Is Slovakia the most underrated european country?

[Zohor]

Simple answer, no

Yall behave like Slovakia is the only country with nice genuine people and nice landscapes, these are cool but come on... the most underrated?

It goes under radar for many people, except for neighbours ofc. It is small and despite being nice it isn't something which sticks out. Also, nice cities? Except for city centres some cities look like stuck in 2000s, unless you call it aesthetic.

Is it only country with nice mountains? No, in fact it's easier to keep them nice than not nice, it would be an achievement to make mountains look ugly.

Is it only place with nice medieval cities? No, in fact same style of is found all over ex Austro-Hungary.

Bratislava with rich cultural life? Maybe, but in span of few hundred kilometres you have Budapest and Vienna with by far richer cultural life, heck even Brno and Cracow are on similar level to Bratislava. Bratislava may be treated mostly as pit stop to these imo.

It may seem to be forgotten, because it's mostly mountains, but people from other V4 states visit them very often.

Are there smaller countries with similar characterstics offering even more Slovakia? Yes, Montenegro and North Macedonia are the examples coming to my mind.

Some of yall seem to romanticize Slovakia only for being quite traditional, Slavic and not being in the spot of loud topics(and yes, all of these are truth). Take any of these elements and it's not so charming anymore, without traditional it becomes Slovenia, without Slavic it becomes Austria and without being in spot it's Ukraine.

[tropicalslavic]

I'm surprised to hear this. My father told me Czechs don't like Germans and he spent years there and speaks Czech. Even family that took him in was part German (father was Sudeten German, but flew for RAF in WW2 and he and his ethnic Czech wife were Czehoslovak loyalists) yet did not have any such sentiments.

It's just that Czechs are aware they are culturally much closer to Germans than Russians. It doesn't mean they like Germans.

From what I learned about Czechs, they identify as central Europeans ("heart of heart of Europe") and while they are not very anti Russian but pretty neutral, they certainly don't feel culturally similar to real eastern Europeans. Father told me they looked down on Slovaks as well.

I have been to Czech Repulic and it doesn't feel eastern at all.

Curious... where did you go? Different places in the country have different vibes. Bohemia and especially Prague tries as hard as it possibly can to be Western, and they are slightly more Western due to just being a more important area historically for interactions between cultures. Rural and/or Moravian people are almost universally going to identify more with Slavic cultural elements. There are exceptions to both.

Personally I always hear "we are more culturally closer to Germans" from Czechs, but I don't see it. Czech people get pretty upset at me when I ask for examples of these cultural similarities, and they can only come up with some church architecture styles or Christmas cookie recipes or loan words. Germans feel as different to me as Spaniards or Icelandic people do. Yet as an eastern Moravian, I feel right at home around Ukrainians or Balkan Slavs, always have.

I think a lot of people view Russia as the baseline of what is Slavic and "Eastern European" (I use it as a cultural term not a geographic one), so places like Croatia and Czech Republic look less "Slavic" by that metric. I disagree with the metric. I also don't even like the term "Central European" - I don't feel like I have anything in common with Hungarians and Germans that I don't also have in common with virtually every European country. I'm not saying you're saying this, but it's the argument Czech liberals online often make.

Many Czech people will tell you Cherokee princess stories about their German grandparents, yet all of the surnames in the last 2-3 generations of their family are always Slavic. I have run into this a lot from Czech liberals especially. A lot of Czech people these days overcompensate the supposed "strong cultural connection" we have to Germany partly due to shame about being associated with Russia and socialist countries in the past.

[Scarface F]

Curious... where did you go?

Prague, Brno (briefly), Karlovy Vary. Going back in summer.

Different places in the country have different vibes. Bohemia and especially Prague tries as hard as it possibly can to be Western, and they are slightly more Western due to just being a more important area historically for interactions between cultures. Rural and/or Moravian people are almost universally going to identify more with Slavic cultural elements. There are exceptions to both.

How can something that was always culturally western pretend to be western? If anything it can only pretend to be eastern. Cultural divide in Europe doesn't go by meta ethnic lines. I also don't see Slavic culture as something unified nor exclusively eastern.

