, opens new tab profits made on Russian crude.Hungarian fuel prices were higher than elsewhere in the region partly due to the higher taxes but also because the price cap distorted the free market for fuel regional oil analyst at Erste Investment.Firms stopped importing fuel due to low prices last year while a lot of smaller petrol stations were forced to close due to mounting losses."Overall they raised the tax by around 70-80 forints per litre which pushed Hungarian prices above the level of neighbouring countries," Pletser said.The government did not reply to emailed questions from Reuters.Reuters could not independently assess the scale of cross-border petrol purchases.($1 = 364.0200 forints)($1 = 0.9195 euros)Reporting by Krisztina Fenyo and Krisztina Than; editing by Jason Neely Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Esztergom boasts of both an enormous basilica and a popular aquapark The best thing about Štúrovo named after the greatest of Slovak heroes: Ľudovít Štúr Štúr rallied Slovaks in the 19th century in their struggle for self-determination His entry in the ‘Beliana Slovakia and the Slovaks’ encyclopaedia reads inter alia: “The most significant personality of the Slovak national movement.. pioneer of romantic literature in Slovakia.. established the foundations of modern Slovak culture...” It goes on and on Perhaps most notable on his long list of achievements was that he codified the Slovak language It therefore seems a trifle odd that an obscure little town where the language of choice is Hungarian should be named after Ľudovít Štúr This is a pity because Štúrovo is a mere afterthought compared to the Hungarian city Esztergom just across the Danube There is nothing of note in Štúrovo besides cheaper prices than the Hungarian side striking views of Esztergom’s enormous basilica and a pub that has as its centrepiece a luxury car with its top cut off Esztergom is easy to get to: just walk across the newly constructed Mária Valéria bridge After being destroyed in World War II by retreating German troops the bridge took 57 years to be rebuilt as the Hungarian and Slovak sides rarely seemed interested in recreating the link But it was finally opened in 2001 after each country chipped in five million euro to go with a 10 million euro grant from the European Union Whereas locals and visitors beforehand had to rely on a ferry to cross the water - or take a 108 kilometre drive through Komárno - they can now stroll five minutes into Hungary The most dazzling site in Esztergom - and indeed one of the most dazzling sites in central Europe - is the basilica its domed top is the dominant feature of the city skyline The church is 118 metres long and 40 metres wide with foundation walls dug 16 metres deep The internal height of the dome is a staggering 71.6 metres Esztergom is one of the oldest and most historically significant Hungarian cities and it was the capital of the Hungarian Kingdom until 1256 Invading Tartars halted the town’s growth and prosperity in 1242 when they destroyed most of the city although they were unable to capture the castle found shelter during the raids behind the castle walls King Belo IV transferred the royal seat south to Buda The city was struck again in 1541 when Ottoman attacks to the south forced the Archbishop to move the archdiocese to Trnava the Ottomans took the town and held it till 1595 they returned in 1605 and recaptured the city they kept it under Turkish control until 1683 Once the city was back in the Hungarian Kingdom fold the governor of the castle set to strengthening fortifications So he had 200 houses below the castle demolished and used the material to bolster defences some of those old buildings were spared and are today remarkably intact On a little slice of land between the castle and the Danube are several baroque rococo and neo-classical homes in an area of town known as Viziváros The city began to flourish again in 1708 when it was granted the privileges of a royal borough the Archbishop’s seat was returned to Esztergom But in 1876 locals were stunned by the king’s decision to revoke their royal borough privileges Too small to be considered a royal borough Our Spectacular Slovakia travel guides are available in our online shop the city was the centre of an anti-Communist uprising led by Archbishop József Mindszenty The Communists quickly crushed the budding revolution and the seat of the Archbishop became a largely symbolic title as any real power it had before was now denied His casket can be viewed in the bowels of the basilica and thousands of Hungarians participate in a national pilgrimage to the basilica every first Saturday of May The event marks the death of the Archbishop One could easily spend a whole day in Esztergom pondering the city’s rich history The basilica alone makes the trip worthwhile You simply will not find a church in Slovakia to match the Esztergom Basillica I begged the city named after the great Štúr to engage my interest But the main square is nothing more than a road with a patch of grass in the middle; there were no museums I scanned a city guidebook to see if I had missed anything: It told me that the most significant piece of town architecture was a VÚB bank And a bar where a Mercedes Benz is part of the furniture The two front seats have been turned backwards and a small table sits where the gearshift might otherwise But not even this curiosity could occupy the imagination past one drink So back to the river I went as the sun was setting to enjoy once more the best part of Štúrovo: the view across the river to Hungary 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 You can read this article in 4 minutesAgnieszka Kulikowska - Wielgus The Finnish government has decided to reintroduce drivers’ hours’ regulations Bulgaria have introduced a new declaration the relaxation of drivers’ hours’ regulations in Finland Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on driving and rest times applies completely in this country.  