Centrally situated in Europe, Slovakia, or the Slovak Republic, is an up-and-coming tourist destination that beckons travelers from around the world to its rugged mountainous scenery, rich architectural history and competitive prices.

The center for arts and culture is the capital city, Bratislava, which boasts many museums, art galleries, palaces and ornamental churches in and around its historic old town.

Among the country's greatest architectural treasures, however, are the ancient wooden churches in northeast Slovakia, unique in their construction without nails, and still functioning as religious buildings today.

Slovakia became an independent nation in 1993 when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech and Slovak republics; Czech went on to revel in the glory of its capital city Prague, which become one of the must-see cities in Europe, while Slovakia's quiet charms remained relatively unexplored.

Nowadays the beautiful scenery, ski resorts, historic towns and easy access from the rest of Europe means that more and more travelers are starting to add Slovakia to the list, along with the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary.

From the Word Travels destination guide to Slovakia copyright Globe Media 2011