Places and Towns
Towns and places
a) dôležité miesta v mojom živote (rodisko, miesto štúdií, miesto
trávenia víkendov a prázdnin)
Place have always been important in people ‘s live. Throughout our lives we get to know
various places that become connected to us. One of the most important places of life is our bithplace. We know the place fairly well as it is
always connected with the happiest memories from our childhood, with our parents and siblings, with friends and even after we grow up and live
somewhere else we tend to come back to recollect those happy days. People are tied to their birthplace and it seems that nothing can break that
bond. The place when we grow up strongly influences our character and behavior. Many important relationships are created there.
My place
of birth is a small village 10km distant from town Zlaté Moravce. It is called Hostie and has about 1200 inhabitants. It is situated in the valley.
Wild animals live in the forests and mountains which are round the village. In summer people who like mushrooms can pick them in the forest. In
village’s surrounding is a beautiful place, where the horses are breeded. We have church, nursery school and primary school, pubs, a few shops
there. Each year, local inhabitants organize a lot of cultural and sports activities. There is a bass band. Every year during the summer, they
organize a festival where different bass bands are invited. We celebrate many feasts days in center of the village. We have a pitch and a football
team that plays football matches with other teams. The most special and interesting are ruins of the castle which was called Hrušov. Hrušov is
situated in the mountains over the village. It has become our nicest monument from the history. Hrušov is a Gothic castle from the 13th century
which emerged after the Tatar invasion. Stone castle guarded the business road over the mountain range of Tribeč. Matúš Čák and his family were
probably the builders of it. Throughout the history there were many outstanding owners. Individual owners were rebuilding the castle. Castle as the
fortress finished to play its role in 1708 when it was damaged. Nowadays, these ruins are in reconstruction and it is a wonderful attraction for
lovers of castles.
The place of our studies is often not identical with our place of birth. Nowadays, most young people choose to study
in different towns. It allows them to be more independent. Some students prefer to study in their hometown for financial reasons. I study
at secondary school in town Zlaté Moravce. My school is Grammar School of Janko Kráľ with a nice historical building on the edge of the town.
The town’s territory is situated not far from the mountain range Pohronský Inovec. The area of territory of Zlaté Moravce falls into the
Žitava river basin. This town is in the centre of Horné Požitavie where the production base grew up very slightly. In the past the economic
activity lied in agriculture where the majority of the town inhabitants found their livelihood. Main industry is focused on mechanical engineering,
shoe industry, industry of building commodities and food production. Schools are agricultural and technical. The Bussiness Academy, Secondary School
of Bussiness and Services, Technical School, Grammar School, Agricultural Apprentice School, Engineering Apprentice School. It’s an educational
centre for the neighbourhood. Elementary artistic school is keeping its eye on talented youngsters. Since 1992 the hospital in Zlaté Moravce has
become an independent legal subject. From this time, some famous personalities such as Forgachs, the Migazzis, Janko Kráľ came to this town. One of
the most valuable sights in the town is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Michal Gabriel on the main town’s square. The second significant sight is
the castle on the main square, nowadays the Andrej Hlinka Square. This castle is used as a Municipal Cultural Centre these days.
There
are many beautiful places in the world where people would like to live or at least spend their holidays. Some people like pure nature and peaceful
countryside. Others prefer the hectic life in crowded towns and cities. I am among people who prefer a pure nature with beautiful mounains, lakes,
some places where the animals are raised, places with historical monuments such as castles, some special buildings, museums, squares and many others
interestings. Sometimes, I spend my weekends with my family at the grandparents. There is a large garden with many fruit trees and with field.
I like this place so much because I have the happiest memories from my childhood here. Everytime, I feel very good there. However, I like getting
to know new places and towns, so I spend my holidays in many different countries. In my country, it’s the High Tatras with many touristic
atractions. Some historical towns are very interesting for me because of its history, monuments, areas. My favourite town is Bojnice. I love it
because there is very nice and large Zoo, castle in a good repair and atmosphere that is always there because of the town’s tradition. I would
like to visit a foreign countries. I want to see different parts of world, know new people and speak in others languages. I hope that I will be
able to travel a lot in my future and get to know a lot of countries. But I will be always happy when I come home because I can’t imagine my
life in other country, only in Slovakia.
b) sprevádzanie turistov (privítanie, základné informácie o pobyte)
During the time of year spring, summer, autumn or winter, there are so many places for holidays wherever all around the world. Many tourists
prefer to visit towns near the sea, like Italia, Spain, France. Those, who like spending their holidays seperated from other people, visit Islands.
