Levoča

Levoča was one of the free royal towns of the Spiš region, grown rich on trade, and it kept its medieval walls, its enormous rectangular square and the burgher houses around it. The reason to come is inside St James's Church: an altarpiece carved by Master Paul of Levoča in the early sixteenth century that stands close to nineteen metres tall, the highest Gothic wooden altar known, with a Last Supper in the predella whose figures have the awkward, specific faces of real people. The church holds a dozen more altars besides. Outside, the Renaissance town hall with its arcaded loggia and the cage of shame beside it complete a square that has changed remarkably little. Above the town, a pilgrimage basilica on Mariánska hora draws large gatherings each July.

History

Spiš was inhabited in the Stone Age and became part of the Kingdom of Hungary from the 11th century; after the Mongol invasion of 1241-1242 Germans settled the region, and Levoča, first recorded in 1249, became the capital of the self-governing Association of Spiš Germans, a royal town in 1317 and, with wide rights granted in 1321, a magnet for merchants, craftsmen and mine owners. In the 15th century, on the trade routes between Poland and Hungary, it grew rich exporting iron, copper, furs, leather, grain and wine and became a cultural centre, where the English humanist Leonard Cox taught around 1520 and the woodcarver Master Pavol of Levoča settled. A fire in 1550 took nearly all its Gothic architecture and another struck in 1599, yet it prospered until the end of the 16th century as a centre of the Reformation, with a printing press by 1624, before declining during the anti-Habsburg uprisings of the 17th century; on 28 June 2009 it was added to the World Heritage List (Wikipedia, Levoča).

What you'll find

• Master Paul's altarpiece - the tallest Gothic wooden altar in the world, in St James's Church.
• The main square - one of the largest medieval squares in Slovakia, ringed by burgher houses.
• The town hall and cage of shame - Renaissance arcades and an iron punishment cage.
• Mariánska hora - the pilgrimage basilica on the hill above town.

When to go

May to September for the best weather. The July pilgrimage brings very large crowds to the hill above town. The church interior is dim, so a bright day helps considerably.

Before you go

Church entry is by timed guided visit and photography is generally not allowed, which frustrates visitors who came for the altar. The square is large and a little empty outside the summer season. Levoča works best combined with Spiš Castle nearby rather than as a destination on its own.

Nearby

Spiš Castle is fifteen minutes east; the High Tatras rise to the north.

Key facts