We will definitely convince you that natural beauties combine with unique and rare medieval monuments in this article, where we will imagine the most interesting places that every true Slovak should see.
First we will imagine medieval monuments, then we will pull the skeleton a bit because we will go to see more active tourist places where you will become part of forests, parks and get to know many animals and plants that you will rarely find. Next, we will show hotels, guesthouses and cottages, where you can relax after a long day full of exploring these picturesque places. Of course, we will not forget your stomach either. There is nothing better than eating something tasty and high quality in the fresh air after a day out.
The town of Kežmarok was established in the 13th century by merging three settlements - a Slovak fishing village, a royal border guard settlement and a German settlement. However, the city was inhabited as early as the Stone Age. There are many cultural monuments in Kežmarok. It is one of the cities with a famous history. Its historic core has been declared a city monument reserve. The European Folk Crafts Festival is held here every year.
An incredible number of historical monuments concentrated in such a small space offers intense all-day enjoyment.
The first of the monuments is the Wooden Evangelical Articular Church. This church was inscribed on the UNESCO list. It is one of the oldest monuments in Kežmarok. This church is different from other churches in that, in the construction, they did not use any metal material, ie they did not use any metal nails, only wooden nails. The special charm of the hall from this articular church was also appreciated by the creators of the well-known Slovak fairy tale Perinbaba, who shot several scenes here.
At present, the church fulfills its original religious purpose, but as an important cultural monument, it is also open to the general tourist public at set hours.
In the second half of the 19th century, the Evangelicals of Kežmarok decided to build a new, more representative church - the wooden articular church fell into disrepair and became dangerous, especially in static terms. Therefore, in the years 1879-1892, the New Evangelical Church was built , which not only has unusual architecture, but also a beautiful landscape in its background. It is also one of the national cultural monuments of the Slovak Republic. It was built in the years by the home builder Viktor Lazary.
However, thanks to Byzantine, Moorish and other oriental elements, the exceptional building resembles a synagogue or mosque rather than a Christian church.
The third church in a row is called Pauline Church . It was built in 1654 on the site of three burgher houses, which in 1650 were donated by the town of Kežmarok to the Catholic Church. It was a thank you for helping to resolve the disputes with the Thököly family. The oldest preserved part is a richly decorated pulpit dating from the end of the 17th century. It was made by a master who also participated in the creation of the altar in the chapel of Kežmarok Castle. The whole church almost comprehensively represents the development of one artistic epoch: from the morning through the High Baroque to the Rococo conclusion.
From the sacral memorial churches we go to Kežmarok Town Hall, which stands out on the Main Square. However, the very first town hall stood in a completely different place. It stood on one of the oldest streets in Kežmarok - on the old market. After the Hussite invasion in 1433, the town partially burned down and the center moved.
Below the town hall is an old cellar, in which in the 16th century. springs of water. According to tradition, an escape underground passage leads from the cellar. At present, the town hall is the seat of the town hall.
The dominant feature of the Tatra town of Kežmarok is the Kežmarok Castle , which has entered the history of Tatra tourism as the starting point for the first known tourist trip to the High Tatras. Kežmarok Castle is the only completely preserved castle in Spiš. The first written mention of it is from 1463. The castle belongs to the type of so-called town castles - was built directly on the territory of the town of Kežmarok in order to defend it from possible enemies, but its owners claimed various taxes from the free royal town. Therefore, in the dark ages, it was more of a burden. Today, you will find a local museum , which in addition to attractive fortress interiors, e.g. The lookout tower or torture chamber offers interesting expositions focused on the history of Kežmarok, medieval guilds and crafts, Jewish culture and sacred art.
In the Pieniny National Park in the village of Červený Kláštor in the Kežmarok district, we can find another cultural national monument, the Červený kláštor , which was started in 1320 by Carthusian monks. They lived a hermit's way of life and were not allowed to talk to each other. Between the walls of the monastery came only the greeting "Memento mori" which in translation means "Remember to die" . Today it houses a museum.
As we promised you at the beginning, from the sacred monuments we will move to the places where I will work our eyes and feet. We will show you what makes nature unique and with us you will get to know the local forests, you will become a part of forest life and you will get to know many animals and plants that you will rarely find.
The Bachledka Treetop Walk is located in the heart of the species-diverse forests of the Pieniny National Park. The route with a length of more than 600 m will take you through a species-diverse forest, where various surprises and lessons await you. During your journey on the sidewalk you can stop at three adrenaline nooks . Not only children can try to keep their balance in a view that reveals a seemingly dangerous abyss beneath them. Of course, all attractions are maximally secured.
If you prefer early study itself, then the sidewalk is full of information boards, where you will learn interesting information about the fauna, flora and life of local forests, their protection and the destructive weather. However, you can also use the offer of a guide - a national park worker.
We believe that the Bachledka lookout tower, located in the same area, will win you over with an amazing view, where you will see all the beauty from the 32 meter high tower, thanks to which you will have the peaks of the Belianske Tatras, the unique scenery of the Pieniny and picturesque Zamagurie. It's great that a 67-meter-long dry water slide winds around the lookout tower , with which you can shorten your way down and at the same time enjoy a real adrenaline rush. In operation also during the winter season.
