Passengers can now purchase tickets via SMS using an international number Slovak Railways (Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko/ZSSK) has rolled out a new option for purchasing tickets: SMS available to both domestic and international passengers “ZSSK hopes this will encourage more passengers to board trains with valid tickets,” the company said in a statement Passengers can now buy tickets via SMS using any Slovak or foreign phone number by simply sending a message to the designated number before boarding International travellers can complete their payment through an online gateway and will receive a valid ticket to their phone The SMS ticket is valid only for select train categories For Os categorytrains (excluding the High Tatras network) passengers should send an SMS to 2255 (for Slovak numbers) or +421 902 02 22 55 (for foreign numbers) This ticket is not valid for other train categories In the High Tatras (covering the Tatra Electric Railway and the line from Poprad-Tatry to Tatranská Lomnica via Studený Potok) passengers should send an SMS to 2233 (for Slovak numbers) or +421 902 02 22 33 (for international numbers) Passengers can also use other available sales channels: the ZSSK online shop, the IDeme vlakom mobile app A communication resource from the world's particle physics laboratories University of Adelaide student Filip Rajec presents his work on GAMBIT at the CoEPP 2017 scientific workshop poster session You work hard as a student and as a postdoc that place of employment is a short drive from some lovely beaches has gorgeous weather (the epic floods of 2016 notwithstanding) and is incredibly affordable and it’s really not what I had on my radar five or six years ago when I was frantically hoping to get a position to keep my research adventures in high-energy physics going With all good jobs in high energy physics research there comes a price For Australia our price to pay is in distance and time - we are a long way away from most of the “action”. This has its impacts. While the rest of Adelaide was out gallivanting around enjoying the last days of the various festivals happening in South Australia in March, I was in back-to-back approval meetings for analyses I work on (one to be shown at Moriond EW and another to get to the next hurdle of internal collaborative torture) until 3am on Saturday morning As a naïve postdoc I thought that this would end at some point I won’t always have to do this kind of thing will I if you are involved in physics analyses the answer is: yes lectures and then prep for the late night Friday meetings starts to makes the more “routine” roles on the collaborations look appealing test some hardware; be on shift every now and then But in reality these jobs are the real champions The problem is that they are rarely rewarded with the permanent positions that the ambitious postdocs and students crave There’s real merit in showing commitment to the operations and improvements of a collective piece of scientific equipment and not just using the data to gain something.  As mentioned in a previous post I’ve been involved in a couple of longer-term projects. The Recursive Jigsaw work I talked about in the last blog post, but I’m also a member of the GAMBIT (Global and Modular BSM Inference Tool) Collaboration. We recently submitted six papers to journal in preparation of the public release of the code at gambit.hepforge.org The global fitting code will allow users to compare their models to data more easily and members of the group are already looking for ways to use the fast parallelized design in areas beyond new physics searches So with the winter conference season in full swing it’s a crazy time for analysts scouring the 13TeV collisions of the LHC for further precise Standard Model measurements or panning for nuggets of evidence of something lying beyond it I’ve managed to get one result out thus far and have another that I’m leading in the pipeline the next discovery could be just around the corner I’m hoping to get a chance to hit the beach before daylight savings ends!  © Copyright 2021. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy 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 Čakajovce — A statue of Jozef Tiso (1887–1947) the Slovakian priest hanged for war crimes due to his eager deportation of tens of thousands of Slovakian Jews who were slaughtered by the Nazis See the New York Times report on the surge of neo-fascism across Europe. (Thank you to Jozef Jakubco of the SME daily for the statue photo.) Above left, Tiso meeting with Hitler in Berlin, October 1, 1941. At a minimum estimate, 68,000 out of Slovakia’s 89,000 Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, mostly via deportations to concentration camps (Thanks to Michal Filek of My Žilinské noviny for the Varín street photo.) Rajec — A bust of nationalist leader Ferdinand Ďurčanský (1906–1974), erected in 2011. Ďurčanský, who was deemed complicit in the death of Jews by the UN, escaped to Argentina and was then admitted into Canada. See report in the Slovak Spectator Ďurčanský (center right) with Jozef Tiso and others LSNS increased their representation in parliament “Slovakia Is Not Africa” reads the