Vintage Photos of Slovakia

in the late 19th to the mid-20th century.

Most of these pictures illustrate rural Slovakia and its peasants who are bearers of Slovak folk culture which is basically pagan, thus interesting for Slavdom as such. Life was different back then, everything looked more healthy for sure, just look at the peacefulness and nice Slavic traditions in Slovakia! Dressing in folk costumes has a long tradition and belongs to the national cultural heritage.

The traditional clothing in Slovakia is a folk costume called a kroj. Its history dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries when the first decorated costumes began to emerge. The most distinctive elements of the kroj are embroidery, its techniques, ornamentation, color, and composition.

Slovaks are known to be proud of their distinct identity, often distinguishing themselves from neighboring Slavic groups.

Slovakia was part of the Habsburg Empire for over 300 years, from the 16th to the early 20th century.

Slovak boys from the Village of Heľpa, 1932. By famous Czech photographer Karel Plicka (1894-1987).

Boys from Heľpa, 1923. "Kožušok" refers to a traditional Slovak sheepskin vest or small coat, often part of folk costumes (kroj) featuring distinctive embroidery and patterns, such as those from Čierny Balog. In modern usage, it refers to fur coats or shearling jackets.

Čičmany in northern Slovakia, 1949. The unique patterned wooden houses in Čičmany, Slovakia, aren't from one specific build date but evolved; the village itself dates to the 13th century, and the distinctive white lime-paint decoration, originally for wood preservation, began around 200 years ago (late 18th/early 19th century) and became a widespread tradition, especially after a major fire in 1921 rebuilt many homes in the classic style.

Čičmany, 1906 before the devastating fire in 1921.

Group of Slovaks from Detva, Vydrná and Horná Mariková at the 1895 Czechoslavic Ethnographic Exhibition in Prague (May–October) was a massive cultural event attracting over 2 million visitors to celebrate Czech and Slovak national identity. Held in the Royal Game Reserve (Stromovka), it showcased rural, Slavic folk culture through reconstructed villages, traditional costumes, and performances. It served as a political, nationalist statement highlighting Slavic, non-German heritage in Austria-Hungary.

Slovak folks from Vydrná Village near Púchov, North-Western Slovakia, 1896.

Slovak Detva folks visiting the Čičmany cottage at Prague’s Czechoslavic Ethnographic Exhibition of 1895, colored. (19th century, Austria-Hungary).

Old wooden crosses in cemetery of the Michalková village, Slovakia, 1960.

Poprad Lake in the Tatra mountains, Slovakia, 1930s. The High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry) is the tallest range in the Carpathian Mountains. Gerlachovský štít (Gerlach Peak), at 2,654 m (8,710 ft), is the highest peak in the High Tatras mountain range and the highest peak in Slovakia. Gerlachovský štít is taller than the mountains in Poland, Czechia, Ukraine, Romania, Scandinavia, and Turkey and the British Isles!

Beautiful bride from Veľký Lom Village, Southern Slovakia, 1933. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

Old wooden houses in Čierny Balog - in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia, 1906.

Slovak landscape, Photographer Karel Plicka.

Coming back from harvest, Zvolenská Slatina Village, Central Slovakia, 1902. (Pavol Socháň photographer)

Old wooden houses in the village of Veličná, Orava, Northern Slovakia, 1895. (Slovak photographer Pavol Socháň) Traditional wooden houses in Slovakia have a long history, with many existing examples built from at least the 18th century onwards.

Men in Malé Stankovany Village, 1895 (left). "Don't be angry, grandma." in Slovakia, 1895 (centre). Both photos by photographer Pavol Socháň. Men knitting boots, called kopytcia from the 18th and 19th centuries. Evidence of their wearing comes mainly from the upper Považie region, Kysuce, Orava, Liptov and Spiš.

Musicians from Liptovské Sliače around 1909 - Archive of Matica Slovakia. Everyone is a smoker...

Liptovské Revúce (village), Northern Slovakia, 1919. (Slovak photographer Pavol Socháň )

Liptovské Revúce - (Small children didn't dress in slovak folk costume), early 1920s.

A path by a split rail fence in the village of Osturňa (Upper Spiš), Northern Slovakia.

The village of Veličná (Northern Slovakia) 1906. Nice house with a balcony.

Komjatná village late 19th century, Northern Slovakia. Traditional Slovak folk log houses in the 1800s (19th century) typically contained two to three main rooms, with many families living in a single, multi-purpose room. They did not have modern couches, but rather benches, wooden chests, and a large stove. You can see here two beds, a dining table and cradle. The kitchen is not visible but it is on the right side of the room.

A man and a woman from Liptovská Osada village, Northern Slovakia, 1910 (left). Jasenová village (near Podbiel), Dolný Kubín district, northern Slovakia, 1907 (right). Both photos by Pavol Socháň photographer.

Veličná Village in northern Slovakia, 1906.

Elderly Slovak man and woman from Liptovská Osada, Northern Slovakia by Pavel Socháň, 1913 (left). Men in front of a pub in Stankovany, Northern Slovakia, 1900s (right).

Slovakian piper playing bagpipe with boys from Heľpa, Central Slovakia, Photographer Karel Plicka, 1930. Slovak folk bagpipe tradition (known as gajdy or gajdošská tradícia) has been a part of Slovak peasant and shepherd culture for centuries, with documented, continuous existence in the region since at least the 14th century. "Bagpipe culture" in Slovakia is recognized as part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Three couples in wedding costumes in Vyšné Ružbachy, Northern Slovakia, 1931.

Young Slovakian Men's Hats by Photographer Karel Plicka. Groom's hat decorated with a rosemary feather, wax flowers and pink ribbons. Zázrivá, Northern Slovakia, around 1900 -1920, (left). Both boys from Northern Slovakia (middle & right).

