In this round of Mysterious Slovakia, we travel to Košice, home to the St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral — the largest church in Slovakia and the easternmost Gothic cathedral in Europe. Beyond its treasures and relics, the cathedral hides a dramatic story: the legend and legacy of the Urban Bell.

Then, we celebrate the 20th episode of Slovak Sound Check — with reflections, recaps, and a look at how far our learners Sean and Lubna have come on their Slovak language journey.

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

In this part of our series about names in the Slovak calendar, we’re once again catching up with Natália Hejková, the world-famous basketball coach from Slovakia, while playing the song Natália by Robo Opatovský. In Culture Tips, we’ll tell you about events happening in Banská Štiavnica, Trenčín, Žilina, and other great spots.

Wolves in Slovakia have a complex and often turbulent history. Once widely persecuted, these wild canines were relentlessly hunted and driven into the remote valleys of the country’s east. However, Slovakia’s accession to the EU brought stronger conservation policies, allowing wolf populations to make a remarkable comeback.

Now, a new wave of fear and controversy threatens their future—not just in Slovakia, but across the EU. To explore the wolf’s history, biology, and the resurgence of hunting quotas, RSI spoke with zoologist Jeruš Tesák, Slovak Wildlife Society director Robin Rigg, and Slovak European Parliament member Michal Wiezik.

Today, we explore eco-friendly farming across Slovakia. First, we visit Ovosad Farm in Myjava, where sustainable farming practices are shaping a greener future. Then, we head to Moravské Lieskové to learn about hazelnut farming and its role in the local economy and environment. Next, we check out a prototype electromobile designed to assist farmers in vineyards, reducing emissions and soil disruption. Finally, we travel to Kráľová pri Senci to discover rare beehives and the efforts to preserve pollinators and biodiversity.

Fjuzn festival’s konektiv concert evening brings together Slovak and foreign musicians living in Slovakia to make a special concert. Ben Pascoe talked with the organizers and musicians at this year’s edition, which was part of the 20th year of this unique multi-genre festival whose slogan this year was “dare to get to know the world we have at home.”

RERUN: Anna Podmanická (19) and Tomáš Čermák (18) are two talented young scientists and global winners of the prestigious Earth Prize 2025. We delve into their innovative project PURA – a groundbreaking approach to water purification. The conversation explores the limitations of current purification methods, particularly the failure of the quaternary phase to remove antibiotic residues, a major contributor to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Anna and Tomáš explain how PURA combines photocatalysis and cold plasma technology to provide an effective and sustainable solution to this urgent global issue.

The 8th episode of Slovak Sound Check focuses on the essential verb byť – to be.

We take a look back at the week's headlines and some of our best stories from the past week.

Professor Anne Tomiche of Sorbonne University in Paris was the keynote speaker at an international symposium exploring various aspects of the norms and transgressions of masculinities in Central Europe — from the 19th century to the present day. Martina Greňová Šimkovičová also spoke with Ivana Taranenková, head of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and Václav Smyčka of Charles University in Prague. The program includes a brief tribute to Anca Monica Dragu, a longtime member of the RSI English section, who passed away on October 3rd, 2021. This week’s culture tips feature: an invitation to Roman Ondák’s solo exhibition in New York, the shared Visegrad Stage at the Budapest International Book Festival, and the Bratislava in Movement, the International Festival of Contemporary Dance — among others.

In an interview from 2024 Ben Pascoe talks with cellist and festival organizer Jozef Luptak about that years Konvergencie Festival as well as the past, future and current state of Chamber music. (repeat)