The Spiš Castle

Spiš Castle

One of the largest castles of Central Europe is located in the Spiš region. The castle stands on a large limestone rock and reaches up to 200 m above the surrounding terrain. It forms the dominant of the wide surroundings on the main road link connecting the eastern Slovak regions of Spiš and Šariš. Although it spans over the town of Spišské Podhradie, the area belongs to the cadastral area of the village of Žehra. The Castle is a national cultural monument and since 1993 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The oldest traces of the castle hill, nearly seven thousand years old, have been left by the people of the Neolithic. Important business routes intersected this site connecting southern Europe to the north and the east to the west. Today's castle hill was a haven for local residents.
The castle became a sought-after tourist object, as evidenced by an annually increasing number of its visitors. The attractiveness of the castle is enhanced by the proximity of other important monuments. Museum exhibitions of the Spiš Museum are currently placed in the Castle Museum on the history of the Castle, medieval weapons, and feudal justice.
The educational walkway of Sivá Brada - Dreveník leads in the vicinity of the Spiš Castle. Tourists may thus get to know the history of this area and its natural attractions at eight stops. Every year there are "castle games" staged at this Castle, where you may see the performance of historical fencing and other entertaining events.

Spišské Podhradie and Spišská Kapitula Chapter

The town is located in the Hornádska Kotlina basin, in the Margecianka river valley, about 12 km east of Levoča. It lies in the valley between two of the four medieval centres of the Spiš region, the Spiš Castle, and the Spišská Kapitula chapter. The earliest written mention dates back to the year of 1249. Spišské Podhradie was an extramural settlement of the Spiš Castle in the 12th century, which in the first half of the 13th century developed into a separate township, independent from the Castle. It belonged to the Community of the Spiš Saxons, and developed into a significant craft centre in the 14th century.
The Romanesque Church of the Nativity of Virgin Mary with Gothic and later Classicist reconstructions and a Gothic altar from the year 1500 in the interior are important architectural monuments in the town. The town has a Renaissance Town Hall built in 1546, Renaissance and Baroque artisan and burgher houses, a church and a monastery of Merciful Brothers, rebuilt in the Baroque style and the Baroque Marian Pillar. The development of the town and its crafts is closely related to the period of "Saxon Colonization".
In 1948, Spišská Kapitula chapter was connected to Spišské Podhradie, which since 1956 has been an urban pservation area. The Chapter was built at the crossroads of important roads under the Spiš Castle in the 11th century. Gradually, it became the Spiš Church centre and at the end of the 12th century it became the seat of the Priory. Today it is the seat of the renewed Bishopric of Spiš and Bishop Ján Vojtašák's Priest Seminary. In this part of the town, visitors may admire a Gothic jewel, St. Martin's Cathedral. The monuments of the Spiš Chapter also include a clock tower. Both Spiš Chapter and Spišské Podhradie were known for high-quality schools.

Sivá Brada

Sivá Brada (Grey Beard) is a travertine mound located near Spišské Podhradie. At the top of the mountain, there is a mineral water spring, creating a small lagoon, and other mineral springs are to be found in its vicinity. Today it is a national nature preserve, which is popular with tourists.
This is a travertine mound that is about 25 metres high. Interestingly, in contrast to the other mounds, this is a "live" travertine mound. Its existence is due to the springing water, therefore the travertine mound is expanding every year. In the past, there was also a geyser that sprayed up several metres high, but with time the eruption weakened until it completely ceased. Currently, it may dry out completely during the dry season.
This unique occurrence was declared a National Nature Preserve in 1979. You may also find a Baroque St. Cross Chapel of the year 1675, which dominates the neighbourhood. The Chapel is also part of the Spiš Jerusalem, which is a set of several chapels. It begins with the St. Martin Cathedral in Spišská Kapitula and ends at Sivá Brada.

Dreveník

The National Nature Preserve of Dreveník is situated to the southeast of Spišské Podhradie near the Spiš Castle. It lies at an altitude of 612 metres and is one of the oldest protected areas in Slovakia. The preservation is managed by Slovenský Raj National Park. On the hill of Dreveník, there had been a settlement of an agricultural man from the early Stone Age. Mammoth remains have been found here, as well as monuments from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and from the time of the Byzantine period. The mound was formed by the mineral water springs on a tectonic shell. It is the oldest of its kind in the vicinity of Spišské Podhradie and the largest travertine area in Slovakia. There are 3 caves on its slopes. Limestone towers on the eastern edge are called "Stone Paradise", and one of the most beautiful precipices is called the "Hell". The Stone Paradise is also a paradise for rock climbers due to a high number of rock towers here. From Dreveník, you may enjoy many wonderful views. Particularly spectacular is the view of the majestic Spiš Castle.