We will continue to enjoy the beautiful natural beauties, plants, animals. Tatra National Park , located in the north of central and eastern Slovakia in the Tatras. It is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia and is also the oldest national park in Slovakia. Mountain and alpine plants, such as e.g. stands of rhododendron and pine or a beautiful flower of alpine mildew, which can be found on many postcards from the Tatras. Of the rare animals, the bald eagle, brown bear, Tatra chamois or Tatra marmot live here. The rarest of them is a chamois - a symbol of the Tatras. It is one of the unique species of chamois, because after the end of the ice age it developed for thousands of years completely isolated. For this reason, it differs from its chamois relatives in the Alps or the Apennines, and this species cannot be found anywhere else on earth. In the High Tatras is the highest peak in Slovakia, Gerlachovský štít (2655 m) and the symbol of Slovakia Kriváň. The park is also characterized by the occurrence of more than 100 lakes and several waterfalls. The largest and deepest of the Tatra lakes is Veľké Hincovo pleso, the highest lake is Modré pleso (2192 m above sea level). The most frequently visited are Štrbské and Popradské pleso.
The only cave open to the public is the Belianska Cave.
From the oldest and largest national park in Slovakia, we move on to the next and that is the Pieniny National Park . It is located in the northeastern part of Slovakia. It is located in the districts of Kežmarok and Stará Ľubovňa, in the Prešov self-governing region. Of the total area, 9 km2 consists of forests, which is complemented by a unique agricultural landscape with small fields, meadows and pastures, on which stand in the summer typical Zamagur stacks of mown hay. PIENAP is rich in rare plant species, among which there are many endemics, such as the Zawadzki rabbit, the Pieniny dandelion, the great crested grebe and the Siberian mountain ribs. The species-diverse fauna includes 766 species of butterflies, 99 species of molluscs and more than 200 species of vertebrates.
It is recommended to visit the highest peak Tri Koruny lying on the Polish side of the park. However, the beauty of the three sharp rocks can also be admired during the rafting trip. The complex of limestone rocks Haligovské skály attracts numerous caves and cavities. The starting points are Červený Kláštor, Spišská Stará Ves or the town of Stará Ľubovňa.
In the Kežmarok district you will find many places that you will want to see and you will definitely not be able to do it in one day. The best and at the same time the easiest way to solve this problem is to find accommodation there. The offer is really rich. Just put the location in the search engine and offers from the lowest prices to luxury apartments will pop up right away. The lowest prices are usually offered by private individuals, who offer tourists accommodation in their own homes, so-called private. This accommodation can be attractive for young people who want to save money and know that they are looking for accommodation just for a night's sleep, and other things like eating and maybe some wellness will be addressed elsewhere.
For people who go on a trip with a large party, or go with the whole family, in our opinion it is the best choice to book the whole cottage just for yourself. You can really choose from, from smaller cozy cottages to huge luxury log cabins. The cottages have a kitchen, almost all have a garden with seating where you can make a barbecue in the evening. E.g. Wild Park Resort offers accommodation for adults and children who love animals. You can ride a horse there under the guidance, or feed the forest animals that are kept there. Villa Gajdoš, cottage Čajka - Ranch, Chalúpka pod Vŕškom, cottage Tatry, Luxurious log cabin and mountain hut Goralský dvor , all these cottages offer tourists modernly furnished accommodation in a pleasant environment full of nature, which you will certainly not regret.
For the more demanding and perhaps a little more comfortable, there are hotels that offer their customers comfortable rooms or apartments at a high level. Hotel Hviezdoslav **** is located directly in Kežmarok and belongs to the most popular copper hotels for tourists. This is probably because there are really everything in this hotels, from simple rooms to luxury apartments. You will also enjoy the high-level gastronomy where you can have a quality breakfast before heading to the mountain peaks. In this hotel there is also a quality wellness, where you can go for a swim, swim, or enjoy a pleasant massage. We must also mention other hotels such as hotel ARGO, Tatranec, Penzinom Max Kežmarok , which are also frequently visited hotels in this area.
If we have already mentioned the wellness , in addition to the hotel Hviezdoslav **** , the Wellness Hotel KONTAKT, Vila Aurora accommodation Vela offers you a pleasant sauna, whirlpools, massages , or just relaxation and soaking up the atmosphere , which in addition to the mentioned wellness experience also offer accommodation and delicious and quality food.
In addition to sacred monuments, history, culture, nature and natural beauty, each of us is looking forward to a trip and a tasting of the traditional food of the locality . Quality gastronomy is one of the most sought-after topics today. Larger or smaller entrepreneurs in tourist areas are also aware of this, and they care about this phenomenon.
The poetry restaurant is located directly in Kežmarok in the Hviezdoslav hotel, this restaurant is a place where you can forget about the everyday problems of the day when tasting culinary specialties. They offer regional specialties and international cuisine, and pay attention to meatless dishes. The chefs will be happy to take into account your health restrictions and prepare the food according to your wishes. The meal also includes a delicious wine, which you can choose from a rich wine list.
Another restaurant that we will present to you is the restaurant at Jakub . Located about 4 min. walk from Kežmarok Castle on Starý trh 39 and about 10 km from the High Tatras. The restaurant offers a rich selection of tasty dishes of traditional domestic Slovak and international cuisine, including meatless dishes such as homemade bryndza dumplings.
The restaurant at Kežmarok Castle offers you relaxation and hospitality after a historical tour, which you can complete. It is located just 50 meters from the town castle and will be happy to offer you specialties of Slovak cuisine as well as a daily menu at affordable prices. Kežmarok restaurant has a total capacity of 120 seats and is divided into several parts. Of course, there is also a reserved non-smoking area or WiFi Internet.
We will end it with nothing but the traditional Koliba nad track, which is also located directly in Kežmarok. Here you can enjoy traditional Slovak specialties and at the same time you can buy a specialty from the mountain hut from there.
Slovak
Czech
Hungarian
German
