UNESCO region Spiš (Levoča and Spiš Castle)
We will leave Prešov (other starting point is also possible) in the morning and our first stop will be medieval city Levoča, which is inscribed in the world heritage list UNESCO. In Levoča, there is also the highest altar in the World. Afterwards we will continue to Markušovce, where is an old castle and Exposition of historical furniture and keyboard musical instruments. We leave Markušovce and we will continues to Spišská Kapitula, which is georgeous city subscribed in the world heritage list UNESCO too. There is Spiš Castle, very close to Spišská Kapitula. It is the largest castle in Central Europe. After we leave the castle, we will stop near a bubbling geyser, where is a mineral spring too. We will arrive back to Prešov sometimes in the evening.
Duration: 1 day
Mileage: around 95 miles (150 km) Price per each person: 1 person 195 EUR 2 persons 110 EUR 3 persons 80 EUR 4 persons 50 EUR more than 4 persons price depends on exact number of persons (price includes: transport, guide services, information materials, entrance tickets and fees, regional surprise) |
It is impossible to leave Slovakia without visiting the largest castle in the Central Europe - Spiš Castle (UNESCO) and a historical town Levoča (UNESCO). There, we will see the highest wooden altar in the world. Then we will make a stop in Markušovce to visit an Exposition of historical furniture and keyboard musical instruments. You don´t need to travel to Iceland - there are some geysers in Slovakia, too!
The historic town LEVOČA situated in the east of the Spiš region is a true cultural and historic jewel among the Slovak towns as it possesses a great number of architectural monuments linked with the glorious past of the town. The city was first mentioned in a deed from 1249 as Leucha. The community, thriving on its advantageous position on the trade route Via Magna, rapidly grew into a town with several privileges. Shortly after, Levoča became the centre of German colonisation in the Spiš region and in 1271 it was even promoted to the capital of the Association of the Spiš Saxons, which eventually lost its influence and Levoča was declared the free royal borough in 1323.
In the eastern horizon of Spišské Podhradie towers the Spiš Castle. As a National Cultural Monument, Spiš Castle with its area of more than four ha, and partially in ruins, is one of the largest castle compounds in Central Europe. Spiš Castle was included in the UNESCO list of monuments belonging to the world cultural heritage in 1993. Construction of the medieval castle on a travertine hill dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. The oldest written reference to the castle is from 1120. At the beginning it was a boundary fort placed at the northern frontier of an early feudal Old Hungarian state. Afterwards, it became the seat of the head of the Spiš region for many centuries. |