win at the end of the first leg Although the Greek side were four goals down in the first half they managed to take the lead before the break (15:12) But Porrino won the second half by four goals The Spanish club booked their place in the semi-finals (50:41 on aggregate) You said no to using cookies or similar tools that help improve your experience. To see this content, you would need to update your Privacy Preferences DRAW REVIEW: AEK Athens HC have the home right in the first leg of their final against HC Alkaloid in May DRAW PREVIEW: The two finalists await draw to find out who gets the first leg home right for the EHF European Cup Men final SEMI-FINALS REVIEW: Intense clashes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Norway decided the finalists for the EHF European Cup Men 2024/25 SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW: Fight for the trophy heats up as HC Izvidac Runar Sandefjord and HC Alkaloid eye final seats ROUND REVIEW: AEK Athens and HC Alkaloid both took comfortable victories in the first leg of the EHF European Cup Men semi-finals SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW: The first leg takes place this weekend with matches in Greece and North Macedonia QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEW: Four matches await as the EHF European Cup Women 2024/25 Quarter-finals begin and one double-header takes place REVIEW: A penalty shootout decided the last team to progress to the EHF European Cup Men 2024/25 semi-finals OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The European Handball Federation has rescheduled the EHF European Cup Men quarter-final Conservas Orbe Zendal Bm Porrino and last year’s runner up MSK IUVENTA Michalovce secured their place in last 16 at EHF European Cup Women In total of 10 teams will play the second leg of their duel on Saturday and Sunday (16/17 November) Outstanding individual performancesNot easy to name the best of the bests of the weekend though several convincing performances were shown The 22-year-old goalkeeper of Polish MKS Urbis Gniezno her saving efficiency was 50 per cent against Handball Erice With the help of her top performance Gniezno beat their opponent 30:18 Bosnian right back from HRK Grude scored 14 goals against MSK IUVENTA Michalovce on Saturday Hazena Kynzvart presented the best shooters this weekend: 11 players from their team scored goals against Istogu on Sunday DRAW REVIEW: The EHF European Cup Women 2024/25 final starts in Spain following to the draw conducted by the EHF on Tuesday NEWS: The second leg of EHF European Cup quarter-final is set to be rescheduled at a neutral venue But the player only signed a one-year contract The 23-year-old has been on the hunt for a new club since then spending time training with National League side Hemel Hempstead in the meantime Now Slovakian side Zemplin Michalovce have announced his signing, confirming he’s signed a deal lasting until the summer of 2027. “My agent came up with the possibility of going to Michalovce,” Cottrell revealed. “So I said I would give it a try. I would like to move forward in my career and I want to play in the Prva Liga. “I also had offers from lower English competitions, but I decided to go for Michalovce. “I have the opportunity to try out a new competition, as well as life in another country. I have already seen the team play in some matches and I like their performance. I believe that I will help Zemplin to good results.” Cottrell made 12 appearances for Mura in Slovenia in a disrupted campaign in 2023/24, but he’ll hope to make himself a regular in Michalovce now in Slovakia. The English youngster is the first ever English player to play for Zemplin, who conclude their 2024 fixtures on Saturday, December 14th. If Cottrell isn’t available for that fixture, his first chance to make a debut will come in February, when Slovakian football returns. 15 Feb 2025 15:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Slovan Bratislava vs Zemplin Michalovce on Sat The current head to head record for the teams are Slovan Bratislava 23 win(s) Tigran Barseghyan is the competition's top scorer (15) Have scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches 15 Feb 2025 15:00:00 GMT?Slovan Bratislava vs Zemplin Michalovce on Sat 15 Feb 2025 15:00:00 GMT ended in a 1–1 tie.InsightsHave scored 12 goals in their last 5 matches Slovan Bratislava is playing home against Zemplin Michalovce at National Football Stadium on Sat The first-leg encounter of the EHF European Cup Women final last Sunday was very tight but in the end it was the Spanish side ATTICGO Bm Elche who snatched a hard-fought win against MSK IUVENTA Michalovce MSK IUVENTA Michalovce (SVK) vs ATTICGO Bm Elche (ESP) Friday 24 May, 18:00 CEST, live on EHFTV While So Delgado is the top scorer of the competition Michalovce's leading scorer Marija Radovic only takes a seventh place in that chart with 46 goals a number of her teammates are not far behind; Martina Popovcova (43 goals) Livia Kluckova (41) and Iryna Kompaniiets (40) the Slovak side rely on a team performance and they are actually the team with the most goals in the competition -371 goals in 11 matches And while they netted only 20 times away at Elche Michalovce certainly have a chance to lift the trophy if they improve their attack Both first-leg matches of the EHF European Cup Women semi-finals were played on Sunday 21 April ATTICGO Bm Elche won the all-Spanish duel against Rocasa Gran Canaria 26:24 while Slovakia's MSK IUVENTA Michalovce proved too strong for their Portuguese rivals Sport Lisboa e Benfica Elche's left back Danila So Delgado was a joint top scorer of the current European Cup season alongside Ana Marija Kolarovska whose team HC Gjorce Petrov – WHC Skopje has already been eliminated So Delgado made a crucial impact for the Spanish team which is her personal best in the current campaign So now the 22-year-old has a tally of 62 goals leaving all rivals in the scoring chart far behind and leisure activities to marginalised Roma communities This is helping to raise their living standards and improving their chances of integrating into society The project built a community centre for the implementation of educational and leisure activities for all age groups of the marginalised Roma community with the aim of improving their life situation The new facility is providing a unique set of programming for the local Roma communities to provide this traditionally marginalised people with the practical skills they need to better their education improve their employability and increase their quality of life Located on the banks of the Laborec River in eastern Slovakia, Michalovce is the second-largest city in the Košice region and serves as the county seat of the Michalovce district. With a population of 40 027 inhabitants the city has a sizable – and growing – Roma population the Roma community often exist on the margins of society they face discrimination and prejudice – factors that further limit their quality of life.  the city has launched a comprehensive social programme at the heart of which is the new community centre Perhaps more important than the facilities are the programmes and activities on offer Although the centre primarily focuses on providing literacy and basic education courses to Roma youth – to supplement school learning – it also provides a range of language courses and basic health The centre’s involvement with the Roma population isn’t limited to the building itself Administrators conduct a number of in-the-field activities including working with individual families in their homes As a result of this comprehensive approach the city is already seeing positive results – including an increased level of literacy and education among Roma families Total investment for the project “Community Centre in Michalovce” is EUR 113 256 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 96 267 through the “Human Resources Slovakia” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period The investment falls under the priority “Technical facilities in municipalities with high share of marginalised Roma communities” sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky / sekcia fondov EÚ Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic Kingsley Madu has returned to active football joined a new club after 18 months of being clubless Read Also: Kennedy Boboye Returns To Akwa United Ahead Of Second Stanza Kingsley Madu has signed an Eighteen month deal with Slovakian Premier League side The deal is expected to run out at the end of 2025/2026 with an option to extend till the end of 2026/2027 The former Trencin FC player last played active football in the 2022/2023 season and remain club less after his contract runs out with Trencin In his first statement after his unveiling as a player of MFK Zemplín Michalovce Madu said he is happy to restart his Career after a long time out and declare his willingness to work hard and help MFK Zemplin Michalovce “I want to work hard and help the team I hope that we secure a place in the top six and maybe even fight for the European Cup.” “MFK Zemplín is a great club with good players who want to play football I am very happy that I can represent Michalovce I am extremely happy that I can start my career again after a long time.” Kingsley Madu was a member of the Nigeria football team to the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil and helped the team to win a bronze medal The 29 year old won a domestic double with AS Trenčín in back-to-back seasons 2014–15 and 2015–16 and had three caps for the Super Eagles of Nigeria as he last played for the Super Eagles in 2016 The season will kick off in late September will introduce a new format for the regular season starting in 2024/2025 The 12 participating teams will face each other in a four-round robin. Additionally, teams will play 10 more games (home and away games against five opponents) within two conferences, writes The Slovak Spectator’s sister publication Sportnet. The Eastern Conference will include Košice, Poprad, Michalovce, Spišská Nová Ves, Žilina, and Liptovský Mikuláš. The Western Conference will consist of Bratislava, Trenčín, Nitra, Nové Zámky, Zvolen, and Banská Bystrica. These conference games will replace the regional rounds from the previous season. Compared to last season, where teams played 50 games in the regular season, the new season will feature 54 games. The new season is set to start on September 20. The last-placed team will once again be relegated and replaced by the winner of the SHL. Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match. The current head to head record for the teams are Dukla Banska Bystrica 4 win(s), Zemplin Michalovce 4 win(s), and 1 draw(s). Have scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches Haven't kept a clean sheet in 9 matches Have scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches Haven't kept a clean sheet in 5 matches Narodny Atleticky StadionNewsWho will win?X‌‌‌About the matchDukla Banska Bystrica is playing home against Zemplin Michalovce at Narodny Atleticky Stadion on Sat The current head to head record for the teams are Dukla Banska Bystrica 4 win(s) 26 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Ruzomberok won 1–0 over Zemplin Michalovce on Sat The current head to head record for the teams are Ruzomberok 15 win(s) 26 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT?Ruzomberok won 1–0 over Zemplin Michalovce on Sat 26 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Ruzomberok is playing home against Zemplin Michalovce at Stadium MFK Ruzomberok on Sat The four remaining teams in the EHF Europea Cup Women 2024/25 are two matches away from the final Sunday sees the first leg played of both semi-finals with four teams from four different nations in the mix: Slovakian side MSK IUVENTA Michalovce face Valur from Iceland at 17:00 CET and Spanish outfit Conservas Orbe Zendal Bm Porrino meet Hazena Kynzvart from Czechia at 19:00 CET Can Conservas Orbe Zendal Bm Porrino continue the Spanish dominance Spanish teams have always played a dominant role in the EHF European Cup Women since the competition's inauguration in 2020 The first four seasons have produced three Spanish champions: Rincon Fertilidad Malaga And the only time the winners came from elsewhere — Turkish side Antalya Konyaalti BSK in the 2022/23 season — they had to defeat a Spanish team in the final: Club Balonmán Atlético Guardes The pressure to keep the dominance going is now with Conservas Orbe Zendal Bm Porrino the only remaining team from Spain in the competition With Argentine left back Micaela Casasola as their top scorer so far they hope to take the next step by getting past Hazena Kynvart in the semi-finals PREVIEW: Close matches in the second leg of the semi-finals will confirm the two finalists this weekend QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: Three teams joined Conservas Orbe Zendal Bm Porrino in the semi-finals following an action-packed weekend LAST 16 PREVIEW: Nine matches this weekend to confirm quarter-final line-up ROUND PREVIEW: Two teams will already secure their place in the Last 16 this weekend ROUND REVIEW: 2024 runners-up Michalovce and Spanish side Porrino take slight leads into the second leg of the European Cup semi-finals the Sobrance district has seen brain drain You can read this exclusive content thanks to the FALATH & PARTNERS law firm which assists American people with Slovak roots in obtaining Slovak citizenship and reconnecting them with the land of their ancestors There is a small shop in Vyšné Nemecké standing by the road just a stone's throw away from the Slovak-Ukrainian border A lorry driver is unloading barrels of beer outside I'm wondering if the beer is for the many lorry drivers crossing the village or for the some 200 local people living here Vyšné Nemecké, a town in the Košice Region's Sobrance district, is the only road crossing point for lorries on the Slovak-Ukrainian border. Find many similar interesting facts about Eastern Slovakia in the Košice Region guide "The locals will drink it," the shop owner Andrea Jenčíková laughs when she tells The Slovak Spectator She inherited the business from her parents and wanted to keep running it but her competitors have gone out of business nothing would be here," Jenčíková notes briefly The border regions in eastern Slovakia have been of little interest to most Slovak governments after the fall of communism in 1989 they are described as Slovakia's "Far East" by people living in the west of the country These easterners point out that nobody pokes fun at Bratislava for being on the periphery of Slovakia The Slovak capital also lies on the border with Austria and Hungary.​ the mayor of Vyšné Nemecké says that six shops and eight pubs existed in the town in the times of communism New people don't come in droves to settle down in the village here A case in point: only one house has been built here in five years Well-paid jobs have long been a scarcity in these border areas Older houses in Vyšné Nemecké have been bought in recent years by people from Ukraine the neighbour invaded by Russia in February 2022 Discover Eastern Slovakia with our Košice Guide Slovakia's territory was part of different monarchies throughout the history including the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867 until 1918 with the exception of the inter-war years 1939-1945 during which the Nazi-aligned Slovak state existed the territory was a part of Czechoslovakia the current names of Slovak municipalities were different Here's a list of the largest municipalities in Michalovce and Sobrance district with their historical names stated in the brackets: Trhovište (Vásárhely) Petrovce (Ungpetróc or Ungpéteri) Vyšné Nemecké (Felsőnémeti) The full list of all Slovak municipalities, including their historical names, can be found at ww.geni.sk (in Slovak only) "I'm glad that those houses are not falling into decay and that they decided to renovate and move into them," the mayor says about the Ukrainian newcomers Dozens of customs officers and police officers work at the Vyšné Nemecké border crossing The mayor estimates that about 20 locals work at the border Almost everyone who has moved out of Vyšné Nemecké left for work either to Košice or even to other countries "If a person can earn €3,000 a month abroad but only €600 in Sobrance they won't stay here," the mayor explains The average monthly Slovak salary in 2023 was €1,430 salaries are much lower compared to the rest of the country and to the other parts of Košice Region the unemployment rate in the district is high the recipe for persuading people to live in the border area is simple "People must have a job and the prospect of a decent living not even a new football field," Meňköová says A large factory would bring life back to the region Those who remain in this area work mainly in agriculture or in the woods There's plenty of forests and arable land agriculture does not attract young people because it is hard work and there is a lot of uncertainty The two mayors add that it would be for the best if the long-awaited construction of a motorway began connecting Košice with the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod should start Locals would then take care of the little things such as the revival of small local businesses But the outflow of people isn't the only thing that bothers the mayors They think the border villages should look nicer.