Spišská Nová Ves chooses its 7 wonders

LAST MAY the town council of Spišská Nová Ves in eastern Slovakia told its citizens that they could nominate anything they wanted in a contest to determine the town’s top seven wonders. The residents nominated 31 sites and attractions and then voted for the best via poll sheets published in the town’s monthly Informátor magazine and via the internet. Citizens and visitors were allowed to choose no more than seven of sites from those on the ballot.

Lucia Kormošová of the town’s public relations office told the TASR newswire that almost 1,500 votes were received and the town council announced the winners during the Days of Spišská Nová Ves on the weekend of August 28-29.

The top wonder of Spišská Nová Ves is the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with its 87-metre tower – the highest in Slovakia. The town’s residents and visitors chose the town’s main square as the second wonder, noting that it is among the most beautiful in Slovakia and the longest of its type as well. Third place was claimed by the Art Nouveau Reduta building dating to the beginning of the 20th century which currently houses the Spiš Theatre, a concert hall, restaurant, cultural centre and TV Reduta. The Provinčný dom (Province House), which served as the Town Hall until 1777, along with its Levoča gate ranked fourth. Currently, this building is home to the Spiš Museum which offers various exhibitions. The fifth wonder of Spišská Nová Ves is the current Town Hall building which was completed at the end of the 18th century in Classical style.

The sixth wonder is the traditional Spiš market which is visited each year by thousands of people during its four days of fun events and interesting offerings and was chosen as well as for its history as it has been organised for more than 50 years. The seventh wonder is a mosaic made of natural materials by Father Kamil Dráb that is inside the Greek Catholic Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord.