LIPTOVSKÁ TEPLIČKA, a village in northern Slovakia, has won second place in the annual competition for the most beautiful village in Europe. The award is given out by the European Village Renovation Commission.
Liptovská Teplička was narrowly edged out by the Italian village of Campo Tures for first place.
The village, which lies on the borders of the Liptov, Spiš and Horehronie regions, was nominated for the European award as a result of being named best Slovak Village of 2007.
“According to the commission, we gained points for the overall development of the village as well as for the ecological management on our meadows and pastures for the past 15 years,” Liptovská Teplička Mayor Jozef Mezovský told the Pravda daily.
The village also scored points for maintaining architectural traditions, for new attitudes toward education and for trying to actively integrate the local Roma community into village life. Roma account for one quarter of the village’s population.
“We did not hide anything from the evaluation commission,” Mezovský told the daily. “We spoke openly, for example, that those who adapt and work will be much better off than those who don’t.”
“It is a beautiful village, whose future lies in traditional agriculture and tourism,” said Johan Boekhowen, a member of the awarding commission and the mayor of the Dutch town of Workum, during his visit to the village.