Personally I always hear "we are more culturally closer to Germans" from Czechs, but I don't see it. Czech people get pretty upset at me when I ask for examples of these cultural similarities, and they can only come up with some church architecture styles or Christmas cookie recipes or loan words. Germans feel as different to me as Spaniards or Icelandic people do. Yet as an eastern Moravian, I feel right at home around Ukrainians or Balkan Slavs, always have.

Western Ukraine shouldn't be too alien for a Czech Moravian, especially Catholics/Greek Catholics. Since you are Orthodox, you will be naturally more connected to eastern Euros/Balkanites. What are cultural similarities of Czechs with Russians? With Germans;

beer culture
sporty, love of camping and adventuring
sexually liberated, porn, legal prostitution
eternal foreigner attitude towards "other"
etc

of yeah, some of your tourists here weat white socks with sandals Joke aside, I don't mention historical culture (religion, education, reformation) because that's pretty clear already.

I think a lot of people view Russia as the baseline of what is Slavic and "Eastern European" (I use it as a cultural term not a geographic one), so places like Croatia and Czech Republic look less "Slavic" by that metric. I disagree with the metric.

Agree.

I also don't even like the term "Central European" - I don't feel like I have anything in common with Hungarians and Germans that I don't also have in common with virtually every European country. I'm not saying you're saying this, but it's the argument Czech liberals online often make.

East-central Euro is pretty decent term to describe Visegrad countries IMO.

Many Czech people will tell you Cherokee princess stories about their German grandparents, yet all of the surnames in the last 2-3 generations of their family are always Slavic. I have run into this a lot from Czech liberals especially. A lot of Czech people these days overcompensate the supposed "strong cultural connection" we have to Germany partly due to shame about being associated with Russia and socialist countries in the past.

I wanna take a look at your gedmatch to see how Slavic you are!

[CosmoLady]

I don't know for sure,
but I think that many liberals from ex-communist countries are highly-socialised cosmopolitans,
who badly want to be "European", to be "Western", and to be accepted and perceived as such by Europeans/Westerners.

Often this involves disowning their national identity and culture,
especially if it is Slavic, which is perceived as "Eastern" in most cases.
This also involves adopting foreign values or materialist logic and moving to the West,
or creating Western liberal conditions in their capital city.
Pro-EU politics are implied.

Maybe Czech liberals dislike their own native people more than anything else?
Maybe they like to identify with Germany only because it is liberal and convenient?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

I don't think Slovakia is unfairly underrated. It's an enjoyable country, especially for its landscapes and nature. The only problem is that it borders Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. All these countries have capitals that are more aesthetically iconic than Bratislava. It's hard to compete with Vienna, Prague and Budapest, which are probably the most beautiful cities in Central\Eastern Europe.

[Scarface F]

I don't know for sure,
but I think that many liberals from ex-communist countries are highly-socialised cosmopolitans,
who badly want to be "European", to be "Western", and to be accepted and perceived as such by Europeans/Westerners.

Problem is that communism included very different cultures that were never homogenous. Just because post-modern western degenerates think it's all the same doesn't mean it is. I'd argue there is more real western culture surviving in country like Czech Republic than in Belgium or England.

Often this involves disowning their national identity and culture,
especially if it is Slavic, which is perceived as "Eastern" in most cases.

Mnay disilusioned westerners are obsessed with Russia and self-loathe their own culture. This is typical trait of post-modern west.

This also involves adopting foreign values or materialist logic and moving to the West,
or creating Western liberal conditions in their capital city.
Pro-EU politics are implied.

Maybe Czech liberals dislike their own native people more than anything else?
Maybe they like to identify with Germany only because it is liberal and convenient?

I really don't think Czechs identify with Germany. EU has no culture, it's a globalist economic and political project.
You have western cowards moving to Russia and fleeing their countries leaving them to Arabs and Indians.

Significant part of Slavs belongs to western Christian culture and tradition. Trying to equal it to eastern orthodox ethno nationalist religions and culture is simply betrayal of own roots, despite it's very trendy to lick Putin's balls these days among western far right.