LSNS banner Note: the entry below was added during the January 2022 project update The Communist dictatorship indicted Vojtaššák who resisted Communist attempts to control church life in a show trial; the bishop was tortured and spent over a decade in prisons Vojtaššák’s whitewashers try to cover up his complicity in the Holocaust by focusing on his post-war persecution Vojtaššák was a collaborator under the Nazis who was then persecuted by the Communists; revisionists speak solely about the latter while conveniently ignoring the former It’s an extraordinarily common tactic used to rebrand Nazi collaborators across Eastern Europe Lev Golinkin is a regular contributor to the Forward whose work has also appeared in The New York Times I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site. with Martin RajecPlay16:42reportér Slovenského rozhlasu Popular Czech soft drink Kofola is now available in returnable glass bottles through the Cirkulka project, which was launched earlier this week. Customers can now find Kofola at selected Tesco locations as well as through the online store Rohlík.cz Kofola Group brands Rajec and Vinea are also available in returnable bottles through the project Cirkulka aims to provide customers with an alternative to traditional packaging While some Kofola products were previously sold in glass bottles "Expert analysis that we have conducted shows that returnable packaging is one of the best solutions in relation to nature," Jannis Samaras "I am glad that neither the pandemic nor the difficult economic situation prevented us from realizing our dreams and that we brought the Cirkulka project to a successful start.” and Vinea can be purchased in glass 1-liter bottles with an eight-crown deposit which is refunded when the bottle is returned to the point of purchase While that's currently selected Tesco stores and the Rohlík.cz delivery service Kofola Group plans to expand the range of participating locations in the near future a modular crate with handle that can carry six or twelve bottles can also be purchased for a fifty-crown deposit "We at Rohlík strive to reduce packaging waste over the long-term and contribute to a more gentle and sustainable relationship with nature as well as our suppliers and customers," says Rohlík.cz spokesperson Lutfia Volfová "That is why we were very happy to cooperate with Kofola on the Cirkulka project which offers customers their favorite drinks in returnable glass bottles without disturbing their comfort zone - they are also able to return the bottles through our couriers." The new glass bottles are produced by Sklárny Moravia with a retro design courtesy of Slovak designer Martin Turzík while the paper label has been minimized to reduce potential waste Originally invented in the 1950s as a Czechoslovak alternative to popular Western cola brands Kofola is still widely enjoyed in the Czech Republic today thanks to its distinctive herbal mixture It also contains about 30% less sugar than Pepsi or Coke Kofola won't be the only Czech brand to take advantage of returnable glass bottles: when it was first announced last summer Kofola and Mattoni became joint owners of a glass bottling plant in Slovakia; look for the popular Czech water brand to offer their own line of returnable bottles in the near future Your morning coffee deserves a great companion. Why not enjoy it with our daily newsletter? News from Czechia, curated insights, and inspiring stories in English. At age six she immigrated to New York through Ellis Island She fought adversity learning English and was often made fun of They moved to California where they bought a bakery Her utmost passion was her devout faith in God and lived it each day She started and ended each day with prayer Her love was shown to all who knew her through her generous spirit John (Sarah) Franek; MaryAnn Coffman; grandchildren Christy (Cole) Beaman; numerous great-grandchildren; and nephew Memorial contributions can be made to Assumption School Ann lived her life “Love God and Love one another” Please visit Ann’s on-line memorial at www.hennesseyfuneralhomes.com to leave a message of remembrance Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy The Rajec Valley fits in an ancient Greek spa may seem like arriving at the end of the world The small Rajec Valley is located south of Žilina with its centre being also the oldest municipality in the valley While Slovaks associate it with bottled mineral water brand Rajec from Rajecká Lesná foreign tourists often visit the Rajecké Teplice spa town to relax "It is a town that is very vibrant," said Frenchman Jean Gâteau who has lived in the spa town for 12 years Rajecké Teplice is the biggest attraction of this region But the valley hides tourist attractions all over and the quaint village Čičmany is situated near the border with the Trenčín Region the southern side of the valley is overseen by the peaks of Kľak Strážov and Veľká Lúka Travelling through the Rajec Valley on a bike is an ideal way to get to know this picturesque place Cycling routes lead not only through the hills but also through several villages The village is also a famous Marian pilgrimage site It is well-known for a huge wooden Slovak Bethlehem