Poprad

With over 55,000 inhabitants, Poprad is one of the most important cities in eastern Slovakia, and one of the country’s more thriving economies, thanks to mountain tourism and foreign investment.

History
Poprad essentially came into existence in the 13th century, when the king of Hungary invited German colonists to settle in a region of isolated farming. The town and the region were ceded to Poland from the 15th to 18th centuries, during which time Poprad remained little more than a village. Only the industrial revolution, with the coming of the railroad and large-scale tourism in the nearby High Tatra mountains, brought growth to Poprad, today one of Slovakia’s more important mid-sized cities.

Attractions
In town, historical buildings in the central street and square still reflect the historical German and Polish influences. The 13th century church, one of few high street Protestant churches in Slovakia, retains traces of interior wall paintings from the middle ages.

How to Get There
Thanks to the nearby national parks, Poprad is reachable by many modes of travel. Its airport now offers regular flights to Prague and London, and the train station has frequent connections to Bratislava and Kosice as well as Budapest and Prague. Buses travel here from most regional centres. By car, the E50 highway gets drivers on their way quickly to most destinations.

Surroundings
The High Tatras National Park north of Poprad, Slovakia’s best-known, attracts the vast majority of Poprad’s visitors. The park offers spectacular access to the small alpine mountains in the summer, and a string of lively ski centres for most of the winter. Towns of interest in the immediate vicinity include Kezmarok, with two Protestant churches (not open every day) a castle rich in regional civil war history and a stately renaissance manor in neighbouring Spisska Bela.

Poprad hotels
Poprad hotels, tourist information, sights and mountains.
www.poprad-tatry.sk