​ ​"We're no periphery of the republic we are a gateway to the European Union," Meňköová says The Pinkovce mayor herself sets a good example for the government Meňköová mows the the local Jewish cemetery at the expense of the municipality some houses in the village are falling apart The owners died and the descendants aren't interested in them Either they're living abroad or in other parts of Slovakia A large house can be bought here for the price of a small flat in Košice People from Pinkovce have emigrated abroad for a long time "We're in contact by email and she's interested in what goes on in our village," says Meňköová But immigrants from larger towns are the hope for the aging village of Pinkovce whose population decreased from 400 to less than 200 in the past years People from Michalovce and Košice buy houses and plots of land here They mostly have ties to the village through their ancestors "We can't all live in Bratislava," Meňköová argues There's a community reading room named after the local painter Štefan Hapák in the village and also several traditional country houses that have been sensitively renovated to make the village look beautiful the water isn't suitable for swimming in the summer the banks of the river are full of the invasive plant called cow parsnip; the plant can cause burns on skin part of the river is the external EU border so it isn't possible to move completely freely in some areas "There are cameras because it is the Schengen Area border It's different from the rivers on the border with Hungary," explains the mayor The Schengen Area is a zone within the EU that allows people to travel freely in it as there are no internal borders not all EU member states are part of the area the mayor would recommend visiting Rudolf Felšӧci's cafe and The Museum of Smuggling in the neighbouring village of Lekárovce Felšӧci and his family returned to his native village of Lekárovce eight years ago they had planned to stay for three months for family reasons they had lived in Košice and worked in the media When Felšӧci was thinking about what he could do for a living in Lekárovce he came up with the idea of establishing a cafe and a museum his wife Vanda and he had often worked on the Slovak-Ukrainian border and listened to many interesting stories from local people Not only about people smuggling and smugglers "We thought that it could be interesting to collect all the stories about the border in one place," recalls the co-founder of the Na Čiare (On the borderline) project While researching the local real estate market they learned that there was no place in the area where people could drink good coffee and have a cookie The cosy cafe is housed in a shipping container The adjacent Na Čiare Museum can also be found in such containers Visitors can learn here how creative local and Ukrainian smugglers were when smuggling people and cigarettes to the other side and journalists from the French newspaper Le Figaro The cafe is busy even in the off-season at the beginning of March at the time of The Slovak Spectator's visit Customers come from the surrounding areas but also from abroad Ukrainians stop by for coffee and Hungarians from Veľké Kapušany come to grab a cookie it'd be enough to have what a village near Bratislava has to develop tourism: the motorway "We'll develop tourism ourselves We have enough natural beauty and attractive places here," Felšӧci says Jana Ray-Tutková is also a returnee "We came here because I am a Husák child," Ray-Tutková jokes about the reasons for settling down in the tiny village Husák children were a generation born in a strong population wave in former Czechoslovakia which began at the time of so-called normalisation (a reversal of political and economic reforms following the 1968 Prague Spring Slovak Gustáv Husák served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia Ray arrived in Slovakia for the first time as a volunteer After many years of living in the south of the USA his Slovak wife and he decided to settle in the house of his wife's grandma the couple looked for peace from city life and wanted to establish an organic farm in Husák although they breed sheep for their own needs All he needs is a computer and a reliable internet It was the high-speed internet that surprised him in Husák "I was very impressed that a local entrepreneur had a business built on bringing the internet to a remote village there was no internet on farms or it was unreliable and expensive," he says The pair agree that Husák is yet another village with an aging population Only a few families with small children live here They are usually engaged in farming or working in the forest Some young people work at the Lidl in Sobrance The police are a big employer in the region Farming is limited by fragmented land parcels which is difficult to buy from the original owners "If someone wants to do business here The state should make land readjustments easier," thinks Ray This is also why he sees cattle and sheep breeding as more promising than growing wheat he's convinced the region is a great place for cycling tourism But villages or the state must invest in the infrastructure "When Ukraine joins the EU and the Schengen Area I can imagine that cycling tourism will develop even across the border," the American continues A few people know about a nice water park and hotels around the Zemplínska Šírava reservoir It's nicknamed the "Slovak Sea" "I tell my friends that Slovakia has everything they don't have at home," Ray says The American believes that the Sobrance district could be as popular as Tokaj There are plenty of vineyards in the district the winery in Orechová established 30 years ago Orechová winemakers cultivate 56 hectares of vineyards and produce around 300,000 litres of wine every year Ukrainian people from Uzhhorod used to come to the region for wine tastings before the war Ray would also want to show the region's thriving winemaking tradition to Americans one day "I don't feel enthusiasm from the people here to move things forward negativism prevails here," the American says describing his feelings after 14 years spent in Husák Foreigners and tourists like the region's nature and peace Petrovce Town Hall worker Alena Horňáková tells The Slovak Spectator "We feel we are on the periphery because everything is far from here Next to us is only the natural border," she says Petrovce - a rare Slovak village due to edible chestnuts growing here - is the last village before reaching the border with Ukraine one can only see forests before arriving in Huta Negativism comes from the fact that the availability of work is limited and buses run infrequently making it difficult to get to work or a shop in Sobrance That is also why the 200 inhabitants of the village are mostly old people they just bought weekend cottages," notes Horňáková A school and a kindergarten were closed in the village in the 1990s Residents of Petrovce also used to have more active contact with Huta residents But after Russia's invasion of Ukraine we're still better off than the Ukrainians," Horňáková says about the economic situation of local people A cooperative continues to operate in the village Horňáková notes that several villages grouped in the Koromľa Microregion are working on improving tourism Once some investors wanted to build a golf course in the area but it eventually remained just on paper due to fragmented land ownership "It's hard to start something here when the grocery shop didn't last here either," concludes Horňáková A helping hand in the heart of Europe thanks to the Slovakia travel guide with more than 1,000 photos and hundred of tourist spots Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with our City Guide Both ATTICGO Bm Elche and MSK IUVENTA Michalovce have played an impressive season at the EHF European Cup Women and their meeting in the first leg of the final tie was tight Elche ultimately grabbed a 22:20 win on home court in Spain but the tie is still very open ahead of the return leg which will be held on 24 May in Michalovce ATTICGO Bm Elche (ESP) vs MSK IUVENTA Michalovce (SVK) 22:20 (11:10) Both sides defended better than they attacked and relied on some solid goalkeeping converted just three of her eight attempts the 22-year-old left back from Elche continues to lead the scoring chart with 62 goals and if she plays more efficiently next Friday it will be hard for Michalovce to turn things around in this tie Slovak regions near the Ukrainian border are a nice surprise for visitors Emigration is a significant part of Slovak history A third of Slovak people emigrated between the last quarter of the 19th century and the year 1968 Many of these people came from Dolný Zemplín ​Dolný Zemplín is made up from three districts: Michalovce Descendants of emigrated Slovaks often set out to Dolný Zemplín to see the places their ancestors came from it comes as no surprise that the Museum of Emigration opened in this region Here's a map with all the major sights in the region: Here's more details on some places tourists can visit while exploring the region: The village of Lekárovce is situated right on the Slovak-Ukrainian border the borders changed and Subcarpathian Rus became part of the Soviet Union although the majority of the residents were Slovak Subcarpathian Rus is a region that was once part of interwar Czechoslovakia the Kingdom of Hungary and the Soviet Union people wrote petitions and demanded not to be annexed to the Soviet Union The village was returned to Czechoslovakia The village marks this moment with a plaque and an obelisk by the Uh river Opposite the obelisk, a cosy cafe set up in a shipping container. It's called Na čiare (on the borderline) visitors will learn how bright border smugglers were when transporting people and cigarettes to the other side The idea of the cafe and the museum was born in the head of Rudolf Felšӧci Those who like music can visit a guitar museum in the town of Sobrance The founder of the museum was the local guitar “king” and musician Ján Ferko visitors can find keyboard and wind instruments The founder received offers to establish the museum in Prague A Czech guitar manufacturing company also wanted to obtain his collection The house in which the museum is located has been renovated inside and out the large garden full of fruit trees is still waiting for improvements Open-air music events should take place there There are many talented entrepreneurs in the villages near the border They cultivate 56 hectares of vineyards and produce around 300,000 litres of wine annually Pivnica Orechová was established 30 years ago and is still expanding Those interested in this experience will be seated in a spacious Part of the tastings are also local food specialties based on organically farmed pigs and chickens guests go on a tour