The ministry emphasizes that the relaxation is subject to approval by the European Commission  The Commission is of the opinion that there will be insufficient reasons for derogations in the Member States from June is already flowing and that extending the exemptions would increase the risk of accidents The Slovak government has decided to extend border controls that would expire on 28 May to last until 26 June it will be possible to enter and leave Slovakia only through the following border crossings: Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (motorway)  Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (old road)    Záhorská Ves – Angern an der March (newly opened passage) Bratislava Czunowo – Rajka (highway) – for heavy goods transport over 12 t Šahy – Parassapuszta (for truck transport over 12 t) I / 17] (for heavy goods transport over 12 t) Hosťovce –Tornanádaska (newly opened passage) Procedures at border crossing points in green lanes remain unchanged anyone who obtains permission to enter Bulgaria without quarantine (i.e truck drivers entering and passing through Bulgaria) will be required to submit a new declaration to border control authorities reports the International Road Transport Union (IRU) To minimize waiting times, drivers should complete a declaration before arriving at border crossing points. A sample in English provided by the IRU can be found HERE. Agnieszka Kulikowska - Wielgus Journalist Trans.info | 6.05.2025 Pölös Zsófia Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 Fragrance on the Fly: Why Pocket Perfumes Are Perfect for Airplane TravelSponsored Article 6.05.2025 August 7 (TASR) – The police on Tuesday arrested a woman from Sturovo (Nitra region) who has been annoying her neighbours by playing loud opera music some 16 hours a day for almost 16 years A police investigator charged the owner of the house on Kossuthova Street in Sturovo for legal purposes identified only as Eva N According to Nitra Regional Police Directorate spokesperson Renata Cuhakova the investigator is preparing a motion to remand the woman in custody the accused could face between six months and three years in prison The woman was playing a four-minute aria from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La traviata from loudspeakers over and over in order to take revenge on her neighbours whose dog was barking and distracting her from her work In June 2015 the mayor of Sturovo issued an injunction banning harassment by playing loud music Over the next two years and three months the ‘singing house’ became silent and the street was quiet again took the regulation to court and kept appealing against the decisions of both district and regional courts the Supreme Court in March confirmed the town’s regulation but this didn’t stop the owner of the house from playing the opera music Based on a motion of the prosecutor’s office the police eventually took action against the woman The woman whose case has been made into a theatre play was charged with ignoring the Supreme Court’s ruling and dangerous threats and brought into pre-trial custody A woman in the southern Slovak town of Štúrovo “tortured” her neighbours by playing a single Verdi opera loudly every day between 6:00 and 22:00 which played La Traviata as sung by Placido Domingo The woman started to play the opera as revenge as she had vainly complained about a barking dog next door “The owner of the house did not even respect the Supreme Court’s effective order that banned her from playing the music,” TV Markíza wrote The investigator also charged her with dangerous threats and proposed pre-trial custody the owner of the “opera house” is awaiting the decision of a judge in a prison cell – whether she will be released She faces a prison sentence between six months and three years The re-playing of the aria on Kossuthova Street in Štúrovo was accompanied by unbearable whistling – catcalls The four-minute piece was played again and again between 6:00 and 22:00 the mayor of Štúrovo issued a preliminary injunction in which he banned the harassing of citizens by playing recorded music the “opera house” and the street went quiet contested the preliminary injunction through a court complaint The district court confirmed the mayor’s order appealed against the courts’ decisions La Traviata thus resounded again across Kossuthova Street the Supreme Court confirmed the preliminary injunction issued by the town in 2015 which bans the harassing of citizens by playing recorded music “The whole street is suffering,” Sme wrote adding that noise is one of the gravest factors in creating stress The aria from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi The random finding of World War II bombs in a small Slovak town required the evacuation of an entire street A street in the town of Štúrovo (in the south of the Nitra Region) on the Slovak-Hungarian border had to be evacuated on April 19 after the discovery of four unexploded Soviet bombs from World War II weighing 100 kilograms each along with additional ammunition Štúrovo police were alerted on that day by a local man Police specialists on the scene found two hand grenades and one artillery shell they decided to conduct a more thorough search which resulted in the discovery of four 100-kilogram bombs in the area “The scene has been sealed off and bomb-disposal experts continue to search,” Nitra regional police presidium spokesperson “The wartime ammunition has been transported to a safe place and defused,” she added A NEW foundry the Spanish company Funderia Condals plans to build in Slovakia may end up in southern Slovakia after its plans in eastern Slovakia failed “In the first round we can employ 70 people in Štúrovo,” Josep Maria Noguera a representative of the company told the Hospodárske Noviny daily “The investment will exceed €24 million.” Originally the plan of Funderia Condals to build a new foundry in eastern Slovakia was labelled as the investment of the year But it failed two times when initially Prešov and later the nearby Petrovany village refused the plan due to environmental concerns and in the end it has found a new prospective locality near Štúrovo After reaching an agreement with landowners it may launch production already during the second quarter of 2016 “The town [Štúrovo] closely watches the course of negotiations between the investor and the owner of the real estate,” Štúrovo mayor Eugen Szabó told the daily “We are welcoming all the activities directed to revival of the industrial activity in the town.” Štúrovo is not the only town in Slovakia interested in the investment as Hnúšťa in central-eastern Slovakia also showed interest But the Spanish company has chosen Štúrovo The new foundry may help reduce local unemployment as it plans to gradually increase employment in the plant to more than 350 people The jobless rate in the Nové Zámky district is about 9.5 percent according to the Centre of Labour localities that have turned down the investment plans suffer from even higher unemployment about 14 percent in the Prešov district Prešov and Petrovany turned down the investment especially due to concerns over pollution the foundry would cause “The operation of the foundry cannot endanger the environs in any way,” Noguera told Hospodárske Noviny Štúrovo cares about the environment too “The company has assured us that it will use the most modern technologies,” said Szabó adding that they will monitor observance of safety measures Funderia Condals already has one plant in Slovakia The new foundry should further strengthen its position in the country Slovak railway company admits shortcomings Czech rail company České Dráhy has slammed Slovak railways over the state of its architecture after SuperCity Pendolino train derailed at Žilina The Czech carrier said the incident last month was due to fault at a track switch near Žilina In a letter seen by the daily Denník N the head of České Dráhy told the director of Slovak national carrier ŽSR that the state of railroads and switches on lines used by international trains in Slovakia was "woeful" The Czech carrier called on its Slovak counterpart to make improvements or it could face claims for compensation for damage to its trains The derailed Pendolino train was out of order for three weeks with the front car needing a chassis replacement České Dráhy asked their own operators to map the state of railroads used by their trains sections between Bratislava - Štúrovo and Čadca - Žilina - Košice are the worst ŽSR bosses have admitted to problems with infrastructure blaming long-term insufficient funding for repairs "We are analysing the shortcomings the České Dráhy letter have pointed to We are preparing a proposal of measures that will be included in our reply," said ŽSR spokesperson Ria Feik Achbergerová Slovakia's largest producer of fluting and packaging paper announced a few weeks ago its merger with one of the world's largest wood processing groups who last January acquired a 91 percent stake in JCP.The Štúrovo plant is AssiDomän's only Slovak daughter adding 160,000 tons of semi-chemical fluting to the product portfolio of AssiDomän Packaging the biggest division of the group.AssiDomän (AD) ranks among the top ten forest products companies in Europe with production focused on packaging paper generating 1996 sales of 19.3 billion Swedish crowns (SEK - $2.44 billion) and net after-tax profits of 1.4 billion SEK ($177 million) sixty percent of whom live outside of Sweden who last January acquired a 91 percent stake in JCP The Štúrovo plant is AssiDomän's only Slovak daughter adding 160,000 tons of semi-chemical fluting to the product portfolio of AssiDomän Packaging AssiDomän (AD) ranks among the top ten forest products companies in Europe generating 1996 sales of 19.3 billion Swedish crowns (SEK - $2.44 billion) and net after-tax profits of 1.4 billion SEK ($177 million) After the 1994 merger of two Swedish giants Assi the group continues to expand all over Europe by entering new markets and building or purchasing new production sites The company's flexibility seems surprising given that it is 51 percent state-owned Now the paper vikings seem to be determined to conquer central and eastern Europe AssiDomän has acquired eight papermills in the Czech Republic and has begun building new ones in Poland and Russia AssiDomän acquired the biggest paper producer the Swedish company recently became a market leader in Slovakia with its purchase of JCP from where it will serve regional clients from the Štúrovo plant AD officials explain their southeastward drive simply: they follow their Western customers who moved their own production to the region and expect to get the same service at lower costs The packaging industry in central and eastern Europe was particularly neglected in the old planned economies and therefore rapid growth can be expected (the average consumption of paper packages per capita in western Europe is 37kg while it's only 7kg in eastern Europe) when 70 percent of JCP's shares was sold during voucher privatization to investment funds and retail investors JCP has been looking for a strategic investor who would take the responsibility for serious long-term decisions According to JCP's former general director this waiting dragged the firm into troubles a so-called "white program" - card boards and fluting - generated a loss of 220 million Sk causing overall net profit to slide to 8.4 million Sk a mere 5 percent of the firm's 1995 profits The