Photo: MyWanderlust
Thinking of visiting Slovakia? Check this list of the best things to do in Slovakia and plan the trip to this great yet underrated country!
Source: 13 Best Things to Do in Slovakia
Photo: ARCHÍV ARNIKA TRAVEL
The mural paintings on the wall resemble Giotto’s work.
Source: Uncovering the words of the Bible in a UNESCO church
Photo: Ján Pallo
Despite essentially being a ruin, enough of the walls and internal palaces of Spiš Castle are intact to house a museum and a chapel.
Slovakia – Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments
Spišský Hrad (Spiš Castle), one of the largest and most monumental medieval castles in the Central Europe, is the key historic and architectonic landmark of Spiš region of East Slovakia.
The ruins of Spiš Castle (Slovak: Spišský hrad; Hungarian: Szepesi vár; German: Zipser Burg) in NE Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš (Hungarian: Szepes, German: Zips, Polish: Spisz, Latin: Scepusium). It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1993 (together with the adjacent locations of Spišská Kapitula, Spišské Podhradie and Žehra). This is one of the biggest European castles by area (41 426 m²).
Spiš Castle was built in the 12th century on the site of an earlier castle. It was the political, administrative, economic and cultural centre of Szepes County of the Kingdom of Hungary. Before 1464, it was owned by the kings of Hungary, afterwards (until 1528) by the Zápolya family, the Thurzó family (1531–1635), the Csáky family (1638–1945), and (since 1945) by the state of Czechoslovakia then Slovakia.
Slovakia – Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments
Quick Description: Romanesque-Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral (Katedrála svätého Martina) in Spišská Kapitula, seat of Roman Catholic diocese of Spiš, is one of the most valuable sacral structures in Spiš region of Slovakia and also a part of UNESCO World Heritage site.
Long Description:
Romanesque-Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral (Katedrála svätého Martina) in Spišská Kapitula, seat of Roman Catholic diocese of Spiš (Spišská diecéza), is one of the most valuable sacral structures in Spiš region of Slovakia and also a part of UNESCO World Heritage site.
The St. Martin’s Cathedral is a great example of the development of individual architectural styles. The first phase of construction of this church was the Romanesque phase of the 13th century (1245-1273), when the church ground plan was with three naves with transverse nave (transept).
Slovakia – Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments
Unique late Romanesque Church of the Holy Spirit (Kostel svatého Ducha), built in 1245–1275, is a separate and distant part of UNESCO World heritage site “Levoca, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments”.
Village of Žehra hides one of the worlds most unique objects in the form of an enchanting late double-nave Romanesque church. Church, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, was built in 1245–1275. Only the Romanesque sanctuary vault remains from the original, single-nave church. The nave had a wooden, square-paneled ceiling, but it burned down during the second half of the 15th century. After the fire, another vault was constructed, supported by an octagonal pillar, and from that time the church has had a double nave. This architectonic peculiarity is typical of several churches in the Spiš region, and as such may be considered as being unique in the world.
Slovakia – Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments
Long Description:
Depicted reconstructed Renaissance-Classicist building, seat of Levoca Municipal Office (Mestský úrad), is located in town’s main public space – Námestie Majstra Pavla (Master Paul Square).
Thanks to the fact, that famous Renaissance building of historic Levoca Town Hall is occupied by Museum, the current Municipal Office (New Town Hall) you can find in this also interesting building. The Municipal Office building, built at the site of older Gothic houses in 1588, was originally Renaissance Waaghaus (Vážnica/The Old Weigh-House) – a storage warehouse where visiting merchants were required to register, weight (waage = weighing scale in German) and store their goods on the way through the town. Building, many times reubuilt and reconstructed, took its current almost Classicist appearance during reshapings in the 18/19th centuries.
Slovakia – Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments
The reverse side of this Slovak 20 € commemorative silver coin depicts key landmarks of UNESCO World Heritage Site town Levoca – Renaissance Old Town hall and Gothic Church of St. James.
The reverse features part of St. James’s Church (including the steeple) and the Old Town Hall. The composition is set in front of a Gothic window, below a trefoil at the top of the window and above altar decorations at the bottom of the window. To the left of the composition is the coat of arms of Levoca. Inscribed above the lower edge of the central field, on two lines at left, are the words “PAMIATKOVÁ REZERVÁCIA” (Heritage Site), and, at right, the town name “LEVOCA”.
The town of Levoca grew up at an intersection of trade routes below the Levoca Mountains in eastern Slovakia.
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Aizudin Zainal
IU7. UNL.
All About World Heritage Sites 