Cemetery somewhere in Slovakia, 1940 (Photographer Štefan Tamáš.)

Under the Tatras (High Tatras) in northern Slovakia. Photo by Ján Halaša, 1942. The Tatras are located in the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathian Mountains are the second longest mountain range in Europe, stretching from the Czechia, across Poland and Slovakia, to Serbia, Romania, and Moldova.

Vintage Kitchen with fireplace, chimney and oven in Šumiac village, Slovakia. An open-hearth stove used for cooking and space heating. It can be cooked in two ways - on an open fire on a tripod "trnáci" or on a "šparheta", with the wood needed for cooking being placed in the space behind the door under the "šparheta". The stove also includes a baking oven. The open areas of the stove are used for drying things and sleeping on top of, especially in the winter.

Slovak men in the winter cloaks (kožuch) from Očová - Podpoľanie, Slovakia. Slovak kožuch (specifically the long version) is very similar to the Hungarian suba. Both are traditional, heavily decorated, long sheepskin cloaks worn for warmth, protection against elements, and as a status symbol in Central European shepherd culture.

A group of men from Osturna, a village in Spis County, Slovakia (the Slovak Republic, formerly part of Czechoslovakia), circa 1920.

Suchá Hora Village, Northern Slovakia - On the left, the Goral Podholian-style porch and veranda of the house.

Slovak boys playing game of "chicken", Horehronie, Slovakia, 1928. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

Handsome slovak boys, Horehronie, Slovakia, 1928. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

Slovak boys riding horses near Heľpa, Central Slovakia. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

Vintage photo of a Carpathian shepherd from Slovakia with his fujara and its music; a traditional woodwind instrument of the region. (Photographer Karel Plicka) The fujara's origin lays in the middle of Slovakia, and it is assumed that it´s roots would lay with the 3-holed flutes played by the tambourines in the 12th and 13th century in Europe. The fujara was added to the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.

Horehronie, boys' pastimes while herding, 1928. (Photo by Karel Plicka) The Slovak shepherd's axe, known as the Valaška, was used for a combination of practical, protective, and symbolic reasons. Historically, it was an essential, all-purpose tool for shepherds and mountain people across the Carpathian Mountains (including modern-day Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine).

The boys from Heľpa, Central Slovakia, 1928. (Photo by Karel Plicka)

Slovak dancers in traditional costumes from Liptov, Central & Northern Slovakia, 1956.

Slovak dancers in traditional costumes from Liptov, Central & Northern Slovakia, 1956.

Slovak actor Paľo Bielik in the title role of "Jánošík" (Czechoslovak movie 1935) by the Czech director Martin Frič. Juraj Jánošík (1688 -1713) was a Slovak highwayman. Jánošík has been the main character of many Slovak novels, poems, and films. According to the legend, he robbed nobles and gave the loot to the poor, a deed often attributed to the famous Robin Hood. Jánošík was born in the mountainous village of Terchová in the north-west of Slovakia. He was 25 years old when he was executed on March 17, 1713, in Liptovský Mikuláš, Kingdom of Hungary (now Slovakia).

Weaving woman in Heľpa, 1950s. Handicrafts - weaving and embroidery were in every household, especially on winter evenings. Women were led to sewing clothes from an early age, they began to learn to sew as girls aged 5-6 years. Embroidery was part of the curriculum in folk schools throughout Slovakia.

Polomka, central Slovakia, 1957 (left). Women's work from Bošáce, Western Slovakia, 1940s (middle). Važec, Liptovský Hrádok district, Northern Slovakia, 1950s (right). Slovak women using spinning wheel to turn wool into yarn.

Lacemakers from the village of Liptovské Sliače, Northern Slovakia.

"Praise of the Light" Child sleeping on a haystack near Liptovský Mikuláš, Northern Slovakia, By Slovak photographer Martin Martinček, was taken in 1960.

Driving the Farm to Graze, Zuberec village (near Podbiel), Northern Slovakia, 1956.

Slovak mother and child from Važec, Slovakia, 1925. Važec is a village in Northern Slovakia, near the High Tatras mountains. By Karel Plicka photographer.

A lot of ducks take over Zázrivá Village, Northern Slovakia, 1933.

Pohorelá Village, Slovakia - Corner of the pitvor with a fireplace; to the left of it a smaller stove equipped with a pipe for exhausting smoke, ca 1931.

Heľpa, Central Slovakia, 1930.

The three wooden bell towers are still standing today. In Klenov, wooden bell tower from 1742 and the Greek Catholic Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, as dominant features of the village and also national cultural monuments. Photo: 1910s, (top left). Malé Ozorovce, Church of St. Mary Magdalene and bell tower from 1619, (top right). In Stará Halič, wooden bell tower was built in 1673. Photo by Pavol Sochan, 1895, (bottom).

Liptovská Lužina Village, Northern Slovakia, 1933 (Karel Plicka)

A baby hammock and other baby standing stool from Pohorelá, Slovakia. Slovak folk babies are placed in hammocks (called hojdavaky) because the gentle, womb-like rocking motion is naturally soothing, helps them sleep better and longer, and provides a cozy, cocooning environment, a tradition supported by modern findings that rocking synchronizes brainwaves for deeper rest, offering parents a practical way to soothe infants naturally. The bed was usually used by married couples. The bottom drawer was pulled out from under the bed in the evening, and children usually slept on it.

The little shepherd from Babín Village in northern Slovakia, 1959. (Author Martin Valasek)

The Village of Liptovské Revúce in northern Slovakia, 1934. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

Ždiar under the Tatras in northern Slovakia, 1930s. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

Women washing clothes in a stream in the village of Čičmany, Slovakia, 1920s. 

Photographer Karel Plicka, Slovak boys playing blind horse in Heľpa, 1927.