of the nearby vineyards "Our plan for the future is to make increasingly high-quality wine and offer it mainly to wine shops," Jaroslav Michálek brother of the owner of Pivnica Orechová The winemakers also want to continue to support agricultural tourism and do not rule out building a cycling trail through their vineyards Besides this winery, visitors can find two more wineries in this region. Pivnica Tibava offers a vast variety of wines, also at a variety of price points. Finally, the boutique family winery Fundus Regius in the village of Priekopa can surprise wine lovers with high-quality products Swimmers and adrenaline junkies can visit a former quarry with turquoise water in the quaint village of Beňatina The village built a road around the entire quarry Moreover, people can use a rope to descend from the highest point of the quarry to the water. Thanks to the zipline tourists can enjoy 30 seconds of adrenaline on the 180 m-long rope Lucky ones might come across a fossil of small marine animals in the rock walls of the lake which is nicknamed a "Slovak Plitvice lake" due to the colour of water resembling the water in Croatia's famous Plitvice lakes Some call it the "Beňatina Whale" because of a formation on the rock that looks like a tail of the whale marked hiking trails and cycle paths with tips for more trips around the nearby area have also been added to this attraction Because migration is an essential part of Slovak history, and Slovaks from the east of Slovakia formed the majority of people leaving the region due to poverty, historian Martin Javor decided to establish the Kasigarda: Museum of Emigration in the village of Tahyňa near Michalovce The museum is based in an old house built by a Slovak returnee from the USA The museum provides visitors with powerful insights into and artifacts from the lives of Slovaks who sought refuge and prosperity in North America in the late 19th and early 20th century plates and much more can be seen in the museum The Greek Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel one of the smallest wooden churches in the country The sacred place was built in the first half of the 19th century It was declared a national cultural monument due to its great cultural and historical value The Greek Catholic Church of the relics of St Nicholas the Bishop is older and hidden in the village of Ruská Bystrá It was built at the beginning of the 18th century In 2008 it was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List Those who would want to see the churches from the inside must call the church administrators You can usually find their contact on the villages' websites or at the gates of the churches Ponds in Senné an important ornithological site in Central Europe The Sea Eye (Morské oko) in the Vihorlat Mountains Sninský Kameň (rock) is the most visited site in the Vihorlat Mountains offering a great view of Morské Oko lake The Vihorlat Mountains offer a variety of hiking trails which was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 Zemplínska Šírava is the second largest water reservoir in Slovakia not all public beaches are in good condition Vinianske Lake is surrounded by woods, which gives visitors a feeling of being in the heart of nature. It is suitable for swimming, water sports, and fishing. Last year, new Wellness Under the Stars was opened there Climbing rock near the village of Vinné Spa in Sobrance was a famous spa with unique healing waters but a chariot race is held there during the summer The farm Nová Zem in Blatná Polianka offers horseback riding Children can also go crazy on a trampoline Farm Skarabeus in Veľké Raškovce offers horse riding Beekeeping outdoor museum in Moravany Vinné Castle the ruins situated near the village of Vinné has been worked on in recent years by volunteers in Michalovce is situated in the baroque-classical chateau of the noble family Sztaray Museum of Vintage Cars in Michalovce was opened in 2023 It is a must-see for visitors who love old American and European cars Museum of Mining and Ironworks in Remetské Hámre presents the history of mining and ironworks in the Vihorlatské Vrchy mountains and runs an ethnographic exhibition WELOVEVERYSIMPLE drawing crowds with mixture of hip-hop Although many think it was the other way around,WELOVEVERYSIMPLE was first a small fashion show in Michalovce a small town halfway between Košice and the border with Ukraine WELOVEVERYSIMPLE(also known under the WLVS acronym) is a collective group of young rappers performing music which is a mixture of hip-hop which is due to appear at the Grape Festival in Trenčín on August 12 has a big following among teenagers and younger people - "even up to 30 years-old" WLVS manager - especially in the east of the country where their concerts pull in big crowds they have been playing an annual gig at the Kulturpark contemporary culture centre in Košice the latest of which last month was attended by more than 1,000 WLVS was born out of a music trio named KHANS consisting of singer Saul “These three were gradually joined by other performers from eastern Slovakia producer Hujdy and the latest member is the rapper The musicians are all originally from the Michalovce region and the surrounding area “We put on our first open-air show in 2020 and even with all the regulations in place and the attendance was pretty much the same,” Dani noted This year they decided to play only one open-air event -WLVS LIVE 003 in Košice in July The preparation for the show took about two months of intensive work and included a custom stage statue created by Slovak art designer and a tattoo artist Oliver Mušinka As well as a nod to the collective's fashion roots with the @uglyfluffstuff fashion brand preparing a set of handmade crocheted clothes. the show included Taomi performing yet to be released work as well as popular hits among fans such as “LEITO” and “Smej Ma” also played hits including "Para Siempre'' or "B Blanco'' off his newest album Tiene Svetla: Chapter 2 which came out earlier this year Porsche Boy's dynamic performance included songs from his rap album Z domu preč while Nicholas Naison and Saul also took to the stage known as the Slovak "The Weeknd” mainly from his 2020 album Niekde v oblakoch while there were special guest appearances by the likes of Czech rapper Hasan whose new album YO was released last month WLVS is due to appear at the Grape Festival in Trenčín on August 12 WLVS LIVE 004 is planned for mid-July 2023 at Kulturpark in Košice Individual members of WLVS: Saul will perform at the Flaam festival in Nitra and Porsche Boy has several bookings at the end of August in Nitra The newly created museum is connected with a boarding station of the Veterán Express tourist train The Museum of Automobile and Motorcycle Veterans in Michalovce This also includes a sightseeing road tourist train which will be used to introduce the town and connect it with the surroundings including the Zemplínská Šírava reservoir As the regional tourism organization Košice Región Turizmus (KRT) said the range of tourist options in the Dolný Zemplín region is being fully expanded Based on experience from the annual Zemplín Veteran Rallye event when great interest in historic vehicles was demonstrated they built a place that will give visitors the opportunity to explore and discover the history of these means of transport "Our ambition was quite simple - to transport visitors and fans of veterans back to their childhood and allow our children to experience the period in which we grew up to give all age categories the opportunity to admire the technical skill and sense of elegance of our ancestors," said the veteran chair of Zemplín Club Michalovce The museum was also created with the help of the Košice Self-Governing Region (KSK) which supported the "History on Wheels" project through the Terra Incognita grant program in the amount of €195,000 it should serve not only to present the technical history in the region and region but to provide visitors with attractive activities A helping hand in the heart of Europe offers for you Slovakia travel guide The KRT said that the newly created museum is connected to a rest and relaxation zone for children and to the boarding station of the Veterán Express sightseeing road tourist train "The museum and tourist train project is intended not only for residents of the city of Michalovce The creation of the exterior part of the museum opens up possibilities for the implementation of various cultural and social events within the region The great positive aspect of this investment is its year-round nature as well as its location," added executive director of KRT Lenka Vargová Jurková A helping hand in the heart of Europe thanks to the Slovakia travel guide with more than 1,000 photos and hundreds of tourist spots A detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with our City Guide Did you find any incorrect or incomplete information? Please, let us know Luleå wins their second title in Sweden, 29 years after the first one. Read more» The Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins will face off in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 14 and 16, 2025, as part of the NHL Global Series. These games at the renovated Avicii Arena mark the 47th and 48th NHL contests held in ... Read more» Below we publish a draft of the investigative article that Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak was working on