by Jozef Pekara who worked on this moving artwork for 15 years and depicted in it not only the nativity scene but also landmarks and history of Slovakia There is also a Lourdes chapel and a water spring in the village Legend has it that a blind beggar who wiped her eyes with water from the spring was able to see again A few kilometres away from Rajecká Lesná just a few metres from an old asphalt road while in winter it creates icy decorations At the Aphrodite Spa House in Rajecké Teplice visitors feel as if they were in ancient Greece Although the history of the facility does not date back to ancient times ancient architecture is present almost everywhere Directly in the spa house there is even a fountain with healing water "It is really something out of the ordinary," Gâteau said about the spa In addition to swimming pools and medical and wellness treatments tourists have the opportunity to try sauna rituals in the Natural Spa area The bravest will also find a space for nudists here Gâteau is the only Frenchman in Rajecké Teplice and tries to attract French tourists to the town but it is not easy Eastern Europe is not such a big attraction for them "The real problem is the connection between France and Slovakia." The French who visit Rajecké Teplice like to explore the history of Slovakia in particular visitors can enjoy romantic boating on Swan Lake or trips to the unusual rock formations Budzogáň (Bludgeon) and Ihla (Needle) as well famous for its wooden houses painted with geometric white patterns representing nature These patterns appeared on the gear of Slovak Olympians but the locals rebuilt some of the wooden houses Today they can be found in the lower part of the village Juraj Kudjak also reconstructed three wooden houses here a few years ago in the other two he opened a restaurant and a souvenir shop He even learnt to knit and tourists can buy his products such as Čičmany stockings nohavički and socks kopitca That was not what we wanted to show tourists," said Kudjak "It took us many years to build the infrastructure here Today we just have to look after this place and keep it alive There are also several museums in the village and visitors can go skiing or cross-country skiing here in winter by the mountain pass Fačkovské sedlo During the Slovak National Uprising in 1944 which offers a spectacular view of the entire Rajec Valley This podcast was supported by the Žilina Tourism Region and implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic Ease your hiking muscles in a spa after a two-hour hike with incredible views and a walk through time Rajecká Dolina valley has built an image as a piece of virgin nature thanks to advertisements for the mineral water Rajec Together with dozens of kilometres of hiking and cycling routes there are plenty of options to spend your time here a town that has become a symbol of Slovakia The hike to the peak where we are heading today starts in Fačkovské Sedlo saddle which serves as a ski resort in winter Make sure not to mistake the mountain Kľak in the Malá Fatra range with its namesake in the Veľká Fatra range The Malá Fatra peak is accessible from several sides but the route from Fačkovské Sedlo saddle is the easiest one The peak of Kľak is visible from the paid car park; the unmistakable rocky summit is bevelled from one side and its shape is similar to Kriváň in the High Tatras Even though it seems that the summit is far away from the car park you can manage the hike in an hour and 45 minutes take a dirt road up the hill and in ten minutes you will reach the first sign called Staré Cesty (Old Roads) There you connect to the yellow trail marking which you will follow almost the whole hike You come out of the forest at Reváňske Sedlo saddle onto a meadow with views over the surrounding countryside Another ten minutes of walking through rocky terrain will bring you to the summit Silvia Vajdíková lives in Lednické Rovne and the hike to Kľak had been on her to-do list for a long time She did the hike from Fačkovské Sedlo saddle in both winter and summer “From Kľak you get a view on all sides which is a huge plus,” said Vajdíková “There is plenty of space up there so hikers I evaluate the route as not very demanding; at some places I have a feeling that children manage it better than us adults,” Vajdíková said The overall vertical distance on this route is about 500 metres and so the peak is sought after by hikers and families with children looking for an easier trail The trail is often quite crowded with hikers We return to Fačkovské Sedlo saddle via the same route “Sheep-cheese dumplings Bryndzové Halušky at Salaš Kľak are the icing on the cake,” said Vajdíková It takes some 12 minutes to get to Čičmany from Fačkovské Sedlo saddle by car The village with wooden houses of dark wood painted with white ornaments is well known the ornament symbols have appeared on many objects from giftshops you can buy anywhere in Slovakia which literally translated have names such as "for windows" "for dolls" or "chicken butts" The origins of Čičmany house ornaments dates back to the second half of the 18th century and is related to the transition of using square beams as the flat walls of the houses provided