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THE SMALL town of Spišská Sobota, nowadays part of Poprad, has one of the best preserved historical town centres in Slovakia. Thanks to stagnating development during the 19th century, almost everything on the square has remained unchanged.
Its spot on a major trading route made Spišská Sobota one of the richest towns in the entire Spiš region. Copper moved from Hungary through Spišská Sobota and on to Poland and Russia and then salt was traded coming back the other way. Vestiges of those prosperous times are still visible on elegant burgher houses and the gothic church, especially in its marvelous altar, a masterpiece by Master Paul from Levoča.
Next to the church is a renaissance belfry from 1591. The town built it after a fire destroyed the church's tower in 1545, because there was no other place to hang bells. There are three bells in the belfry of which two date to the 16th century. The third bell, made in the baroque style, is from the 18th century.
The first reference to the town's name is from 1256. It was called Forum Sabathe - the place with the right to hold a weekly market on Saturday.
The postcard shows the town in the 1920s.
Prepared by Branislav Chovan