before he and his partner Martina Kušnírová were killed last week Kuciak was working with his publication, Aktuality.sk together with the Czech Center for Investigative Journalism the Investigative Reporting Project Italy and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project to map how people close to the Italian organized crime group ‘Ndrangheta have settled in Slovakia Aktuality.sk and POLITICO Europe are co-owned by Germany’s Axel Springer an Italian named Carmine Cinnante arrived in the town of Michalovce One morning he started in his Fiat from a village of Novosad where he was staying with his girlfriend Lýdia He was joined by a Slovakian man called Ján whom he had promised to find work there In the Michalovce district every fourth person of working age was unemployed at that time When the pair was traveling on a country road approaching the main road between the villages of Porostov and Ostrov in the Sobrance district Their white Fiat Punto with Italian registration plates began to reverse suddenly The policeman became suspicious of the men’s behavior they found a black wooden briefcase with a gun It was a functional Czechoslovak machine gun model 26 with a laser pointer but with a destroyed production number the briefcase was made especially for storing the machine gun Cinnante was accused of criminal possession of a weapon and the judge of the district court in Michalovce sentenced him to two years on probation the prosecutor described the Italian as an “entrepreneur with business in Slovakia in the field of agriculture.” the Italian police came to arrest Cinnante The reason was smuggling of weapons to Italy for the Mafia boss Guirin Iona one of the clans of the economically strongest Italian mafia of the present time — ‘Ndrangheta As the documents from the investigation show Carmine Cinnante is also one of its members A man whom Slovak authorities have only known as an entrepreneur in agriculture Cinnante is not the only Italian with links to the mafia who found his second home in Slovakia drawing EU funds and especially building relationships with influential people in politics — as high as the Government Office of the Slovak Republic in their homeland of Italy they had also many problems with the law The business interests of mafioso Carmine Cinnante and Antonino Vadala came together in a farm co-op between the villages of Dvorianka and Parchovany in the district of Trebišov Vadala also had problems with the police at home in Italy 2003 the court in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy ruled on nine defendants in a case involving another Mafia clan — Libri The Libri clan is one of the most powerful within the ‘Ndrangheta originally from the village of Bova Marina in the south of Calabria According to Italian investigators it was Vadala who helped hide mafioso Domenic Ventura — convicted of the brutal murder of a member of competing gang — and helped him escape Italian policemen captured telephone conversations between Antonino Vadala and Francesco Zindato in which the men argued about the details of the action a court ruling describes a situation in which Antonino Vadala and two other men traveled to Rome to physically “punish” an unknown person who “caused damage to the clan” “He entrusted the task to the people whom [the boss of the clan Francesco Zindato] most trusted among them to Antonino Vadala,” the judge explained he did not go to court to hear the verdict He found a refuge and new home in Eastern Slovakia Vadala started a successful business in agriculture He has become one of the most distinguished figures of the Italian community in Slovakia information came out that an unknown Italian businessman Antonino Vadala planned to build two factories in Lučenec industrial park for almost €70 million Although the project was cancelled eventually Vadala became an “energy entrepreneur.” That’s what the former minister of economy he remembered Vadala through the chief state counselor Mária Trošková who works closely with Prime Minister Robert Fico “She used to work for us for about three months among other things was involved in solar power plants and went to work for him,” Rusko said in an interview published in 2016 The fact that her career continued with Fico at the Government Office did not surprise him very much: “Well because she understood very quickly how to do things in life.” Vadala and Mária Trošková founded GIA MANAGEMENT Trošková left the company after a year and later became assistant to member of parliament Viliam Jasaň Jasaň did not want to tell the media where he found this woman known as a model who also competed in the Miss Universe 2007 final He said only that a friend recommended her to him “An assistant I used to have left me and a friend recommended this woman to me,” Jasaň told Nový Čas daily Whether the friend in question was Antonino Vadala he refused to confirm in less than a year — in March 2015 — Maria Trošková left Jasaň’s office and started to work for none other than Prime Minister Fico at the Government Office The prime minister named him director of the office and secretary of the State Security Council Jasaň also received a top-level security clearance As a council secretary he reports directly to Fico Jasaň attends the Security Council meetings elaborates summary statements for Fico and is responsible for documenting the council’s activities He therefore has access to all documents and information of the council whose task is to ensure the functionality of the country’s security system and Jasaň has proven to have ties to a man who has worked directly with the Italian mafia Ján Kuciak’s colleagues have started an online campaign to honor his memory and continue his work The relationship between Jasaň and Vadala can be demonstrated especially in business activities The politician of the ruling SMER-SD party used to own a private security company Vadala and his colleagues have recently taken over this company Jasaň’s son Slavomír still has a joint venture with the Italians called AVJ Real when one of Vadala’s companies went bankrupt recently it was revealed that Vadala claimed he was owed money by a private security service in which Jasaň and his son Slavomír were involved in the past This means that two people close to the man who came to Slovakia as a person accused of being involved with the Mafia in Italy have daily access to the Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico Vadala’s longtime accountant Monika Čorejová ran for the regional parliament in the past He praises Fico in front of his Italian friends defends minister Kaliňák from opposition criticism and vehemently supports Richard Raši from SMER-SD in his campaign for president of the Košice Self-governing Region Vadala was trumpeting that “today we are all voting No 16 SMER and we can be sure tomorrow Slovakia is in good hands.” During the campaign he was openly declaring that he plans to visit the SMER conference in Košice He wrote to Raši publicly saying they would “see each other” there When the current government coalition was created Vadala and his Italian friends had problems with the law in Slovakia as well In spite of a number of criminal proceedings they are still successfully avoiding justice Here are just a few examples of cases involving suspected extortion and tax fraud Aktuality.sk together with their partners reconstructed the cases from police and judicial documents which were obtained according to the Act of Free Access to Information 1 took place in the east of Slovakia in 2013 employees of a company in the town of Trebišov found a strange delivery at the entrance gate There was a bag hanging on the fence containing matches 10 functional bullets and a funeral bouquet It was wrapped in a piece of paper with “Jerad“ written on it It was a misspelled version of their boss Gerhard’s name It was supposed to be a warning from a competitor that followed death threats The mock name Jerad was often used by an Italian who claimed from the company nearly 40 hectares of arable land He reported it to the police when his employee Antonino’s relative Sebastiano Vadala finally faced prosecution by the Trebišov district court for the crime of extortion According to the prosecutor Peter Prokopovič Sebastiano Vadala threatened to shoot dead the company’s manager and mimicked with his hands the act of cutting the man’s throat He threatened the tractor driver by saying “he will shoot dead with his gun anyone who will work on his field and set the tractor on fire.” That’s all because the company farmed on a field that the Italians wanted for their business It never interested the authorities who were the legal owners of the land the company also submitted the aforementioned special delivery for Jerad Expertise has proven that all 10 bullets were fit for shooting and could only be in possession of a licensed arms holder A video from the company’s security camera was alleged to show Vadala’s visit during which he verbally threatened Gerhard He and his lawyer Marek Švingál claimed at the court that at the time of the alleged threats he had not been in Trebišov The District Court in Trebišov and later also the Regional Court in Košice found the evidence against Sebastiano Vadala was insufficient wrote that “it has not been proved that the act for which the accused has been prosecuted actually happened.” the prosecution was based solely on testimonies of the witnesses which is allegedly