A Brief Guide To Felvidk

Making up nearly 10% of the territory of modern day Slovakia, Felvidék was formerly part of the Kingdom of Hungary, meaning its history goes back over 1,000 years.

Location:

The name Felvidék can be loosely translated into English as “Upper Hungary”, or more literally “Upland”, but today the area sits across the southern part of Slovakia.

History:

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kingdom of Hungary was constantly under threat from the Ottoman Empire, and as a result divided itself into specific regions, called captaincies, for more efficient administrative purposes. Upper Hungary was formed in the middle of the 16th century and located mainly in the northeastern parts of the Kingdom of Hungary, with the town of Košice as its focal point.

When the First World War ended, and Czechoslovakia was formed, it included Felvidék because the region had a small Slovak minority living there. Following the Second World War, thousands were forced to leave their homes during the Slovak-Hungarian resettlement campaign between 1946 and 1948, with Hungarians forced to settle in Slovakia.

Political status:

While the general area is known, Felvidék’s lack of borders make it difficult to define as a specific region. In 2010 the Hungarian Parliament voted to give ethnic Hungarians outside of Hungary the right to claim citizenship, despite not living in the country itself. Slovakia reacted by announcing that anyone doing so would lose their Slovak citizenship as a result to discourage people from doing so. Felvidék remains a part of Slovakia, although relations between the country and Hungary are strained. When Slovakia passed a law, mandating preferential use of Slovak as the official language, and enforcing financial penalties on those using other languages, it brought with it widespread criticism from abroad.

The Party of the Hungarian Community was founded in 1998 and represents the vast majority of ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia. It has one elected MEP but has no current members in the country’s National Council.
Felvidék are competing at the 2018 CONIFA World Cup, here’s everything you need to know about the tournament.

Demographics:

Felvidék makes up roughly a tenth of the territory of modern Slovakia, essentially referring to southern Slovakia’s Hungarian speaking ethnic minority. At 8.5%, Hungarians make up Slovakia’s largest ethnic minority according to the country’s 2011 census.

Slovakia’s Hungarian population has gradually fallen over the last forty years, as the general population has risen, meaning the percentage of Hungarians in Slovakia, and the population of Felvidék is on the decline.

Profile:

Population: 460,000 appox.
Capital: N/A
Major languages: Hungarian, Slovak
Currency: Euro
Major religions: Roman Catholicism, Calvinism

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.