Slovakia

Agricultural landscape is our bread-giver and the mirror of our lifestyle

(Anonymous)

Poľnohospodárska krajina je našou živiteľkou a zároveň obrazom nášho postoja k životu

(Anonymous)

Slovakian agricultural landscapes

Considered in national planning and policy:

Acts that directly protect the Cultural dimension of the agricultural landscapes: Act of NC SR No. 220/2004 on the protection of monuments and historic sites, protects in the Declaration of NC SR No. 91/2001 on cultural heritage protection, in the Decree of the Ministry of Culture of the SR No. 16/2003 implementing Act on the protection of monuments and historic sites, and in the Rural Development program of the SR for 2007 – 2013.
Agricultural culture is mentioned indirectly in the Act of NC SR No. 543/2002 on Nature and Landscape Protection, in the Act of NC SR No. 220/2004 on conservation and use of agricultural land, in the Conceptual Framework of Agricultural Development for 2007 – 2013, in the Conceptual Framework of Nature and Landscape Protection, the National Environmental Action Plan, and in the National Biodiversity Strategy

Arable landscape - large-block arable land, (but including the lowest part of the vegetation line and small scale non-forest wood vegetation), is found in the productive Podunajská nížina and Východoslovenská nížina lowland regions of south-west Slovakia
Meadow pasture landscape – prevailing permanent grasslands with very low intensity of agricultural production and significant amount of non-forest wood vegetation are situated in the mountain areas of central and eastern Slovakia
Landscape with prevalence of permanent crop – these include more extensive vineyards on the foothills of the lower mountains and uplands of western and eastern Slovakia and orchards and hop-gardens
Landscape of combined crops – within three subtypes of agricultural landscape:

Landscape with a balanced share of arable land and permanent grasslands, with the significant part of non-forest wood vegetation and lower intensity of agricultural production located mostly in the Slovak basins region.
New small-block mosaics of different crops that have originated after the socialist period through the privatization process. These exist near settlements and along rivers and valleys.
Historical agricultural mosaic whose origin and being are necessarily linked to specific human agricultural activity. They concern various archaic types of land-use, e.g., various combinations small-block fields, semi-natural grasslands, vineyards and orchard meadows, as well as small farm buildings and local folk performances. Some of the mentioned land use forms are due to traditional techniques. Their integral parts are often agricultural forms of relief preserved as diverse terrace types, stone walls, mounds and heaps.