The most popular sport in Slovakia is association football (soccer). Internationally, the most successful sport is ice hockey where currently, as of 2012, the country is ranked as the sixth best team in the world by the IIHF World Ranking. In Slovakia there is a wide range of facilities for summer sports. The most popular are cycling, water sports and hiking. Many Slovak rivers are navigable and canoeing is very popular amongst young people. Horse riding is becoming more popular with stables for the public existing in many towns.
Mountaineering, hill-walking, white water rafting, adrenaline sports, and paragliding are just some of the ways to spend a weekend in the mountains. Another very popular activity is camping or renting cottages, and hiking (trekking) in the mountains. For those who prefer green lawns and white sport clothes, there are many opportunities for playing tennis at tennis clubs, at public courts or golf in golf clubs.
Thanks to its mountainous nature, the country offers great opportunities for downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as snowboarding. The mountains enjoy over 80 days of snow per year which often reaches a level of 2,000 m in the “Nízke Tatry” and “Vysoké Tatry”. In these high mountain regions, there is snow on the ground for 130 days each year. Ice hockey and ice-skating are very popular sports that can be practised in indoor stadiums, as well as outdoors.