High Tatras - a sheep farm in Liptov, Northern Slovakia (1920s). Milking sheep at the milking parlor on the mountain pasture.

A small stream in the village of Vyšná Boca, Northern Slovakia.

View of the High Tatras, Važec village, Slovakia, 1928. by Karel Plicka photographer.

Slovak group of children and women are going into the field for work (without folk costumes) in Valaská Dubová under Veľký Choč (Choč Mountains), Northern Slovakia, 1926 by Czech photographer Karel Plicka. 

Detvian painted crosses at Cemetery in Detva, Central Slovakia. (Czech photographer Karel Plicka)

Dunajec River Rafting (Spiš, Northern Slovakia.) late 1880s.

Boat mills on the Váh river in Hlohovec, Western Slovakia, 1918. MILLING has a long history in Slovakia, with significant activity recorded as early as the 13th century. Due to the abundance of rivers and streams, watermills have operated successfully here ever since. In the 19th century there were 4,800 mills in operation, the highest number at any time in the territory’s history.

A field cradle in Dobrá Niva Village, Central Slovakia. (Czech photographer Karel Plicka)

The Odzemok is a traditional Slovak and Moravian Wallachian solo folk dance for men, characterized by rapid, improvised movements—including jumping, squatting, and clapping—performed while wielding a valaška (small shepherd's axe). It is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that originated from shepherds and robbers, with the name translating to "from the ground". The earliest known reference to the Odzemok dance in the Slovakia region dates back to 1514. Odzemok is found everywhere in Slovakia but is richest in the central and northeast parts, especially in the High Tatra Mountains. See Short Video.

Under the Tatras - flock of sheep, Northern Slovakia, 1936.

Interior of a room, Viničné Village, Western Slovakia, photographer R. Mikulová. Clay dishes were used in everyday households for dining, storing, and transporting food.

Wedding in Liptovské Sliače, Northern Slovakia ca. 1899 (Archive of Matica Slovak)

Čierny Balog - (Black Balog), Central Slovakia, year 1901.

Čierny Balog - (Black Balog), Central Slovakia, year 1901.

Slovak women in folk costumes in Rejdová Village, circa 1930 by photographer Karel Plicka.

Slovak folk dancers in Rejdová.  

Očová, Slovakia, around 1900. Očová is a village and municipality of the Zvolen District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia.

Children with toys by photographer Karel Plicka: A little girl with doll in Telgárt, 1957 (left). Karel Plicka is watching a little boy holding a puppy, and they're playing with a hand-drawn cart toy, 1932 (centre). Child with wooden horse on wheels toy in Závadka, 1933 (right).

Gathering firewood in Liptovská Osada village, Žilina Region of northern Slovakia, by Pavol Sochan Photography, 1908.

The farm near Liptovský Mikuláš, Northern Slovakia, By Slovak photographer Martin Martinček, 1950s.

Young men from Jasenová Village, Lower Orava, (Northern Slovakia) 1929.

The poor boys without shoes from Fačkov (village), Žilina Region, 1928. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

This interesting picture comes from the 1920s and is the work of famous photographer Karel Plicka. It portrays the primitive farmhouses that were the homes of people in the village of Nedelište in central Slovakia.

Mother and children in Čičmany, Slovakia, 1920.

Slovak women of Čičmany - embroiderers, 1937.

Ornaments in Čičmany is a small village in northern Slovakia. The village is full of black timber houses, each one decorated with intricate traditional patterns in white lime paint. While the village itself is a renowned folk architecture reserve (the first in the world), the unique ornament patterns are specifically listed on the Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Slovakia as of 2013.

They're going to church in Heľpa, Czechoslovak Republic, 1927 by Karel Plicka photographer.

Heľpa (Village), 1935 by Karel Plicka photographer.

The young men from the Village of Čičmany, Northern Slovakia, 1930s. (Karel Plicka photographer)

Očová, Slovakian man in a fur sheepskin cloak by Karel Plicka, the photo is from around 1933 (left).

Čičmany (Upper Váh region) – photograph from 1893, author Dušan Jurkovič.

Vlkolínec, Northern Slovakia. The tiny village of Vlkolínec was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. Vlkolínec is a well-preserved folk architecture settlement in the Liptov region, with 45 log houses from the 18th century. These include wooden three-room houses, outbuildings, and the site’s oldest structure – the 1770 bell tower. As a result, Vlkolínec has the look and feel of a Medieval village.

Vlkolínec, Northern Slovakia, 1950s. Vlkolínec - historic village listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993. This status was granted because the village is an untouched and complex example of folk countryside architecture of the region of the Northern Carpathians. In Vlkolínec and Čičmany, were declared protected national monuments by the Slovak communist government on January 26, 1977.

Old slovak men from Lower Orava in northern Slovakia, 1928. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

Slovak children with sheep from Heľpa (Horehronie) Photographer Karel Plicka, 1927.

Shepherd from Rajecká Lesná Village, Northern Slovakia, 1928. (Photo by Karel Plicka)

"Črpák" Shepherd's wooden mugs from the Village of Pribylina - A wooden mug traditionally used by shepherds for drinking Žinčica, a fermented sheep milk drink. Since the early 19th century, there have been up to three types of črpáks, differing mainly in their design, the way of attaching the handle to the mug, as well as in the shape and ornaments: Eastern-Slovak, Northern-Slovak, and Central-Slovak types.

Bača making a (Črpák) wooden mugs with a sheepdog from the Village of Východná in northern Slovakia, Photo J. Doležal.

Slovak children in Gerlachov Village, Northern Slovakia, 1924.

A family from Trenčín, Western Slovakia ca. 1908 (colored).