[Scarface F]

I don't think Slovakia is unfairly underrated. It's an enjoyable country, especially for its landscapes and nature. The only problem is that it borders Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. All these countries have capitals that are more aesthetically iconic than Bratislava. It's hard to compete with Vienna, Prague and Budapest, which are probably the most beautiful cities in Central\Eastern Europe.

Bratislava is a fairly small city without much feeling of a capital. It's nice though. Slovakia has many other beautiful towns. And castles!

I like Košice for example, especially their Cathedral:

[Cybele]

My stay in Slovakia was extremely short, to make judgements, just two days or so, in Bratislava a while ago. I've heard that the mountains are amazing. So, cannot speak for the whole country but Bratislava itself was cool.

It remined me of Romania, in some strange way. It was different than Prague, Budapest etc. While it has Central Euro influence it also felt quite "Eastern". They even have one street called Bukureštská which looked like it could be part of random area in Bucharest




In other places it felt like taking a walk through, let's say Brașov



Bratislava castle



The iconic UFO looking bridge

[Russki]

I don't know for sure,
but I think that many liberals from ex-communist countries are highly-socialised cosmopolitans,
who badly want to be "European", to be "Western", and to be accepted and perceived as such by Europeans/Westerners.

Often this involves disowning their national identity and culture,
especially if it is Slavic, which is perceived as "Eastern" in most cases.
This also involves adopting foreign values or materialist logic and moving to the West,
or creating Western liberal conditions in their capital city.
Pro-EU politics are implied.

Maybe Czech liberals dislike their own native people more than anything else?
Maybe they like to identify with Germany only because it is liberal and convenient?

The fixation on Germany in this discussion is a relict of the past (before world wars).

Czechs want to stick with the West in general, young people speak English, and the cultural trend is Americanization like in most parts of the world.

The entire Eastern Europe, not just Czechia in particular, were looking towards America during the Cold War, and that's how Russia lost everything.

Eastern Europeans are very pro-American and they count primarily on America in the case of a Russian invasion.

[CosmoLady]

Problem is that communism included very different cultures that were never homogenous. Just because post-modern western degenerates think it's all the same doesn't mean it is. I'd argue there is more real western culture surviving in country like Czech Republic than in Belgium or England.



Mnay disilusioned westerners are obsessed with Russia and self-loathe their own culture. This is typical trait of post-modern west.



I really don't think Czechs identify with Germany. EU has no culture, it's a globalist economic and political project.
You have western cowards moving to Russia and fleeing their countries leaving them to Arabs and Indians.

Significant part of Slavs belongs to western Christian culture and tradition. Trying to equal it to eastern orthodox ethno nationalist religions and culture is simply betrayal of own roots, despite it's very trendy to lick Putin's balls these days among western far right.

Yes of course Slavs can be Western,
and are the best example of Western civilisation remaining in Europe, whether or not they are pro-Russian.

But I think that Western European liberals and Eurocrats will always perceive Slavs as Eastern and backward.
This creates an inferiority complex among Slav liberal cosmopolitans.
I would not be surprised if some of them pretend to be German if it is convenient,
because the Germany is now associated with liberalism and progress, the pinnacle of "Western-ness" in their minds.
This is like American liberals pretending to be Canadian or always wanting to move to Canada.

And no ex-communist state will ever be perceived as Western, no matter how anti-Russian it is,
unless it fully adopts woke values and implements them consistently over a long period.

At some point the small ex-communist countries will have to choose between the Woke West, and Something Else.
(Best of all would be for the Woke West to collapse, and for NATO and the EU to pull back. Wokeness comes from them.)



Also at some point,
persecuted Westerners will have to decide if they want to keep living in the Woke West, or go Somewhere Else.
For most people, Europe is still decent at only 10-20% migrant or whatever,
but what if the non-European population reaches 50%? This is already the case in the cities.
Or 85% like in South Africa?
Europeans are mostly unarmed, and hopefully they will flee before it is too late.
Hopefully the safe place will be nearby and not totally alien.
Maybe to an ex-communist country?

Or maybe the ex-communist countries will build a wall,
to keep OUT the hordes of refugees and migrants from the West? Some irony that would be.
This will happen unless Europeans do their utmost to prevent this.