BOOK TIP: The Lost Slovakia trilogy

The Lost Slovakia trilogy comprises three books - Forgotten Castles, Churches and Their Dark Fates and Vanished Baths - under the common title Lost Slovakia. In the books, you will find vanished or dilapidated buildings that are awaiting their inevitable demise. Buildings that are accompanied by sad stories or mysterious monuments with unclear origins.

Buildings marked by decay, rebuilding, fighting or looting. Some of them we would look for in vain in the landscape, others urgently need to be saved. The books bring us closer to our history and take us on a tour of these lost places that we probably weren't taught about in history class...

Unveilde Mysteries?

The ruins of castles, the remains of churches or decaying buildings of baths... Of some buildings only the tower remains, of some only a pile of rubble or only tiny remains. The authors of the books have tried to unveil the secrets of the history of these interesting buildings, to guide us through the complex periods that these buildings have experienced and to point out the transience that is part of our everyday life.

Tales from the Past

The books will be of interest to all of you who like to "peek" into our history, like to discover unknown corners of our country or just like to read stories about its past. The books are intended not only for explorers of our forgotten history, but also for all lovers of Slovakia who want to delve a little more into the ruins of our decaying cultural heritage.

Forgotten Castles

Slovakia can be called the land of castles with a clear conscience. However, of the nearly 300 castles, less than a hundred ruins or small ruins remain today. The book by historian and history teacher Tomáš Grančay presents 35 castle sites in eastern Slovakia, where we can find only the torsos of once important buildings of our history. The selection includes some well-known sites, but also those about which the public knows almost nothing. 

Churches and Their Troubled Fate

The book is a journey through the places where once stood not only medieval, but also modern churches or chapels, which are no longer found today. Yet they offered an unrepeatable atmosphere, a whiff of the old days, when one looked at the world with completely different eyes than today. For many centuries they dominated settlements and villages and today many of their inhabitants do not even know where they stood. The authors Stefan and Alexandra Podolinsky offered to map many of these sites and the book is the result of their several years of research.

Vanished baths

In the past, there were over 120 spa resorts in Slovakia. They were of course of different importance, size and focus, but almost all of them had a suitable natural healing source and fulfilled their therapeutic purpose. During the 20th century, several spa places gradually disappeared, and the book by historian Martin Kostelník presents the fate of these spas through unique pictorial and textual material.

You Can Win!

You can find the new book Ztracené Slovensko in any good bookstore or eshop or you can even win it! Just email us your favourite castle, church or spa and you will be entered into a draw for this unique trilogy. Send your answers by December 31, 2022 to info@infoglobe.sk. The winner will then be announced on our social media.  

Source and photo: PR, DAJAMA archive 

Text editing: editors