Slovakia (Slovak Republic, Slovenská republika in Slovak) is a country situated in Central Europe. Until 1993 it was a part of Czechoslovakia. It has borders with the Czech Republic and Austria to the West, Poland to the North, Ukraine to the East and Hungary to the South. The population of Slovak Republic is about 5,380,000 inhabitants and the country covers the total area of 49,035 square km. The official language is Slovak.

The capital and the largest city is Bratislava (also known as Pressburg) situated on the river Danube bordering both Austria and Hungary. It has population of about 427,000 people (about 600,000 including metropolitan area). Bratislava is the political, cultural and economic center of the country. There area a lot а museums, theatres, art galleries, universities and other educational and public institutions.

The terrains in Slovakia are mostly mountainous as the Carpathian Mountains spread across most of the northern part of the country. The highest point - the Gerlachovský štít (2,655 metres high) - is situated in the High Tatras. The climate of mountainous part of Slovak Republic is characterized by comparatively cold and snowy winters.

Slovakia is a relatively new winter destination but it can be proud of its wide range of ski areas and winter sports centers. Almost mountains are skiable and most of them are properly equipped for alpine skiing and snowboarding. There are tracks of all complexity levels there. The majority of local ski resorts are located in the High Tatra and Low Tatra mountains.