Climate, Landscape

CLImate

The territory of Slovakia belongs to the moderate, continental climate. It is characterized by 4 regularly changing seasons and large seasonal temperature variance as well as variation in temperatures between day and night. The hottest month is July, the coldest January.

Current weather: www.shmu.sk/sk/?page=1

Landscape

About  2/3 of the Slovak area occupy Carpathian Mountains (Western and Eastern), which belongs to the Alps-Himalaya System.  On ca. 1/3 area of Slovakia there are lowlands, which belong to sub-system Pannonian Basin. The landscape of the country is manifold - lowlands, mountains, picturesque basins. The relief rise from South of the country to the North.

Lowlands: Danubian Lowland (Podunajská nížina)  - located in southwest Slovakia, between the river Danube, the Little Carpathians and other parts of Western Carpathians, Záhorie Lowland (Záhorská nížina) - located in southwest Slovakia, between the Little Carpathians and Morava, Eastern Slovak Lowland (Východoslovenská nížina) -  situated in eastern Slovakia

Mountains: low mountains (300 - 800 m), moderate mountains (800 - 1500 m), high mountains (over 1500 m)

Most significant high mountains: 

          Tatra Mountains (Tatry) - the mountain range is located on the border with Poland, it consist from Western Tatras, High Tatras and Belianske Tatras. The High Tatras are often called as the smallest (in size) mountain range with the alpine character in the world (260 km2 located in Slovakia, 81 km2 in POland), the main ridge of the mountain range is long only ca. 26 km. Comparised to the Alps there are no glaciers. The highest peak is Gerlachovský štít ( 2.655 m), 25 peaks with altitude over 2.500 m, The Large Waterfall at altitude 1.330 m high 20 m, glacial lakes. Symbol of Tatras are also the Tatra mountain chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica) and the Tatra marmot (Marmota marmota latirostius).

          Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) - the second most visited mountain range after High Tatras, it is located aproximately in middle Slovakia, the highest peaks are Ďumbier 2.043 m, Chopok 2.024 m, Dereše 2.004 m, 5 for tourist accesible caves.

          Orava Beskids (Oravské Beskydy)  - the third highest mountain range in Slovakia, located in the north Orava region near the border with Poland. The highest peak is Babia hora (1.725 m)

          Great Fatra (Veľká Fatra) - in the middle Slovakia, the highest peak is Ostredok 1.592 m, the most visited is picturesque village  Vlkolínec - farming village with 45 original log houses, since 1993 listed in UNESCO World Heritage site. On the area of 20,4 ha near  Harmanec there is the richest yew-tree (Taxus baccata) site in Europe. Near the village Dolný Harman is located the stalactite cave called Harmanecká Cave (Harmanecká jaskyňa).

          Little Fatra (Malá Fatra) - in the northwest Slovakia, the highest peak is Malý Kriváň 1.709 m, the most visited place is Vrátna valley (Vrátna dolina), there are more watterfalls in the Little Fatra - the most known is Šútovo Waterfall (Šútovský vodopád) at the altitude 830 m with vertical drop 38 m.

        Choč Mountains (Chočské vrchy) - the mountain range is only 24 km long and 4 - max. 8 km wide, it is located on the territory of following counties: Liptovský Mikuláš, Ružomberok and Dolný Kubín. The highest peak is Veľký Choč (1.611 m)

 National Parks:

Except National Parks there are 14 Protected Landscape Areas (Chránené krajinné oblasti) in Slovakia.