Monuments to visit Slovakia

Dedicated to St. Elizabeth, this church is more commonly known as the Blue Church. It was built between 1909 and 1913 on the plans of the famous Art Nouveau architect Lechner Odön. It is probably the prettiest church in Bratislava, all blue, with a roof of icy tiles, also blue. It was built with new materials such as reinforced concrete and artificial stones. It is decorated on the outside with earthenware and motifs dear to Viennese Art Nouveau.

The castle of Devín, which stands on a sublime site overlooking the confluence of the Danube and the Morava rivers, has distant origins. Excavations have revealed a human presence as early as the Stone Age, between the^5th and 4th millennia BC. In the Bronze Age, around 1500 BC, a first fortified site was raised by the Maďarovce civilization. Archaeological excavations seem to prove an uninterrupted occupation of the site, In the Roman period, Devín formed an integral part of the defensive fortifications of the Empire. Devín was later occupied by various barbarian tribes. The archaeological evidence of the arrival of the Slavs dates from the 7th century. The foundations of a church from the 9th century and some traces of a cemetery remain from this period, the period of the Great Slavonic Moravia. The first medieval fortifications of the castle date from the 13th century. The ruins of the highest tower of the castle remain today. In the 15th century, under the control of aristocratic families, the castle was enlarged in its upper part and then extended in its middle and lower part, to provide for its military defense functions. In the 17th century, the castle passed into the hands of the famous Hungarian aristocratic family of Pálffy. The castle was later demolished by Napoleon's army. Today, only beautiful ruins remain. A visit to the castle is a pleasant walk outside the city.

Situated on a hill overlooking Bratislava, the castle stands out for its size, and naturally became the symbol of the city, taking on its definitive form in the ^15th century. The castle may not be remarkable, but it offers a fine view of the city and is well worth a visit to the History Museum, which houses a collection of Slovak folk culture. At the same time, archaeological discoveries made during the reconstruction of the castle are showcased.

Not far from the confluence of the Slatina and Hron rivers, in the old town of Zvolen, there is an urban castle, built between 1370 and 1382 under the reign of King Louis the Great of Hungary. It was then renovated during the 16th century and more recently in the 1960s. Today, it houses a beautiful collection of Renaissance paintings belonging to the national gallery as well as temporary exhibitions of artists or young art students.

This medieval Gothic building with three naves and the 76-metre high tower is a true museum of Slovak religious art. Inside, there are 11 wooden altars of the th and th centuries, whose altar dedicated to Saint Barbara is attributed to the master Paul de Levoča. The main altar, carved in 1888, is immense and dominated by a Christ crucified in a very surprising suspension. The baptismal font is a fine example of the mixture between Protestant and Catholic heritages.

One of the most beautiful castles in Slovakia. Originally mentioned in the ^12th century, the castle was built of wood before being completely rebuilt in stone in the ^13th century. In 1643, it passed into the hands of the Pálffy family, to whom the castle owes its current magnificence. Between 1889 and 1910, John Francis Pálffy devoted a considerable part of his fortune to embellishing the castle. The architect Joseph Hubert, known for his taste for the neo-Gothic style, was in charge of the work. On John Francis Pálffy's death, the château came under state ownership. Its successive embellishments make Bojnice the finest example of Slovakian castle renovation in the ^19th-century Romantic style. The castle's interiors still display the original decorations of the Pálffy family, whose portraits adorn the walls. Highlights of the visit include a beautiful chapel with magnificent ^14th-century murals, the winter garden, an incredible Oriental salon with Arabesque ornaments and Buddhist statuettes, the gilded hall with its ceilings inlaid with gold leaf, and the castle caves where a spring carved the rock and in which the skeleton of a Neanderthal man was discovered. Various types of tours are available, including night visits, sometimes by candlelight only, with a guide in period costume - an original way to discover this unique building and its legends.

This is undoubtedly one of Bratislava's most interesting galleries, thanks to its fine collections of European paintings from the ^16th to ^18th centuries: Dutch, Italian, German, Spanish and English. But it also boasts some splendid paintings by Slovak masters of the ^19th century, notably Ladislav Nedňansky and his superb landscapes and popular scenes painted in the manner of the Impressionists, or Dominik Skutecký, with his working-class scenes.

In the centre of the central square, a statue of the Immaculate Virgin is enthroned on a high column and displays its slightly overloaded baroque coquetries. The statue was erected in 1720-1723 in gratitude for the Virgin who would have delivered the city from the plague epidemic of 1709-1710. It takes its present appearance from its restoration in 1909, when the sculptures of many saints were added to the building, including the angel Saint Gabriel and the archangel Saint Michael.

This central square built in the early th century has a oblong shape. It is broken to the north by the basilica. The old town hall nestles majestically in its centre. It is surrounded by over bourgeois houses, some of which are worthy of interest. At No. 13, the Gantzaugh house (the headquarters of the regional museum of Šariš) has a beautiful rococo facade. At No. 16, the old school of 3 houses linked to each other is now city hall. This house, originally Gothic and modified in Renaissance style, has lovely frescoes on its facade, including Bardejov weapons.

At No. 26, a Gothic Renaissance style house is priceless, with its facade adorned with a superb fresco depicting the coronation of the Virgin Mary. The house No. 42 served as a cellar at the Tokaj which produced the vineyards of the city. At that time, the market was hosted, and the city hall was sometimes sheltered in the event of weather.