not enough for convicting Vadala Neither the bag and the funeral bouquet nor the video footage is mentioned in the court’s ruling The prosecutor appealed against the court’s decision The prosecutor argued that the judge “wrongly assessed the evidential situation and the clear evidence of crime was being neglected and his decision was based on biased and unilateral subjective conclusions.” The representative of the company’s CEO objected that the court considered Marek Švingál’s testimony even though he was acting as the defendant’s lawyer in the preparatory proceedings That means he knew from the criminal proceedings about the evidence gathered by the police Even Švingál’s interrogation was allegedly conducted in a way that was against the law Vadala told the investigator that he did not speak nor understand the Slovak language and therefore he could not threaten the victim Sebastiano Vadala in another case two years later described himself in court “as a citizen of the Italian Republic who lives in the Slovak Republic for a long time understands the Slovak language.” The Senate of the Regional Court in Košice dismissed the appeal and confirmed that Vadala was to be cleared of all charges The case involved alleged speculative transactions in connection with three apartments in Bratislava city district of Petržalka The whole case started in 2011 and ended only last year The original owner of the three flats was Italian Antonio Palombi the apartments’ ownership started to change — in the course of several months they were first transferred to the company GENNA and then to another company while the other was being managed by him even at the time of transfers Palombi turned to the police saying that Vadala had not paid him a purchase price for his flats According to the police file we obtained on the basis of the Act of Free Access to Information Palombi first claimed that Vadala had deceived him This was how the weekly Plus 7 dní reported the case in 2015 Palombi and Vadala agreed that the transfer of apartments would take place without actual payments and that the apartments would eventually end up in the company KANNONE The purpose of the deals was that Vadala’s AV-REAL would be entitled to tax exemption with the right to deduct VAT in the amount of approximately €80,000 Palombi admitted this to the police himself as a witness and victim at the same time “He said Antonino Vadala advised him to transfer the apartments to AV – REAL via GENNA Ltd because this company was engaged in the real estate business and ALTO GENNA then was supposed to transfer the apartments for a much higher price the difference would be deducted at purchase,” noted Palombi’s interrogator Palombi repeated several times that the price of €360,000 was just imaginary the apartments were meant to be returned to him “The suspect said that if he gets 80,000 Euros of VAT he will transfer those apartments to their joint company KANNONE they would go back to the company owned by the complainant.” Palombi wrote that he should also receive a share of the VAT return “The suspect told him that the flats would be sold to company GENNA He explained that GENNA will claim a deduction of VAT half of which is given to the notifier,” the police file says Vadala denied everything to the investigator — he did not know about any deal and he allegedly bought the flats in a regular way the prosecutor declared that there was no fraud committed on Palombi although both could have cooperated on the fraud it is a VAT refund scam and that the case is being treated as a crime of non-payment of tax and insurance He literally wrote: “The real intention of individual persons involved in gradual transfers makes it impossible to objectively determine their possible willful or non-willful co-operation towards the alleged evasion of the tax advantage when it is possible to expect from them to give purposeful testimonies to defend themselves from suspicion from other criminal activity.” Palombi initially demanded return of the apartments in court — in a commercial dispute that was under way since December 2014 he decided not to pursue his claim in February last year The District Court Bratislava V stopped the proceedings in March It did not mention why Palombi changed his mind after two years He turned to the state authorities after some years — when it turned out that Vadala would not even give him money from VAT refunds the investigation has not yet led to the prosecution of Antonino Vadala Two companies in its portfolio have just recently gone bankrupt with tax debts of over €100,000 Antonino Vadala and Carmine Cinnante do not act individually in Slovakia In the eastern part of the country — after mutual coordination and cooperation — four representatives from the Italian Calabria family there are also the Roda and the Catroppa families Agriculture became their main business in Slovakia They owned or still own dozens of companies Their estate ranges into tens of millions of euros They manage hundreds to thousands of hectares of land for which they receive millions in subsidies the companies around these families managed to get more than €8 million in direct payments from the Agricultural Payments Agency (PPA) And hundreds of thousand of euros more from project subsidies The eligibility of these payments is also questionable Aktuality.sk together with partners documented several cases of violations of the rules a company asked for payments for up to eight times the area they actually worked on they again asked for payments on areas for which they did not pay rent and which they did not have the right to use the representative of one of these Italian companies falsified the decision of the PPA to persuade a bank that it would soon receive the money More public money was collected under the influence of the Italians for biogas power plants received €8.3 million of these payments from 2012 to 2017 The Office for Network Regulators (URSO) fined them in 2015 because in mandatory reporting they overestimated the amount of energy their biogas power plant produced The subsidy amount depends on the amount of energy produced Money laundering is the biggest business of ‘Ndrangheta abroad The goal is to clean money and do business in a way that it looks legitimate This may involve the use of third parties as fictitious owners of companies foreign trade in goods that are artificially overpriced is one of the most influential in the district of Reggio Calabria and has a substantial part of its activities outside of Italy because this clan is particularly engaged in a financial international business there is no evidence that any of the aforementioned subjects in Slovakia has been laundering money there are doubts about the origin of the money used by the Italian families mentioned here it is clear that a substantial part of the money came from their native Italy Antonino Vadala appears in several rulings of Slovakian courts which show that he has received money from people from Italy They stated that money was given to Vadala in cash because he wanted it that way the money should be used to buy an agricultural co-op in Slovakia Since the people who gave the money had no benefits from the trade they were claiming their money back from Vadala Vadala claimed in court that he owed nothing to the Italians and that a statement in which he claimed the opposite was signed under coercion The companies of the Roda brothers established in Slovakia in the 90s received a substantial share of the equity capital from the companies with the same names in their home town of Condofuri in Italy which have their sister companies of the same name in Italy In their annual reports from the turn of millennium the Slovak companies report commitments and financial assistance to the companies in Italy as well as that their entire production is going back to their home country CO.BE.R even states in the financial statements that it was created as a foreign investment with a 100 percent capital stake in Italy acts as a representative of the family company TRA.CE.R He is also involved in money laundering for a ‘Ndrangheta section called El Dorado The police arrested him in 2013 during an operation against the Mafia clan Gallicianò He faced allegations of belonging to the Mafia association (a specific offense under Italian law) and money laundering the Supreme Court cleared him for lack of evidence the names of Antonino Vadala’s family members appeared in an arrest warrant for 18 gang members who were supposed to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into Europe for ‘Ndrangheta The Vadalas are only mentioned in the arrest warrant Note: The conclusion of the article is missing as the author was not able to finish it Good evening. Here is theThursday, April 11edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes led by premiers Robert Fico and Denys Shmyhal held an intergovernmental meeting in Michalovce Fico emphasised that Slovakia supports Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU He also noted that Russia broke international law by invading Ukraine who halted military aid to Ukraine last year and stated in January that there is no war in Kyiv hopes to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine that will uphold territorial integrity Fico said that Slovakia supports commercial arms deals and will continue to help Ukraine clear its territory of mines “We’re here to assist you,” Fico