The Book Fairies love learning, so we asked our new book fairy, Nadege, to write a piece about the reading culture in Slovakia.

Slovakia reading culture

Based on my experience and from what I have heard, in Slovakia and Central Europe people value culture. It’s true that in Bratislava there are less museums than in Budapest or even Vienna for example (both cities are really close to Bratislava), but culture is still very important here. A lot of people, including young people, go to the ballet and/or theatre. When I take the bus, a lot of people are on their phones, but I also see a lot of them reading a book.

There are a few bookstores in the city centre, the biggest one being Martinus and I know a lot of people who often go there. The one thing that makes me think that the reading culture here is growing is that in most of the coffee houses (and God knows there are plenty of those), you can find bookshelves with stacks of books on them. And customers can pick a book and put it back when they leave.

Why did Nadege become a book fairy?

“Books are some of the most precious things ever. They can educate people. They can make you travel. They can also make you feel. I believe books are so powerful they can change people’s heart, encourage them and therefore help make the world a better place. That’s why I’m excited about being the Book Fairy in Bratislava!”