In the northern Spiš, beautiful intact nature merges with historical and folk cultural monuments.
Stará Ľubovňa and its castle dominate in the unique valley of the river Poprad. Many Slovak and Polish historical events took place right in this part of Slovakia. At the time when the castle was given as a deposit to the Polish king (1412 - 1772) it was a seat of polish mayors who ruled in the region.
Also the village
Podolínec deserves to have its own place in cultural history of both nations. A collegium of "piarists" had a seat here after the year 1642. It was often visited by students from Spiš and Poland as well. The monastery was characteristic with two thin baroque towers. They symbolize a sad chapter in our national history. In 1950 there was a concentration camp for the members of forbidden religions.
The population in the villages around
Stará Ľubovňa consist of a large spectrum of nations and cultures. You would find here a German-speaking village - Chmeľnica, Ruthenian villages - Jakubany and Kamienka etc. For the Ruthenian ones is the orthodox Christian religion the most typical. Original folk habits are still kept in many local villages up to present day. In an open-air museum at the
Ľuboviansky castle you can admire an exhibition of its architecture.
The villages situated on the other side of the
Spišská Magura mountains are very different. The northern border is the river
Dunajec and the National Park
Pieniny. The local population speaks a polish dialect (sc. goral dialect) and the folk culture is more diverse than in other regions. The city
Spišská Stará Ves is the main administrative centre in this area. The
Červený Kláštor (Red Monastery) was named according to a
Cartesian monastery (founded in the 14-th century) and is more famous than
Spišská Stará Ves. The castle, the village
Niedzica and typical Spiš churches in Krempachy and Fridman are also a part of the
Zamagurie region, although they belonged to Poland in 1920.
In the northern Spiš, beautiful intact nature merges with historical and folk cultural monuments.
Stará Ľubovňa and its castle dominate in the unique valley of the river Poprad. Many Slovak and Polish historical events took place right in this part of Slovakia. At the time when the castle was given as a deposit to the Polish king (1412 - 1772) it was a seat of polish mayors who ruled in the region.