said adding that some people in Slovakia may not comprehend the daily struggles of Ukrainian people “Our trivial wars seem insignificant compared to what you’ve been dealing with.” This was the second meeting of this kind. The first meeting took place in January Quote: “We are aware that each of our countries has its national interests and priorities, which may sometimes not coincide. At the same time, we have good will, a pragmatic attitude and a desire to resolve all issues in the format of a constructive and effective dialogue.” (Denys Shmyhal) Ukraine and Slovakia agreed on the following: The reconstruction of the Mukachevo - Veľké Kapušany electrical interconnector and of the Vyšné Nemecké - Uzhhorod border crossing diversification of nuclear fuel supplies to nuclear power plants Slovakia to have access to Ukraine’s marine oil terminal and Ukrainian gas storage facilities Slovakia to work on the prompt cancellation of unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products launching a direct passenger railway connection between Kyiv and Košice by the end of this year development of the cross-border railway route Chop - Čierna nad Tisou and the joint production of engineering equipment for detecting and disposing of mines Fico’s previous statements about Ukraine: Before Fico won the 2023 parliamentary elections he’d stated that no bullet would have been sent to Ukraine He says that Ukrainian neo-Nazis are to blame for the invasion The PM thinks that Ukraine’s accession to NATO would potentially lead to a third world war He blasted the West for attempting to destroy Russia and slandering Putin in February Politics: Population decline in Slovakia has not stopped Business: A Romanian coffee chain plans to open tens of coffee shops in Slovakia Travel: A tourist train is hoped to reduce car traffic near a popular Muráň meadow full of European ground squirrels If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia Vločky and vložky may appear and sound similar, but their meanings could not have been more different. Which one goes with milk? Slovenská Národná Strana is trying to get the Slovak Arts Council (FPU) under the control of the Culture Ministry The fund supports diverse artistic endeavours Politicians have no influence on what projects are supported financially The nationalist party wants to change this The EU can stop European funds for Slovakia if the government does not convince the Commission that the risk of corruption and embezzlement of European funds will not increase after the abolition of the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the amendment of the Penal Code. (Denník N) president-elect Peter Pellegrini received €250,000 from his political party The law prohibits the practice of sending money to a candidate’s transparent bank account after an election The party called it a “technical error” Pellegrini can send money from his personal bank account to the transparent account which he didn’t do in this case.After the presidential election The law prohibits the practice of sending money to a candidate’s transparent bank account after an election WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: Clear skies. The highest daytime temperatures will range from 16°C to 24°C. (SHMÚ) If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook and Instagram (@slovakspectator) THE CHEESE factory Bel in Michalovce supplies Slovakia as well as other countries with dairy products Among its most popular products is the cheese in a wax package The Michalovce cheese factory has been producing it since 2009 as one of five plants worldwide “The Mini Babybel cheese originated in France and has been produced since 1977,” the factory informed the TASR newswire more than one billion of these cheeses are opened and eaten across the whole world.” The Bel Slovensko plant supplies also western-European countries It is the successor of the cheese-producing tradition in Michalovce which started here more than 60 years ago Key to the production is cooperation with regional milk producers – almost 70 of them about 60 million litres of milk are bought from them “We make all cheese exclusively from Slovak milk,” Martin Buršák “We buy milk daily from farmers from the whole eastern-Slovak region The first cheese was produced in Michalovce in 1954; in the 1970s it was under the Eastern-Slovak Dairy in Košice which was then transformed into the Zempmilk joint-stock company it became part of the Bel group based in Paris a prominent producer of an assortment of cheeses made in 28 plants and distributed to almost 130 countries This time a little weaker than a few days ago An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.3 and an epicentre 8 km north of Michalovce struck on Thursday early morning Seismologists recorded the earthquake near Nacina Ves village in eastern Kristián Csicsay from the seismology department of the Slovak Academy of Sciences confirmed for the TASR newswire The Vihorlat mountains in the east of the country is an area known for a regular occurrence of this kind of earthquakes "The Vihorlat area and the surroundings of Humenné and Vranov nad Topľou belong to seismically active areas of Slovakia," the seismologists stated as quoted by TASR The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.skSubscribe now for full access Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail) PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk Expansion of existing production as well as arrival of new investors The cheese producer Syrárne Bel Slovensko’s plant in Michalovce is expanding production The €4.5 million investment is going towards increasing the production capacity of Mini Babybel cheeses The plant will subsequently account for a fifth of the global production of this cheese Slovak car manufacturers’ production fell by 3 percent to 1 million vehicles in 2022 A lack of chips and other parts troubled car companies even more than in 2021 the industry produced almost 108,000 fewer vehicles.​ ​Billa opened a new logistics centre in Sereď €39.5 million was invested in the complex Billa has expanded the number of stores in Slovakia and its sales have been growing for a long time Well-arranged information about the economy, labour market, investor support, legislation, and real estate as well as investment opportunities in Slovakia. For more details visit our online shop the South Korean manufacturer of battery components for electric cars is preparing a new €5.2 million investment in Šurany to expand its production The project is expected to create 70 new jobs The government approved tax relief of €4.6 million for the electrofoil manufacturer Terichem Tervakoski which is co-owned by the Finnish firm Rani Plast and the domestic company Chemosvit will invest €30 million in expanding production in Svit This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Fife Flyers have confirmed the appointment of Tom Coolen as their new Head Coach for the 2023/24 season The announcement comes after the Scottish club confirmed that long-time Head Coach Todd Dutiaume were stepping down following the conclusion of the past season The Flyers made it to the Challenge Cup Final in 2022/23 began 2022/23 in Michalovce in Slovakia before being replaced in November he took over at SC Csíkszereda in the Erste Liga before leaving in late January two of which he spent in Katowice where he coached GKS to the 2019 IIHF Continental Cup Final in Belfast.  the Canadian's highlights include a season as an Assistant Coach at the Buffalo Sabres I have followed the Elite League more closely over the last few years I competed against Belfast in the Continental Cup three years ago and am familiar with the caliber," said Coolen "I look forward to icing a team that Fife Flyers fans can be proud of “We are excited to welcome Tom Coolen to the Fife Flyers we knew we wanted someone with previous coaching experience and Tom comes to Scotland with an extensive amount of experience and a vast network of contacts at all levels We’re looking forward to working with Coach Coolen as we continue to build his squad for the upcoming season." The Francis II Rákóczi Manor House in Borša which shares a border with Hungary and Ukraine is a fine renovated residence that serves as a hotel and a (art) museum But the popular attraction for history buffs welcomes visitors for another reason on a Saturday afternoon in late May: wine A Tokaj wine tasting event is about to kick off including noted names such as Jaroslav Macik from Veľká Tŕňa and brands like Grand Bari from Veľká Bara and Mea Grati from Ladmovce will try to convince fervent wine connoisseurs that their wine is the best All these wineries are based in the Košice Region, which visitors can also explore thanks to the comprehensive Košice Region Travel Guide full of photographs and stories Below is a map with all the major sights in the region: Nearby is Majer Bara a pension with a winery and restaurant in the village of Bara In addition to a typical Hungarian fish soup they should try the Somlói dumplings a rum or wine-flavoured trifle cake made of sponge cakes and custard cream studded with raisins and topped with whipped cream The lovely Majer Bara complex spreads out on the premises of a former cooperative which offers more than just a bed and breakfast Visitors can explore the vineyards on horseback or relax in a wellness centre that has a sauna and a whirlpool in it the owners of