original business plan for 1997 envisioned continuous downfall in both production and number of workers as Kučera said about 300 people were to be fired production capacities were used at only 80 percent But even in that shape the company yielded - for some whose statutory representatives at the time of sale were Kučera's two sons bought a 30 percent stake in JCP in a direct sale from the National Property Fund for one-sixth of the market price in August 1996 was sold to AssiDomän at much higher price Rumors say the sons have earned about 600 million Sk from the deal At the first general shareholders' meeting AssiDomän replaced JCP's entire top management The new director's board is now led by Lars Richardson AssiDomän Packaging's president for central and eastern Europe; the two other members are Anders Haglund vice president of AssiDomän and Marián Slovák "JCP Štúrovo will have to come to grips with the hard reality of the market and the evergrowing competition," Richardson said the company will have to be reorganized by the new management to a customer-oriented firm with a flexible production process." That is exactly what is happening in Štúrovo these days the company will have to change its entire organizational structure and improve its production process and marketing to meet the concern's needs But he added that initial feedback is already very favorable the Štúrovo plant is quite modern compared to other Slovak firms The fact that the plant has not too obsolete fixed assets along with a strategic location and interesting product assortment were certainly reasons why JCP was viewed as a valuable prize by AssiDomän "The Štúrovo plant is considered one of the most successful acquisitions in central and eastern Europe that AssiDomän has made," Slovák said adding that the company should be divided into four divisions "When [AssiDomän] came to Štúrovo in May the company was in the red," said Slovák the plant earned 59.3 million Sk on pretax profit and had revenues of 1.64 million Sk 1997 sales growth is expected to be around 7 percent Slovák continued that AssiDomän Packaging's main aim now is to augment profits by reducing costs Production should be greased by eliminating time delays between operations and by a more sophisticated quality control system The group's strong financial backing will also bring investment adding that overall 1997 investments will be about 220 million Sk and at least the same next year the company obtained an ISO 9001 quality certificate for its cardboard plant and is trying to obtain similar certificates for its other plants one of AssiDomän's main priorities is to introduce an environmental management systems at all its operations "The new ecological study for the Štúrovo [plant] is being prepared," Slovák said "We should soon be able to register for the ISO 14001." (Figures are through June 1997 unless otherwise noted) JACK CAREY has found his new home in Štúrovo an ancient game that is an integral part of the Irish identity Irish fans say it is a game that combines the beauty of dance with the raw physicality of a barroom brawl The ancient game of hurling is an integral part of the Irish identity JACK CAREY has found his new home in Štúrovo was once the most popular player in Ireland bringing his team to the finals 8 times in his 13-year career A video detailing his career was the best-selling sports video in the country Although hurlers are sports legends in Ireland they do not become superstars like other top sportsmen and often continue to live in the towns they grew up in Hurling is best described as a rough-and-tumble game similar to ice hockey but played on a grass pitch larger than a soccer field Fifteen players on each side play without protective gear racing toward the opposing team's goal as they fling a ball slightly larger than a baseball from curved paddles called 'hurleys' The object is to hurl the ball over the other team's crossbar or into their net The first written record of the game was in the 5th century but it has been played since long before the arrival of Christianity to Ireland the Irish had claimed hurling as an official part of their identity together with the Irish language and traditional Irish music and folk dances hurleys must be made from a very particular type of wood the root of the ash tree makes the best hurling stick the Carey brothers began to import it from Sweden and it wasn't long before they had to look elsewhere And this is where Slovakia enters the story and so Jack Carey began searching for ash near the second largest river in Europe Along the part of the Danube that forms the southern border of Slovakia Carey intended to export the wood to Kilkenny where hurling sticks are traditionally manufactured but then he thought - why not produce hurleys on site He soon established a firm called Setanta - named after the first great Irish hurling hero - in Štúrovo hired local employees and started his business A breakthrough came when he made contact with the paper mill Smurfit Kappa Štúrovo this summer "You really have to have connections to do business here," Carey said "Trying to do things on your own just doesn't work This partnership definitely saved my bacon." the Slovak foresters had to be taught to pull the ash trees up by the roots "I need the root to get the curve in the grain of the hurley." To help the employees to understand what they were making "They were absolutely amazed by the speed of it and the fact that players wear so little protective gear It was great motivation for them," Carey said "I think this is a good starting point for expansion It's not a question of cheaper labour Sourcing the right material is everything in this business Most of the expansion will probably come from new technology It's a pretty mechanised industry now although the finish is done by hand."