Poprad -
was founded in the 13th century. The first written record is dated from
1256. An agricultural village has slowly changed to a small town of crafts
and trade. Important impulses for the development were the right of two
annual markets from the 18th century and construction of the railway line
Košice - Bohumín in 1781, that gave the town a very advantageous
position into the future. In the 19th and 20th century many factories were built and in
1940 also an airport. Poprad is today a starting point for the Vysoké Tatry mountains, that's why it is often visited by a remarkable number of visitors.
The most interesting suburb of Poprad is Spišská Sobota (on the
left from the way to Kežmarok). In 1953 was its center declared the Town Memorial
Reservation. Spišská Sobota belongs to the most interesting medieval urban
compositions in Slovakia. The center has been created by a triangular square,
in the middle of which there is the biggest attraction - the St. George's church.
It contains five original gothic altars, two of which were made in the famous
Master Paul's workshop in Levoča. Next to the church stands a renaissance
belfry from 1598 and a baroque statue of Immaculata from 1772.
Other interesting places are the town house and evangelical church. The
center of Spišská Sobota has come through a wide reconstruction - nowadays this
town belongs to the nicest jewels of the Spiš region. It's becoming very attractive -
simply worth to see.