Majer Bara have a winery in the neighbouring village of Viničky They organise wine tastings accompanied by a tour of their production premises and tuff cellar where they bottle wine directly from a barrel In the village of Bara, near the local church, there is a caravan camping site The reception is located in a charming old house arriving guests can spot a wandering peacock the campsite offers accommodation in five wooden houses each named after a different grape variety and located 4m above the ground two wellness facilities with a hot tub and a sauna can also be found it means that the place enjoys much popularity but also that the summer season has already begun The Tokaj winemaking region is known for its vineyards and wineries there is a protected landscape area around the Latorica river making it one of Slovakia's few protected lowland areas the Bodrog river could only be toured on a motor boat connecting the Slovak village of Viničky and the Hungarian town of Sárospatak it is also possible to float on the river in a canoe a canoe rental place has recently opened on the banks of the Bodrog river "More experienced individuals who are up for a longer sightseeing tour on the Bodrog river can continue to our neighbours in Hungary to the town of Tokaj," explains the mayor of Ladmovce The town of Tokaj is located over 50 kilometres downstream confirms that water tourism is starting to thrive in this region The restoration of old cultural monuments is also contributing to the development of tourism as visitors are becoming increasingly demanding and are always looking for something new and exciting "That's why we built a historical children's playground opened an educational trail in a protected forest and launched a canoe and electric bicycle rental near the manor house," Vargová says the mayor plans to have a wharf built on the shore of the Bodrog Despite being situated outside the Tokaj area the village of Malý Horeš also offers a great experience linked to wine The place is home to wine cellars carved into the tuff rock which are not as touristy as the cellars in the villages of Malá Tŕňa and Veľká Tŕňa The cellars are located in a beautiful setting of an agate forest. Every year in May, they host an Open Cellars Day The popular wine event started 16 years ago with a small group of winemakers and cellars Those who are interested in wine tasting outside of the popular event must call local winemakers in advance as they are usually busy working in the vineyards they are happy to show the cellars to visitors and tell them more about the lesser-known local grape varieties The village of Malé Trakany hosts Plum Days a popular local gastronomic festival that has been held for 10 years The event is centered around plum products as plums have been grown in the area for centuries Festival-goers can see the production of plum jam both from local people and the local distillery there is a cultural programme featuring music and folk crafts The local festival has grown in popularity with attendance reaching around 2,000 people hopes to maintain the festival's local charm She does not wish for it to attract too large a crowd Malé Trakany is known for its sandy beach by the Tisa river and is home to the point where the borders of three countries meet Pension Aqua Maria in Veľaty offers bike rental Suspended rope bridge over the Latorica river in Ptrukša Latorica protected landscape area is home to rare species of fauna and flora as well as marshes Majer Bara: wellness Sandy beach in Malé Trakany (accommodation at U Aranky) Triple point: a place where the countries of Slovakia Boat trips from Viničky Campsite Malá Bara: camp Francis II Rákóczi Manor House in the village of Borša Canoe rental - municipal office in Ladmovce Tuff wine cellars in Malý Horeš Museum and Cultural Centre of Lower Zemplín (tourism region) in Trebišov Ruins of Parič Castle and Mausoleum of Count Julius Andrássy in the park in Trebišov Barrel-shaped Tokaj lookout tower provides views of the entire vineyard area Lowest point in Slovakia is in the village of Klin nad Bodrogom at 94.3 m above sea level you can find an information centre and the ruins of a Gothic church Wine tasting: Tokaj Macik Winery, Tokaj & CO, J&J Ostrožovič, Chateau Grand Bari, Víno Vdovjak Salt House in Veľké Trakany is a late-baroque monument from the 18th century recalling the times when salt from all over Hungary was transported to this place along the Tisa River Sennyeyi Manor House in the village of Biel is a partially reconstructed manor house with a library Gallery of Nations in the village of Pribeník is a renovated former Jewish synagogue Premonstratensian Monastery in Leles: This monastery is still functional and features Gothic frescoes. Next to the monastery is the historical Bridge of St. Gothard which is one of the oldest stone bridges in Slovakia Csonkavár: The castle ruin in Kráľovský Chlmec is currently under reconstruction It offers a nice view of the entire Medzibodrožie area Veľký Kamenec Castle: The ruins of the castle are easily accessible and offer a nice view of the surroundings Registration has been successfully completed Make a new account if you don't have one yet Puedes ver la versión Española de BeSoccer.com You can see the English version of BeSoccer.com Vous pouvez voir la version French de BeSoccer.com Puoi vedere la versione Italian su BeSoccer.com Você pode ver a versão Brasileira de BeSoccer.com Other European countries face the problem too are the result of the latest measles epidemic that occurred in the district of Michalovce Since it belongs among highly contagious viruses it is possible the number will keep increasing “Due to the high infectiousness of measles and the transmission of the disease by air more cases might occur in eastern Slovakia,” Daša Račková spokesperson for the Public Health Authority (ÚVZ) Measles have returned to Slovakia after nearly 20 years The country reported an epidemic in from1997-1998 the first cases occurred in early January 1997 probably due to the increased migration of the Roma population during the Christmas holiday Part of the affected municipalities were Roma settlements and people living in bad hygienic conditions “The epidemic revealed that these were the municipalities with very low vaccination rates,” Račková said vaccination against measles was ordered to be checked Another epidemic occurred in the refugee camps in 2003 the first case of imported measles occurred in April 2017 related to a 25-year-old man living in Italy who was not vaccinated against the disease The case was reported by the hospital in Košice Another six cases were reported in Bratislava Region in December 2017 Second were the cases from the Michalovce district It woke up the inhabitants of Michalovce and its surroundings The inhabitants of Michalovce (Košice Region) and its surroundings were woken up at night between April 23 and 24 by shaking beds and objects The east of the country was hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 The epicentre was close to the Tušická Nová Ves, with a depth of about 20 kilometres, the iMeteo.sk website reported An earthquake of this magnitude is quite strong Nigerian midfielder Wisdom Kanu has joined Slovakia Super Liga club MFK Zemplin Michalovce on a two-year contract joins the club from Slovak second league side FK Slavoj Trebišov where he enjoyed a breakout year in the 2020-21 season The attacking midfielder netted 18 times in Slavoj’s colors to become the top scorer of the Slovak second division last campaign and he was also included in the league’s team of the season Kanu’s exploits made him a known name in the whole of Slovakia and he was honored with the Discovery of the Year award Kanu turned out for a number of Nigerian lower league clubs before moving to Slovakia in 2016 where has played mostly for second division clubs He will continue his career with MFK Zemplin Michalovce in the country’s highest division Slovak First Football League team MFK Zemplín Michalovce has announced the signing of Nigerian player Kingsley Madu had been without a club for 18 months after leaving AS Trenčín at the end of the 2022-2023 season He has now signed a contract with MFK Zemplín Michalovce until the summer of 2026 with an option to extend for the 2026-2027 season The defender has experience in the Slovak First Football League having played 100 matches and scored five goals in the division Madu is the third Nigerian player at MFK Zemplín Michalovce Madu started his professional career at AS Trenčín in 2014 He has also played for Belgian clubs SV Zulte Waregem and KSV Roeselare before returning to Trenčín four years ago In his first comments as a MFK Zemplín Michalovce player Madu said: “I want to work hard and help the team I hope we can finish in the top six and maybe even fight for the European Cup MFK Zemplín is a great club with good players who want to play football I am very happy to represent Michalovce and to start my career again after a long break.” Madu won two domestic titles with AS Trenčín in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons which led to a call-up to the Nigeria national team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro The 29-year-old has not played for the Super Eagles since May 2016 when he earned his third cap in a friendly match against Mali This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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