a surface for painting such decor the coating had a purely functional character and in continuous strips insulated the most exposed parts of the facade the cut surfaces of the beams and the window shutters from the weather," says Bardyová Only later did it develop into a rich ornamental painting over the entire surface of the walls the women of Čičmany applied white lime patterns created by repeating simple geometric motifs - dashes "Painting on houses has been preserved until today transferred from folk embroidery," says Bardyová The fact that the wooden houses are so richly decorated can partly be attributed to the architect Dušan Jurkovič and international fundraising When the village was hit by two big fires in 1907 and 1921 the residents wanted to build brick houses instead of wooden ones Based on the intervention of the state and preservationists as well as support from the aforementioned collection the houses had to be built again from wood a competition for the most beautiful wooden house was announced in the village and people decorated theirs as beautifully as they could," explains the ethnologist "They were inspired by rich Čičmany embroidery and extended the ornaments to the entire facade." Even though there are dozens of such decorated dwellings in the village only two of them are open to the public as part of the Považské museum exhibition – Radenov house and house no 42 is even the only one in the reservation that is original and was not affected by the fire Although the Radenov house was rebuilt in 1924 Multi-storey wooden houses were not usually built in Slovakia Not far from the exhibition houses are Humno of Ondrej Gregor and Ľudovo-umelecké (Folk-art) Čičmany where visitors can buy souvenirs and objects made in Slovakia have refreshments in a restaurant or even stay overnight From Čičmany to Rajecké Teplice there are several places worth stopping at - the Slovak wooden nativity scene and Calvary in Rajecká Lesná the Košiare reservoir and hike to Stratený Budzogáň we travel directly to Rajecké Teplice where there is a popular spa park with a lake which is the dominant feature of Rajecké Teplice the spa and the thermal spring were sought out by Palatine Juraj Thurzo who contributed to their expansion in the 17th century people who are looking for rest and relaxation also come to the spa with a distinctive ancient architectural style procedures are preventative and an effective escape from work stress Those who struggle with health problems after overcoming covid can also find a special post-covid treatment here Visitors will find indoor and outdoor pools a swimming pool and a leisure pool or a pool for families with children Visitors can also try the Turkish bath or the reflective path outside where you can choose from different temperatures and intensities as well as a cooling pool and popular sauna rituals "Spa Aphrodite is a great place to relax for us," says Linda Pršová who likes to go to the spa together with her husband "The thermal water together with relaxing music and beautiful spaces have a soothing effect on the body and soul." Spa guests can also undergo drinking treatments and those who miss mineral water from the spa at home can order it via the e-shop in bottles If you want to make your stay more pleasant with an interesting walk go directly from Rajecké Teplice to the ruins of Lietava Castle More experienced hikers can do the hike there and back in less than four hours The article has been brought to you thanks to a partnership with the Žilina Tourism Region - www.zilinskyturistickykraj.sk Implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic locals in Rajec and Čakajovce are not bothered by 'rare' fascist statues There are many statues in Slovakia over which we could debate whether their human models deserve a monument in a public space and then there are those that should not even be the subject of a discussion and yet they stand The statue of the President of the clerical-nationalist Slovak State and Hitler’s collaborator, Jozef Tiso has not been torn down in Čakajovce near Nitra they even named a street after this Roman Catholic priest The village of Čakajovce is infamous for its life-size statue of Jozef Tiso It is part of a pantheon of Slovak functionaries of which the village boasts It also includes a memorial to soldiers who fell in both world wars 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 became the home of the first wooden Tesco store in Central Europe on September 13 The store has a thousand square metres of retail space Its construction began in May and cost approximately Sk60 million (almost €2 million) Dušan Vávra from Tesco told ČTK “The building’s supports come from wood while sheep’s wool and pressed straw were used for insulation,” Vávra explained Vávra added that the store is environmentally-friendly in other ways as well Vávra stated that a wooden store costs about 1.5 times more to construct than a traditional building with a tin façade Yet he did not rule out that other towns may choose wooden stores in the future The new store will offer jobs to about two dozen people Fifty parking places will be added in the vicinity The UK-based Tesco stores entered the Slovak market