Hiking the Slovak Tatras...1928. Did you know...the highest peak in the High Tatras, Gerlachovský štít, is approximately 4.8 times taller than the CN Tower. Gerlachovský štít has an elevation of approximately 2,655 meters (8,711 feet). The CN Tower in Toronto stands at a total height of approximately 553.3 meters (1,815 feet).

Hiking the beautiful Tatras mountains in northern Slovakia..1928.

Dobšiná, Slovakia 1923. Group of houses in Dobšiná, the main house shown on the right dates back to the year 1779, owned by J. Khunen, on Turecká street.

The oldest wooden houses from the 17th to 18th centuries in Polomka (left). Residential house in Dolná Lehota was built in the end of the 18th century (right). Source: fondtlk.sk

This is a lovely, original 1953 photogravure portrait of a beautiful bride from Očová, in the Podpoľanie region of Central Slovakia, in what was the former Czechoslovakia. Photo by Karel Plicka. This woman looks just like the Mona Lisa.

Busy mother working at the farm near Závadka Village, Eastern Slovakia, 1952. (Karel Plicka photographer).

The whole family support, working hard together every day in the village of Bacúch, Horehronie, near the Low Tatra Mts. is the most extensive high mountain range of the Western Carpathians, ca. 1919.

View of the High Tatras from the Veľký bok in the Low Tatras, ca. 1947.

Wooden houses in the village of Hruštín in north-western part of Slovakia.

Gerlachov Village in northern Slovakia, 1898.

Eastern Rite Church from the 1700s in Nižný Mirošov. Photo by Karel Plicka. Eastern Slovakia is particularly renowned for its wooden churches, often built without nails, dating from the 18th till the 20th century and mainly belonging to Greek Catholic and Orthodox confessions, particularly of the Rusyn minority.

Čierny Balog (Black Balog) is a village in middle of Slovakia, 1901.

Shepherd boy's pocket from Liptovské Sliačy, 1936. Photo by Karol Plicka (left). Shepherd Man's pocket from Vyšná Boca, mid-20th century (right). shepherd's pocket size 35x31cm from 2.8mm hand-dyed cowhide, sewn with natural waxed thread and leather strap.

At the chalet, North Slovakia, 1921, Photographer Karel Plicka.

Shepherd boys with lambs in Liptovská Lúžna - Northern Slovakia, 1930s. (Photographer Karel Plicka)

At the chalet, 1931 by Photographer Karel Plicka. Slovak Potato dumplings with Bryndza cheese and Žinčica. Slavic Žinčica is a drink made of sheep milk whey similar to kefir consumed mostly in Slovakia and Poland. Traditionally, this drink is served in a črpák, a wooden cup with a pastoral scene carved into the handle. Sheep milk is richer in whey proteins than the milks of other domestic animals.

Shepherd holding a Črpák (wooden mug) and large wooden ladle, from Nižný Sliač (Liptov), ​​1933. Photographer Karel Plicka. Ladles are used for collecting thick žinčica or pouring whey. In the past, the end of the handle was decorated with ornamental and figurative carving.

Shepherd at the sheepfolds, from the Rusnak village of Osturna, Czechoslovakia (Northern Slovakia). Photo from 1935 by Karel Plicka. (Sheepskin vest and leather belt).

Slovakia, Čičmany, Upper Považie, shepherds with sheep. Unknown date.

Súľov Rocks 1926. The Súľovské skaly rocks forming an attractive rock town are situated in the north-west of Slovakia, only several kilometres from Žilina.

Slovak men and women in Vyšné Ružbachy Village, Northern Slovakia, 1935. Very nice slovak costumes!

During milking at the sheepfold in Važec Village, Northern Slovakia (Liptov) by Pavol Socháň photographer, 1892.

Slovak men's sheepskin coats for the winter in Žažkov, Orava, Northern Slovakia, 1912.

Stankovce, eastern Slovakia. (left) Lads from Istebné, Orava region, northern Slovakia (right) (Photos by Pavol Socháň, late 19th century).

Šumiac Village, 1954, this house was built in 1876. The house is log, skin-covered, with a high stone underpinning, a gable roof, a board gable with a high hip, a drum and a hip, and shingle roofing. On the front side there are two separate smaller windows and an entrance to the cellar. Entrance from the side of the house. Behind the house there are outbuildings. View from the street of the house and yard. Source: fondtlk.sk 

Folk Architecture: Old wooden houses in the Villages from the 1800s in northern Slovakia. The houses often have small windows because they were traditionally designed for energy efficiency and warmth, since smaller windows minimize heat loss. Source: modrastrecha.sk

Photographer Karel Plicka – High Tatras, Flax drying-Štôla, 1949.

Knitting a wristband on a form, Vernár Village, 1930. Photo by K. Plicka. Wrist warmers were an essential part of boys and men's folk clothing. Woolen wrist warmers had a decorative function in addition to their practical use (warming the wrist, pulling down the wide sleeve of a men's shirt, strengthening the wrist). They were made at home using various techniques: they were knitted on a form (block), woven on a warp loom, sewn from cloth and completed with embroidery, knitted on 4 needles, or even crocheted.

Čierny Balog young men (with knitted wristbands) in the middle with Detvanc; Čierny Balog (Brezno district), 1950.

Slovak Boys playing a game of "high horse", Heľpa, Czechoslovakia (present Slovakia), 1949 - a photo by K. Plicka.

Heľpa (Horehronie) Slovakia, 1953, Photographer Karol Plicka.

Slovak boys at play, 1953 by Czechoslovak photographer Karel Plicka (1894-1987).

Slovak boys playing the game "catch up on the weight" in the meadow, 1953 by Czechoslovak photographer Karel Plicka.

Slovak Boys from Heľpa are playing the children's game "judgment roll" in the meadow, 1933 by photographer K. Plicka. 

Slovak boys cudgel game in Heľpa, by K. Plicka

Boys from Heľpa are playing the children's game "frog, neck" in the meadow, 1930s (Karel Plicka).

The girls from Liptovská Lúžna village have their fun. Slovakia, 1934. (Karel Plicka).

Slovak children by famous photographer Karel Plicka.

Under the Tatras, 1937. by photographer Karel Plicka.

Dvorník Village, Slovak folk painter, by photographer Karel Plicka, 1930.

Peasant House, 1897 in Nižná Jablonka Village, North-east Slovakia (colored). The thatched roofs were made from straw and were a vital part of the peasant house construction, providing sufficient insulation and keeping the house cool in the summer months.

Two old Antique cabinet cards - Slovak man traditional herder with sheep dog from northern Slovakia, in the 19th century (left). Slovak family from Podkonice, 1901 (right).

Old wooden house with a high foundation, a front entrance to the cellar and a large wooden gate in the Village of Zuberec, Northern Slovakia.

Ancient gate with Slavic symbols from Dolná Mičiná Village, Slovakia 1895 (left). Painting by Viera Jičinská: the gatekeeper of the farm in Očová (near Zvolenská Slatina from 1921) with Slavic symbols (right). Slavic symbols primarily originated during the pre-Christian period, with roots tracing back to early agricultural societies and the Bronze Age, as far back as 5,000 years ago in some regions. These symbols were deeply tied to Slavic paganism, nature worship, and mythology before the Christianization of the Slavs (8th–13th centuries).

Slovak men's braids are a traditional hairstyle in the highland Carpathian regions of Slovakia, particularly in areas like Moravian Wallachia, and have deep cultural roots in the region. Braids have a long history in Slavic cultures, where they were seen as symbols of beauty, health, and family well-being.

Slovak men folk costume from Detva, Slovakia by photographer Karel Plicka, 1930s.

Slovak boys from Dobrá Niva and Detva in middle of Slovakia by photographer Karel Plicka, 1930s.

Pictures from Slovakia, 1920s by famous Czech photographer Karel Plicka (1894-1987).

Ždiar (High Tatras - Horný Spiš, Northern Slovakia). Summer solstice festival - the participants wear caps made of bark with juniper twigs dedicated to Perun and ceremonially carry fire. Photos by Karel Plicka, 1920s.

The strongest Slovak children and youth in their traditional games. Boys from Heľpa, 1932 (one photo on left). Boys from Ždiar, northern Slovakia (four photos on right) - Footage from the film: 'Behind the Slovak People' (1928) by cinematographer Karel Plicka. See Short Video.

Slovak folks at the well in Detva, Slovakia, 1923. by Karel Plicka

The old wood stove in Ždiar, Northern Slovakia, 1930 (left). The House of Ždiar Museum (right). This type of stove is an enormous construction used for both cooking and heating. Would you like potato pancakes 🥔 on a baking sheet greased with lard or fried bacon? It certainly took a lot more work than today.

Slovak Goral folk costumes in the small village of Ždiar, Northern Slovakia, 1935 by famous photographer Karel Plicka (left). The men's traditional costume from Ždiar (northern Slovakia) is very similar to the Polish folk costume, specifically those worn by the Goral (Highlander) communities in the Podhale region of Poland. The people of Ždiar are Gorals (from the word for 'mountain'), and the red and blue embroidery on the men's trousers can be seen in other Goral costumes throughout Slovakia and Poland.

Wooden houses in the village of Ždiar, Spiš, Northern Slovakia, 1920s. Traditional wooden houses in Ždiar, Slovakia, are iconic for their Goral architecture, featuring, blue, red, and white painted details. These rustic log cabins, often set against the Belianske Tatry mountains, typically showcase red-framed windows, blue stripes, and sometimes intricate, colorful decorations on the log walls.

Similarities to Polish Vest: Men in festive attire in fur vests and cloth trousers decorated with appliqué and embroidery. Ždiar (Poprad district), early 20th century. The men's fur vest from Ždiar, Slovakia, is very similar to Polish Highlander (Góral) vests, as both are rooted in the shared Goral culture of the Tatra Mountain region. Both Ždiar (Slovak) and Polish highlanders wear vests made of brown sheepskin, often called a serdak.

Slovak Bagpiper playing music with children in Heľpa, Slovakia, 1945.

Slovak woman refilling water bucket from a water well in Podbiel, 1950s. PODBIEL is a typical village lying in the region of Orava (north of Slovakia) with interesting compound of original log houses called Bobrova rala built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The compound consists of 47 two- or three-room houses with shingle roofs and original ornamentation. The particular feature of these buildings is the ventilation opening shaped as chalice in the gable of the house.

Two photos of Hruštín Village, Northern Slovakia, 1934. The fundamental feature of homesteads is opened common yards. In the front part of the yard are two or three houses built in row with the corresponding farm buildings. Individual parcels ends by a perpendicularly situated barn. The log houses with saddle roofs covered by shingles stand on stone foundations. Its similar to Podbiel.

Heľpa (Horehronie) In the meadow with a bagpiper, 1920s by photographer Karel Plicka.

Heľpa, Horehronie. By photographer Karel Plicka.

SLOVAK BOYS - photographer Karel Plicka. 1950s.

"Hurry up, boys, hurry up and jump, there is no escape." from Heľpa by photographer K. Plicka. (Boys' leather shoes) "Krpce" are a type of folk footwear worn by men, women and children, especially in mountainous and foothill areas. They were made of pig and cow leather. According to the Encyclopedia of Folk Culture of Slovakia, krpce represent a continuation of an old type of "wrap-around" footwear that was already in use among Slavic peoples in the 9th and 10th centuries.

The Boys in Vernár, 1963. Vernár is a village and large municipality in Poprad District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.