Those places offer accommodations, such as hotels, reserved houses for it or maybe some places for camping under the open air. On the other hand,
there are tourists who dislike sea, so they would like to visit places or towns with surrounding nature, where they can know beauty of nature. We
have well known High Tatras. Here travellers come for touristic opportunities. Accommodation in Slovakia can be specific because people in the
north of country usually provide it. They remake own houses to accommodate visitors. In some areas, there are cottages, chalets, lodges in the
mountains. Here the tourists have fresh air, clear brooks and they can be alone from other people. The usual types of accommodation are hotels or
motels
c) turisticky zaujímavé miesta (hrady, zámky, kúpele, jaskyne) a mestá.
Every summer milions of
people set off for their holiday destination and spend several days or weeks far from home, relaxing, having fun and learning about different
cultures. Such holidays are important, since they help people find out how important home is. If their holidays are a long one, they get homesick
for the place they know. After coming home they feel relaxed and full of energy. They had a wonderful time but they are home and you may hear the
well-known phrases: “East or west, home is best.“,‘‘There is no place like home.“ Or “Home, sweet home.“ But from time to time, we all
leave our homes when we travel away for holidays. There are many beautiful places in the world. Some of them are surprising, inspiring and exciting.
The most beautiful cities in the world are Prague, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Istambul, Jerusalem, London, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, San
Francisco, Venice and many others. They offer a lot of excitement, possibilities for sightseeing, shopping in the most luxurious shops, going to
restaurants, casinos, nigth clubs. The Hawaiian Islands, the Seychelles and the Pacific Islands are called “ paradise“ places. They are preferred
by those who look for the exotic and relaxation. The unbounded country of the Alps, New Zealand, Coastal Norway and Tuscany offers a lot of
adventure. The Antarctica, Amazon, Canadian Rockies, Galapágos, Grand Canyon and Sahara belong to the most beautiful wild places. They are
favourite, especially among nature lovers. The wonders of the world, such as The Acropolis, The Giza Pyramids, The Great Wall, Ankor, Machu Picchu
and The Taj Mahal, are perhaps the most mysterious places in the world. Slovakia also offers many interesting places for relaxation. Beautiful
sceneries, caves, roaring waterfalls and vast plains attract many domestic and foreign tourists. The High and Low Tatras are great for spending
active holidays during the whole year. Hiking, skiing, cross country skiing, cycling and horse riding are very popular among the tourists there.
Podbanské is one of the best known tourist centres with hotels, shops, skiing centres, restaurants and cultural sites. Tatranská Lomnica offers a
variety of accommodation, ski slopes, casinos, fitness centres, a horse-racing track and many other activities for tourists. Veľká and Malá
Studená Dolina, with its waterfalls, is one of the most beautiful places for hiking. Jánska Dolina with termal swimming pools, Chopok ( the second
highest peak), The National Park of Low Tatras, Kráľova Hoľa, Demänovská Dolina and Demänovská Ice Cave are the most visited places. Slovakia
is also famous for its many mineral and termal springs. Trenčianske Teplice, Bardejov, Sliač, Budince, Smrdáky and open air spas in the mountains
of Štrbské Pleso and Starý Smokovec are annually visited by thousands of patients and visitors. The most famous spa is in Piešťany, with mud
bath procedures. Besides nature, Slovakia offers many interesting places for sightseeing. The most beautiful castles are in Orava, Spiš, Trenčín,
Zvolen and Bojnice. Levoča, an old town, is very famous for beautiful wooden creations made by the woodcarver Master Paul. ” The gold town”
Kremnica and the “silver town” Banská Štiavnica are famous for their mining history. Slovakia also offers many cultural events to tourists. The
folklore festivals in Východná, Detva, Myjava and elsewhere reflect cultural traditions preserved through folk songs and dances. Big towns like
Bratislava, which is a capital city, Banská Bystrica, Košice, Nitra and others, became important towns mainly for students. Every year, many
students come here because of studying. During their study, a lot of them find here a work and leave home. Our country offers lots of attractions
that are worth seeing, too. Within several hours a visitor coming to Slovakia can get to natural reservations and picturesque countryside along the
Danube, fertile lowlands, hunting grounds, vineyards and quiet valleys where medieval castles used to protect historical trade routes. One unique
sight in Slovakia in Spiš Castle which dates back to the time before 13th century and is known as one of the most extensive Gothic castles in
Europe.That main body of the castle was fortified by stone outer walls in the first half of the 13th century, enabling the castle to resist Tatar
raids in 1241. A Romanesque palace and a tower were built in the castle at this time. The castle was extended by the addition of a central
countryard with entry gate watchtower in the 14th century. The extensive lower countryard was built in the middle of the 15th century. During a fire
in 1780, the castle suffered extensive damage and was not rebuilt afterwards. Extensive research and conversation had been done before the castle was
opened to the public. In 1993, Spiš Castle including Spišské podhradie, Spišská Kapitula and the church in Žehra were listed as significant
cultural and natural sites among some 300, the most of them are ruined.