The Singing Fountain is located between the State Theatre and St. Elizabeth Cathedral. Inaugurated on ¹ May 1986, it is the oldest Singing Fountain in the former Czechoslovakia. It was founded with the support of former mayor Rudolf Schuster, who later became president of Slovakia. In the heart of a park ideal for relaxing and taking a short break when visiting the city, this fountain starts to sing and the lighting of the water jets turns to the rhythm of the music.

In the heart of Košice's central square, it stands out with its gallery bell tower, polychrome roof, north door decorated with a bas-relief illustrating the Last Judgment and the life of St. Elizabeth. Attention should also be paid to the Gothic frescoes, the sculptures of the 15th century master Štefan, not to mention the altarpieces with shutters. It is also famous for its 1477 sundial, and its amazing gargoyle depicting a drunk woman with a glass in her hand.

At No. 73 of the central square, it was originally a th century bourgeois house. It was rebuilt and enlarged in the th century in classical style and in the th century in baroque style to be transformed into a city hall.

A oblong shape typical of Slovakia's cities, it is particularly beautiful with its late Gothic mansions. The facades are often Renaissance style with their pignons and their ornamentations sometimes embellished with sgraffites. The Klobušický Palace is particularly beautiful with its facade to the rich baroque decor with stucco stucco. The square is very crowded with the church of St. Nicholas in its centre, the evangelical temple typical of the Renaissance, the Evangelical College and the old municipal school. Behind the college you cannot miss the group of sculptures of the Immaculate High in 1738 thanks for the end of the plague. Notice in the park, in the centre of the square, the fountain of Neptune, offered by the Jews in 1840 to thank the city for welcoming them. South of the square is the Greek Catholic church Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

They paved the city with the four fifth. They date from the th century in the oldest parts, but have been destroyed and rebuilt many times in the light of wars and fires. It is the best preserved fortifications in Slovakia.

The central square of Levoča has the gracieusement oblong form of the cities of Slovakia. Its particularity lies in the beauty and the number of the bourgeois houses () that surround it as well as the two beautiful churches with three naves and the city hall which adorn it in its centre. Attention must be paid to the Maison house at No. 7 (Thurzov Dom), at the restored façade in 1904 with neo-Renaissance sgraffites. At No. 44, the house Krupek (Krupekov Dom) has authentically Renaissance sgraffites dating from the th century. The house Hain (Hainov Dom) at No. 41 was the seat of Evangelical Lyceum. In 1844, a group of 13 pupils protesting against the laws in place and teaching in Hungarian decided to flee Bratislava to study in Levoča. This is where they sang for the first time the revolutionary song Nad Tatrou sa Blýska, which will become the Slovak national anthem. This house is home to the historic museum of Spiš. The most beautiful of the houses is probably the house Mariássy (Mariássyho dom) at No. 43 with its inner courtyard to the delicately sculpted arcades. It is now the Stela hotel where you can enter by requesting permission. At the location of house No. 20 was the atelier of master Pavol, a party in smoke. Today this house houses a museum dedicated to it.

Located in the western part of the city, behind the botanical garden on the hill above Prešov, this Baroque Way of the Cross dates back to the 18th century. It has 14 stages (14 chapels), the fourth is the most famous, built in 1765 according to a sample from the Sacri Gradus of Rome. In the past, it was considered the second most beautiful calvary on the territory of Hungary (after the Banská Štiavnica calvary). This Way of the Cross was built by the Jesuits during the Counter-Reformation at the initiative of the guild of the dying Christ.

The Janko Jesenský Museum is one of the many themed museums in the city of Bratislava. This literary exhibition is actually located in the former apartment of the poet-writer Janko Jesensky (1874-1945). It presents, in its authentic living space, a series of documents on the work and life of this famous Slovak author. In its authentic living space (office, hall, living room...), it presents various objects related to the life and work of the master.

The Michel Gate belonged to the city's fortifications. Built in the 14th century in a Gothic style, its current Baroque appearance dates from 1758. The statue of Saint Michael slaying the dragon was added to its summit. On both sides of the bridge are the statues of the Archangel St. Michael and St. John Nicomedes. In the tower once lived a watchman. It now houses the Museum of Weapons and Fortifications. Under the tower is now the 0 meridian.

It is one of the few specialized museums in Slovakia to have focused on documenting the history of music and its instruments. Its collection comprises over 120,000 objects documenting the past and contemporary history of musical life and culture in Slovakia (posters, musical instruments, phonographs, vinyls, CDs). The collection includes both archival and musical instrument collections.

Built during the 13th century, Červený Kameň Castle was an integral part of the system of fortifications that protected the western part of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1535, the castle came into the possession of the Fugger family, who transformed it to serve their mining operation. Gigantic cellars were built to store the ore. The role of the castle remains essentially defensive, before a new transformation carried out by the noble family of Palffy, which makes it a Renaissance palace at the end of the 16th century. In the courtyard is built a palace with two wings, while the interiors are completely restored: vaults decorated with stucco ornaments and frescoes with mythological motifs. The renovation of the castle was completed with magnificent baroque gardens. In 1945, the castle became a national monument. In its interiors there is a unique exhibition reflecting the development of the culture of the nobility and the bourgeoisie - here you can find beautiful aristocratic salons, luxurious rooms, but also a period dining room and a beautiful knights' hall. The tour also shows the former underground spaces and the huge storage cellars. The north bastion also hosts interesting seasonal exhibitions that complement and enrich the permanent exhibitions of the castle. Červený Kameň offers several types of guided tours, but some parts of it are accessible without a guide.