Straw Mattresses-Beds, Liptovská Teplička, Northern Slovakia. All Slovak folk people in villages historically slept on straw-stuffed mattresses, a practice that was common among the rural population across Europe until the 1960s. These beds were often placed in single-room log homes that were common in rural Slovakia, sometimes positioned near the stove for warmth. In traditional Slovak folk culture, pillows were typically filled with goose feathers and down.

Village of Vernár, Northern Slovakia.

Shepherd boys from Ždiar, 1928 by photographer Karel Plicka.

Two photos of a house was built in the second half of the 18th century in Jasenová Village, Northern Slovakia. At left, young eight men on a balcony in Jasenová around 1919. At right, a last photo taken around 1954 (right). Source: fondtlk.sk

Vintage postcard from Hungary "Tót népviselet - Volkstracht aus Oberungarn" - "Folk costume from Upper Hungary". The slovak boys from Trenčín, Western Slovakia, 1907. Upper Hungary is the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia.

Two postcards colored from the early 20th century, Trenčín, Western Slovakia (left). Surroundings of Trnava, Western Slovakia (right).

Jahodná, Old mill on the Little Danube River, South-west Slovakia.

Dobšiná (town), Slovakia, 1903.

The Village of Šumiac, with Kráľova hoľa in the background, central Slovakia, 1903.

Oxen pulling a wagon in Važec village, Northern Slovakia, 1910.

Slovak women from Čičmany, 1927 by photographer Karel Plicka.

Ornaments in Čičmany. The white lime geometric patterns on dark wooden houses, originally meant to protect against evil spirits. Room in Čičmany, 1942 (right).

From Horehronie, Slovakia, 1907 - 1912, author Pavol Socháň (1862 - 1941), lyricist of ethnographic photography.

Women carrying a wooden water bucket in Polomka Village, 1907. (Colored)

Polomka, Washing clothes in the stream around 1907, photo by Pavol Socháň. Historically, rural Slovak women washed clothes in rivers, streams, or natural springs, using cold water and hand-beating the clothes with wooden bats or boards.

Drying clothes with clay dishes, peasant barn in Jesenské Village, Southern Slovakia, 1937.

Old mill in Ďurčiná (Upper Považie, Northern Slovakia) Milling is the process of grinding wheat (and other grains) into flour.

Funeral in Pohorelá Village, Central Slovakia, 1930s.

Slovak folk costumes from Čičmany in Trenčín, 1922-1924. You can see a flintlock pistol (handgun) from the 1700s, with the man standing in the middle.

Young woman from Madunice, 1956 -Karel Plicka (left). Slovak woman's costume from Piešťany, early 20th century, unknown author (centre). Girl from Liptovský Mikuláš, 1947 -Karel Plicka (right).

The water well in Detva, Central Slovakia, 1935 (colored).

Vajnory near Bratislava, South-western Slovakia, 1934 (Karel Plicka).

Vajnory, Slovakia, 1930s. (left) By Photographer Karel Plicka.

Slovak folk costumes, Sokol parade through the square in Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia (Now Slovakia) on June 27, 1936.

Radvanský fair on the square in Banská Bystrica 1890, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Slovakia), Region of Banská Bystrica. The fair, where folk crafts dominate, became famous also due to the fact that the best-known highwayman Juraj Jánošík used to visit it in the past. Its history started in 17th century (1655) when the village of Radvaň, then an individual village, got the privilege to organise a market on the day of birth of Virgin Mary. At present the fair is held in the centre of the town where during the three days, thousands of visitors eager for shopping and amusement can have enough food and drinks, handicraft products as well as other goods and a lot of entertainment.

Embroiderers from Detva in National Geographic Magazine, 1921.

Bandit Dance in the 1930s. Photo taken by famous Czech (Czechoslovak) photographer Karel Plicka.

Krásno Village, Western Slovakia, photographer Karel Plicka, 1930s.

Šuhaj from Očová, Slovakia, photographer Karel Plicka, 1930s. "Holopupkári" is a Slovak term, specifically associated with the Detva region, used to describe people wearing traditional male costumes that featured short shirts exposing their bare bellies ("holý pupok" means "bare belly button" in Slovak). This nickname often refers to the distinctive folk costumes from Detva and surrounding areas.

Male folk costumes from Detva and nearby areas (Podpoľanie region, Central Slovakia), 1908 (left). The unmistakable men’s costume with a short shirt halfway down the chest is unlike any other costume in the region. That’s why people wearing these costumes were called holopupkári - “those with nude bellies”.

Detva, A farmer plowing the field with a cows, 1919.

Mens' folk costume from Detva, Central Slovakia. (1930s).

Shepherd from Slatinské Lazy Village with his fujara in central Slovakia (left) & Slovak boys dance (right) photographer Karel Plicka. Fujara developed in seclusion of Slovak mountains to help the shepherds say the unspeakable and to calm their sheep: its mellow voice and slow melody calmed the sheep so that they could better and peacefully nibble. Fujara flute's rich harmonics achieve the same peaceful, relaxing effect for people as well.

Family from Poníky Village, early 1900s (left). Wooden Fujara (centre). Fujara, whistle, play from Detva, 1948 (right). Fujara – the long shepherd’s pipe is on UNESCO list. Fujara is an overtone fipple flute that can be up to 1.8 m long. It is usually made from elder tree and has a characteristic meditation tone. It is known nowhere else in the world but Slovakia.

Shepherd boys, by Karel Plicka.

Teen boys' folk costume from Poníky Village, central Slovakia, 1915.

Čierny Balog Village, central Slovakia, 1950s.

Slovak woman working with weaving in Važec, Northern Slovakia, 1923. (Colored). Važec is a village and municipality in Liptovský Mikuláš District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia, at the foot of Kriváň in the High Tatras mountains, Slovakia's symbolic and often considered most beautiful mountain.