d) miesto vhodné na oddych a miesto na
spoločenské vyžitie
Later, as adults, we have to find a place to live on our own and very often it is far from our birthplace but
that does not mean it is less important. This place becomes our hometown, the place where we work, meet new friends, live with our families, the
place that is our home. The reasons why we choose a place to be our home are various. Some people choose a place that is quiet, far from busy
cities, living in privacy is important for them. On the other side, there are lots of people who choose a town to be their home. They cannot imagine
living far from ‘civilization’. For them towns are ideal places as they offer more opportunities for finding a job, there are educational,
cultural and sports facilities. Socializing is easier in town, in fact you are never alone in towns, you are always surrounded by lots of people.
The word ‘home’ has different meanings for different people. To a child ‘home’ means parents, toys and bedtime stories, to a teenagers
’home’ means strict rules, arguments about school results, clothes and pocket money, to a working woman it means hard work, tiring household
chores and to a man it can mean tasty meals and relaxation. Most of people try hard to create ‘real home’ for their loved ones, the place where
all the members of their family can feel safe and happy and they find help whenever they need it. Some other places can become important is one’s
life. For thousands of students who start studying at universities their campus becomes ‘home’ where they spend several years. At present many
students eager to learn a language apply for a scholarship and spend several months in a foreign country. Some of them stay in a host family, live
with their host parents and they have a ‘second home’.
Life in the city and life in the countryside have many differences. A town
is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousand. It is larger than a village but smaller than a city. A city
usually consists of residential, industrial and business areas together with administrative functions. The majority of a city area is primarily taken
up by housing. Skyscrapers, housing estates, business and shopping centres are built in all major cities. Infrastructure, such as roads, streets
and public transport routes, are usually well-developed too. A global city, also known as a world city, is the main centre of trade, banking,
finance, innovations and markets. Whereas megacity refers to any city of enormous size, a global city is one of enormous power of influence. The
four traditional global or world cities are London, New York, Paris and Tokyo. A suburb is the place with houses and other buildings (e.g. church,
school, pub, a few shops), usually smaller than a town. It is usually situated on the outskirts of the city. A village is normally found in rural
areas out of a town or a city where people live. It is usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town and city. A hamlet is a small
settlement, too small or unimportant to be considered a village. In addition, there are many advantages and disadvantages of such a living. People
who live in the city centre have everything near. On the other hand there is always too much noise. People who live on the suburbs have more
agreeable atmosphere for living. A relationships are different, too. So if I should choose where I would live, I would prefer living in the
suburbs.
Nowadays, it is quite normal for people to live in different places during their life. They move from place to place for
various reasons. The most frequent ones are jobs, studies or marriage. Moving is often connected with personal and social life. Adaptation to a new
place and assimilation among new people may take some time. On the other hand, there are people who spend all their life in one place. They do not
have any social, personal or financial needs to change their home.
e) miesto mojich snov
I think many
people have the place of dreams, where they would live for a few days, sometimes they may live there for more days. The words ‘place of dreams‘
get me a feeling about some very specific place like paradise. But it should be a real place in the world. If it wasn’t a real place, we
wouldn’t be able to go there. My place of dreams is very far from my country, from my home and people, who I know. It could be some island, maybe
an uninhabited island. All around would be an ocean with clean, limpid water full of many kinds of wonderful fishes and the seas spectre. It would
be far from continents and civilisations. The only one journey, how to come on this Island, would be by a boat. This place would be full of fun and
relaxation. Food and drink would be from exotic fruits such as coconut, pineapple, mango, papaya, bananas, and many other specialities, maybe
something unusuall which we don’t eat in our country. But the best of everything would be the accommodation. Accommodation would be in small
wooden house which would be built in the sea but in shallow water. A way how to get into the house would be across the wooden bridge. Rooms in
a house would be only two small ones but very cosy. One of the room would be living room with a big Tv, comfortable couch and small vitreous
coffee table. The floor would be see-through, so we could see to float fish under the feet. The second room would be a bedroom with a bed and
wardrobe. The floor would be the same as in living room. But the kitchen and bathroom would be separated and situated in some hotel on the beach.
Some evenings, there would be parties on the beach with loud music. So this is my dream place that I really want to visit sometime in my future. Not
alone, but with my friends. I hope that this dream will come true.