Souvenirs bought by visitors are usually the objects of folk art. Traditional folk art and trade products are on sale in all tourist centres, small towns, even villages. The shops are normally open every day and during season until late night hours.
Puppets wearing typical suits of a particular region is a nice gift, so are the parts of folk suits for both ladies or gentlemen, embroidery, wire objects, pictures painted on glass or wood, pictures or statues carved in wood and the like. Shops designated ÚĽUV specialise in such goods. A beautiful souvenir though a bit bulky is fujara - the giant shepherd flute (inscribed among the UNESCO monuments). Shepherd axe - decorated with inlaid ornaments is a very popular and frequently sold souvenir. Typical pottery of Modra or Pozdišovce is much sought after by tourists as well.
Those who are interested in objects made of glass or china should stop in shops with cut glass. They are mostly located in centres of bigger towns and tourist centres and offer a wide assortment of cut glass and Slovak china.
Foreigners also like to buy Slovak wines (above all those with provenance of the Tokaj or Malé Karpaty viticultural regions), the Slovak sparkling wine Hubert or the brandy Karpatské brandy špeciál produced as a noble distillate. Fans of typical and specific Slovak distillates buy Spišská borovička or Bošácka slivovica. Ladies prefer the herb liquor Demänovka or the Slovak honey liquor medovina.
Among special Slovak food articles is the excellent chocolate Figaro, cheese and above all the local salty sheep cheese bryndza. Cheese and bryndza are on sale at any food shop. Ornamented ginger pastries often sold at markets are also among “edible” souvenirs. Visitors to spas in turn like to carry away the spa hosts with different flavours.
source: Vydavateľstvo Dajama