Karel Plicka photographer - Pictures from Slovakia, 1920s-1930s.

Interior of the church in Výborná (built in the 17th century), Northern Slovakia. by Karel Plicka.

Babywearing in the Village of Závadka, Eastern Slovakia.

Detva, Slovakia in National Geographic magazine, 1917.

Groom's hat decorated with a ribbon with a white base and an 18 cm high feather. Detva, 1920s.

Detva, Slovakia, 1912.

The young man from Turie Pole, in central Slovakia, 1920s. (Extinct Village since the 1950s), by Plicka Karol.

Young Slovakian men in Detva from the 1920s, (Colored).

Rusyn children, eastern Slovakia, 1927.

Rusyn women in Údol village (near Orlov), Northern Slovakia, 1945. Údol in Slovakia is a village with a predominantly Rusyn ethnic population. Rusyns are Eastern Slavs.

On the ridge of Swinica, 1913. Svinica is a mountain in the main crest of the High Tatras, on the Polish-Slovak border.

"We remember our loved ones..." in Heľpa, Slovakia, 1950s (Karel Plicka photographer).

The photos shows - bleaching/whitening the homemade cloth using just sun and water in history in Slovakia. Hruštínr village, 1925 - Wooden fences protected a small garden and provided a place to dry clothes. Linen was bleached on the bank of the stream, and log was transported on horse-drawn cart.(left) & Liptovska Teplicka village (right).

Postcard from the village of Jasenová near Podbiel, northern Slovakia, 1920s. (colored).

Osturňa (Village), close to the border with Poland. Northern Slovakia.

Detva - Religious Procession, Slovakia, 1910s.

People from Jasenová Village, Northern Slovakia (former Czechoslovakia), 1920.

Wedding procession, Detva, 1919. (Colored)

A woman with a handsome young man from Detva, Slovakia, 1910s.

The village of Polomka (central Slovakia) - procession in front of the church in 1934. by Karel Plicka photographer.

Slovak women chatting in the village of Polomka (central Slovakia) 1932.

Pohorelá (village) central Slovakia, 1949.

At the chalet under the Tatras 1926 (left). Peasant from Ždiar, Belianske Tatry, 1930s (right) by Karel Plicka photographer. The blanciar is a traditional folk jewelry widespread throughout Slovakia. Men wear it most often on shirts, but also on the lapel of vests and coats. Its spread from Poland to us, to Silesia and Ukraine is related to the Goral culture. The oldest Slovak blanciars come from the 18th century. They were made by cutting from copper sheet and casting from bronze, or more expensive factor and decorated with pendants and chains.

Traditional Slovak folk wool trousers from Lendak Village, Northern Slovakia, c. 1930s (Central Spiš). Slovakian wool folk trousers from the 18th and 19th centuries, often portki or part of the kroj costume, are thick, durable pants—commonly in white, off-white, or black—characterized by intricate, colorful embroidery, particularly around pockets and down the legs. These traditional, often high-waisted garments feature brass hooks, ribbons, and sometimes foot stirrups for a secure fit.

Slovak girls from the village of Pohorelá, a photo taken around 1954.

Slovak boys eating sunflower seeds, Varov Šúr Village, Trnava district in 1955.

Corner of the log interior with a table, a simple bench, and chairs from the 18th century. The village of Zdiar 1955 (left). A holy corner above the table in Yakubany Village (near Orlov) northern Slovakia (middle). Set table for Easter in Slavic culture at Open-air museum in Stará Ľubovňa, Northern Slovakia (right).

Hruštín is a village (near Podiel) Northern Slovakia.

An old woman from the village of Závod, western Slovakia, around 1950.

The photo focuses on the wooden gable end of a log house in Dolná Mičíná Village, specifically on the decorative, painting slavic ornaments. A characteristic part of the gables was a semicircle, which was topped with a variously shaped, most often cylindrical, about 20 cm long rod or pin, often topped with a plant motif.

Karel Plicka photographer - Mother with a little boy from Dobra Niva Village. (left) Bride in wedding dress from Liptovské Sliače Village, Slovakia. (centre) Young boy from Veľké Dvorníky Village, Slovakia. (right) 

Karel Plicka photographer - Slovak Folk costumes: Čajkov Village. (left) Dolný Lopašov Village. (centre) Pobedim Village. (right)

Men in traditional Slovak clothing; Men from Trenčín, (left) 1925. The landlord from Ćičmany Village, (middle) 1929. A farmer from the area of ​​Trenčín, (right) by Karel Plicka.

Master beekeeper from Horehronie, 1932 (left). The farmer from Oravská Polhora Village, 1933 (right).

Žarnovica (Town), Banská Bystrica Region, Yoke of oxen hauling logs on sleds, 1959.

Liptovská Teplička Village, Northern Slovakia, The photo is from around 1954. (unknown author)

A beautiful winter idyll in Zázrivá Village, Northern Slovakia.

Large vintage wooden chest from year 1863, Viničné Village, Western Slovakia ca. 1928 by photo Karel Plicka. It's wonderful photo.

A poultry watering trough decorated with painted geometric decor, Pozdišovce Village, Eastern Slovakia, 1940s (left). Habánský jug with a peasant motif from year 1750, Western Slovakia (middle). Hand-Painted Majolica Style Jug from 1939 (right). Did you know?...Slovakia is famous for its colorful Majolica pottery. The tradition from the town of Modra dates back to the 17th century and is known for its distinctive hand-painted patterns and bright glazes.

Ox cart carrying hay under Štrbské Pleso, Northern Slovakia, 1920s (colored).

Slovak family (without folk costumes) with the water well in Dolný Kubín village, Northern Slovakia, 1926.