in 1996 It currently operates almost 70 stores around the country Ferdinand Milučký belonged to the most significant architects of the second half of 20th century One of the most significant Slovak architects of the second half of the 20th century People can bid him farewell on August 1 at 11:00 at the crematorium in Bratislava After graduating from grammar school in Žilina More than 520 journalists have signed a statement condemning the most recent verbal attacks of the former prime minister against journalists Robert Fico said: "Shall all you comedians be knocked out." He said it only a few hours after information surfaced about the police interrogating the organisers of the For a Decent Slovakia protests It betrays not just an absolute loss of judgement but it is also cynical towards the families of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová It is repulsive towards journalists who continue uncovering mafia scandals after their murder we would not know today that Ladislav Bašternák is a tax fraudster and that Marian Kočner had been avoiding real investigation for years We would not know that Robert Kaliňák helped with the abduction of a Vietnamese citizen and that Robert Fico has ruled the country for years in a way that allowed a group of people standing outside the law to emerge The chairman of the Smer party Robert Fico is launching verbal attacks against journalists and spreads conspiracies only a few days before November 17 the day when Slovakia marks its fight for freedom including freedom of expression and freedom of gathering We refuse Robert Fico's attacks against journalists Matúš Kostolný Denník N Veronika Prušová Denník N Monika Tódová Denník N Konštantín Čikovský Denník N Jana Krescanko Dibáková TV JOJ Michaela Barcíková Denník N Tomáš Benedikovič Denník N Tomáš Kottra šport.sk Katarína Kiššová Denník N Jana Čunderlíková Aktuality.sk Martina Kašiarová TV Markíza Matúš Dávid .týždeň Martina Bednárová Plus 7 dní Kristína Janščová SME Titanilla Bődová Új Szó Dušana Lukáčová Nový Čas Peter Derňár Nový Čas Víkend Kveta Fajčíková MY- Banskobystrické noviny Lenka Štepáneková MY Trnavské noviny Ivana Sladkovská SITA/nášVidiek.sk Barbora Jánošová TV JOJ Matúš Baňovič .týždeň Katarína Kováčiková Aktuality.sk Katarína Kurtanská Nový Čas Mario Hudák MY Bardejovské Noviny Jana Paulovská Týždenníky MY Ľubica Stančíková MY Liptovské noviny Katarína Jánošíková Nadácia Zastavme korupciu Lukáš Krippel Forbes Slovensko Dominika Cunevová MY Nitrianske noviny Zoltán Sidó Új Szó Tomáš Velecký TV Markíza Romana Hlavanda Gogová Hospodárske noviny Tomáš Zemko Hospodárske noviny Alexandra Janigová MY Žilinské noviny Szilárd Sánta Új Szó Jozef Mikuš MY Novohradské noviny Július Lőrincz člen Asociácie európskych novinárov Gabriel Bogdányi Magazín Slovenská atletika/www.atletika.sk Nadežda Kališová MY Oravské noviny Jana Ogurčáková Korzár Kristína Jurčišinová RTVS Martin Šútovec Denník N Katarína Gécziová Korzár Ľuboslav Kačalka Hospodárske noviny Mikuláš Jesenský Košice dnes Renata Gešvantnerová Bauer Media Zuzana Matuščáková Forbes Kristína Štúriková Nový Čas Judita Čermáková Korzár Katarína Čulenová Šarm Lýdia Vojtaššáková MY Oravské noviny Martina Korbašová Šarm Radka Minarechová The Slovak Spectator Veronika Šmiralová Aktuality.sk Miriam Hojčušová Nitrianske noviny Peter Dudovič košice:dnes / Kiss Rádio Daniela Hajčáková bývalá redaktorka RTVS Elena Akácsová .týždeň František Ujházi MY Kysucké noviny Tímea Szabóová Košice:dnes Ivan Mriška My Hornonitrianske noviny Eva Eperješiová Nový Čas Soňa Brestovanská MY Týždenník pre Záhorie Michal Trško MY týždenníky Veronika Mináriková Nový Čas Katarína Jančovičová Nový Čas Monika Radošovská Aktuality.sk Soňa Ševčíková Denník N Lucia Kišová Hospodárske noviny Ivana Zigová MY Noviny Žiarskej kotliny Tomáš Vasilko Denník N Ján Krošlák freelancer Petra Ševčíková Stratégie Peter Blaško Hospodárske noviny Matúš Demiger Denník N Katarína Šelestiaková Plus 7 Dní Alexandra Krajčírová Noizz.sk Katarína Korytárová Noizz.sk Katarína Horváthová SITA Mária Čechová Forbes Slovensko Marína Gálisová .týždeň Bernadetta Pitoňáková My Noviny stredného Považia Vladimíra Gahérová Pravda Stanislava Benická TV Markíza Viera Legerská MY Turčianske noviny Kristína Dugovičová Plus 7 dní Jana Šimíčková Plus 7 dní Peter Briška MY Trnavské noviny Marcela Ballová MY Novohradské noviny Ivan Porubský MY Týždeň na Pohroní László Szabó Új Szó Tomáš Andrejčák Pravda Mária Šumichrastová TASR Stanislav Cibulka MY Trnavské noviny Iveta Grznárová Hospodárske noviny Denisa Nováková former editor of Aktuality.sk Ľubica Janíková TV Markíza Radovan Vojenčák MY Novohradské noviny Iveta Hažíková MY Kysucké noviny Pavol Fejér Nadácie Zastavme korupciu Michaela Farkašová Nový Čas Ľubomíra Somodiová Plus 1deň Michaela Zuzelková rádio Roma Ľuboš Bušo independent journalist Martina Šimkovičová RTVS - RSI Ján Karásek Hospodárske noviny Monika Kompaníková Čo čítať Monika Toporcerová Zdravotnícke noviny Katarína Lovasová Zdravotnícke noviny Katalin Juhász Új Szó János Juhász; Dósa Gömöri Hírlap Ivana Gáll Bajerová Rádio Košice Matej Štrbák Bratislavské noviny Silvester Lavrík occasional publicist Lucia Zornová MY Trenčianske noviny Tomáš Orosky Új Szó