Two photos by Karel Plicka – Great Waterfall, Tatra Mountains, 1928. &  Shepherd from under the Tatras, 1928, Slovak National Gallery.

The big house with three gable roofs in Spišská Belá (town), Northern Slovakia.

Daniel Mojš - Slovak girls in barefoot mud, Liptovské Sliače Village, 1936, Northern Slovakia.

Šumiac (village) central Slovakia, 1934.

The log houses in the village of Dlha nad Oravou, Northern Slovakia.

Young Bethlehemites went from house to house, wishing the farms a prosperous year in northern Slovakia. (1920s). Source: slovander.sk

Two shepherd boys, Vrátna dolina, 1927. Vrátna dolina or Vrátna Valley is a valley in the Malá Fatra mountain range in northern Slovakia. (Colored).

Young Shepherd Boy with a baby lamb from Heľpa. (left) Slovak children on the rocks (right),  photos by Karel Plicka, 1933.

Spring in the Village of Heľpa, Central Slovakia. (Boy's shirt) Slovak folk men's shirts (often part of a kroj) share similarities with Ukrainian folk shirts (vyshyvanka) due to their common Slavic roots, shared Carpathian mountain cultural influences, and history of regional exchange. Both are traditionally made from white linen or cotton with embroidered details.

Winter in the village...Liptovská Teplička Village, Spiš, 1931 (left). Winter smile...in Ladzany Village, 1937 (right).

Boys’ winter clothes from Liptovské Sliače Village, Northern Slovakia.

They decorating the tree hanging from the ceiling for their christmas in Detva, 1950s. In Slovak and wider West Slavic folk tradition, a "Christmas tree"—often a spruce, fir, or pine branch—was traditionally hung upside down from the ceiling rafters, not placed on the floor. Known as the podłaźniczka (or połaźnik), this custom was popular in the Carpathian region, including parts of Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine. Hung over the Christmas Eve table, this evergreen top was decorated with straw ornaments, dried fruits, nuts, and colored paper, representing protection, life, and the Holy Trinity.

The village of Papradno, unknown date. Hockey matches on the Papradnianka River. Ice hockey began to take root in Slovakia during the 1920s, shortly after the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. While initially developed alongside the broader Czechoslovak hockey scene, the sport gained significant popularity following the 1925 European Championships held in the High Tatras, and the first official tournament took place in Slovakia in 1929.

Old stone bridge in Heľpa, Central Slovakia, 1920s (Photo: Karel Plicka).

A logging camp in High Tatras, Mengusovská Valley, 1874.

Slovak loggers from Zázrivá Village, Northern Slovakia, 1930s. By Karel Plicka.

Slovak loggers cutting woods in central Slovakia, 1920s.

In the forest nursery.. Pohorelá Village, 1956. (left) Liptovská Lúžná Village, Woman combing flax, around 1925 (right). Photos by Karel Plicka.

"Šindliar" shingler (someone who makes and lays wooden shingles for roofing) from Kysuce Village, Trenčín Region, dated 1900. (left). Women in Liptovská Osada Village, Northern Slovakia, 1895. (right) Both photos by P. Socháň.

The Village of Polomka, 1938 (colored).

The photograph captures a group of miners at the Dubník opal mines in eastern Slovakia in 1904. Did you know...Slovakia has the oldest Opal mines in the world. The Dubník mines near Prešov, were the only known source of Opals in the world until the late 19th century, and the gems were worn by figures such as Napoleon's wife Empress Josephine.

Farmers working with children in Smolenice Village, Western Slovakia, 1905.

Čirč Village, Northern Slovakia, 1919.

The wooden barns, houses in the village of Vyšná Revúca under Veľký Šturc, Northern Slovakia.

High Tatras - Symbolic cemetery, Northern Slovakia, 1940. by Karel Plicka.

Small Churches in Villages, Slovakia. Stratená, 1935 (left photo). Bell Tower in Liptovske Sliace (middle photo). Čierny Balog, Brezno District, 1906 (right photo).

Beloveža Village, Bardejov district, 1904.

Spring work in Štefanova Village, Western Slovakia, By photo Karel Plicka.

Sheep and goats on the pasture, Zázriva Village, Northern Slovakia.

Wooden barn, Sidorovo, the mountain above Vlkolínec village, Northern Slovakia. By Karel Plicka.

Narrow street with log houses and clay houses in villages. Liptovské Revúce 1952 (left). Plešivec, Rožňava district 1954 (right).

Heľpa in central Slovakia, 1950s.

Drying clothes in the Village of Šumiac (colored).

Washing clothes, Liptovské Sliače Village, Northern Slovakia, 1954.

The Timber rafting on the Váh River, Strečno Village, Northern Slovakia.

Behind the wooden houses in Spišská Nová Ves, you can see three latrines (outhouses). Some people was use “hanging latrines” that dump feces into a body of water in Spišská Nová Ves is a town in the Košice Region of Slovakia, during the early 20th century. Based on historical practices in rural Central Europe, Slovak folk villages traditionally utilized both outdoor pit latrines (outhouses) and inside the house, chamber pots were used for nighttime or, for young children, during the day. Slovak folks had no toilet paper, but they used leaves, rags, wool, and moss as their primary cleaning materials.

Cellars then and now. Madačka (Novohrad), near Ábelová Village, Southern Slovakia.

The village of Bacúch, Before and Now. Following the rise of the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1948, the government implemented a large-scale modernization program aimed at transforming rural Slovakia, which included replacing traditional, often outdated log houses with modern, state-subsidized, or cooperatives-built housing. This shift aimed to improve living standards, providing new homes with central heating, running water, and electricity, while at the same time enforcing a "socialist way of life".

Sources: the photos from Facebook, Tumblr, instagram.com and fondtlk.sk

By Derrick T.