The town of Humenné is situated in the eastern part of the Slovak Republic, just less than 80 km from two other big towns Prešov and Košice.
Situated by the mountain ranges known as Ondavská vrchovina and Beskydské predhorie, the town has always been associated with the River
Laborec. This 685 - year - old town has got just over 35,000 inhabitants and the total cadastral area of 2,867 hectares.
The town of Humenné is an important industrial, commercial and educational center of Eastern Slovakia which offers a wide range of services
for its inhabitants as well as visitors from other parts of the country and abroad. The local industry focuses on several major areas,
predominantly on production of chemical and textile goods, construction engineering and building as well as delivery of locally produced
food.
The major feature of Humenné is the Town Center. Part of it is car - free, so visitors and tourist do not have to worry about road
congestion and traffic noise. This part of the town was officially open to public last year (4th August 2001) after several months of town
renovation work and refurbishment of some of the central parts of the town. The center of Humenné has been completely transformed and given
a new fresh look. With a nice water fountain (known as the Fountain of Love), podium for cultural events, many places to rest or read the
daily papers and have a cup of coffee, the town offers plenty of choice for those who want to explore it. Another interesting feature of the
central Humenné is the water feature known as the ''Stream of Time'' (Potok času) which is located near the sculpture of Milan Rastislav
Štefánik. The town has also invested in the new pavements, walkways, cycle paths, public facilities, drainage system and night public
lights. There are also sympathetic lights hidden in the town gardens and reflectors highlighting some of the historical buildings during
night hours. Some 54 benches were added to the town center so there is no excuse to just sit and observe the world passing by.
Town Center
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There is a good network of schools and other educational facilities in Humenné. In total, there are 15 kindergartens, 12 primary schools
(including one primary school for children with special needs and one primary school which belongs to the local church), 12 secondary
schools (including Grammar school and further education facilities).
There are many interesting places to visit in and around Humenné. These include the recreational areas around Laborec River, the ruins in
Brekov and Jasenov, the tourist area in Hubková, the area of outstanding natural beauty in Humenský Sokol which is known for many rare
species of flora and fauna. For those who prefer indoor sports rather than walking in the countryside, there are 35 different sporting
clubs and associations to join and enjoy the benefits of membership. These clubs cover 33 different types of sports and are very popular
among members of general public, particularly amongst young people and children. There are good news for those who like tennis as the town
has got a spacious tennis center with 11 tennis courts.
Visitors and tourists are welcome to stay in one of many accommodation facilities in the town. The town of Humenné offers a wide variety of
hotels, privately owned guest houses, B & Bs and youth hostels - the choice is entirely yours. With some nice restaurants, pizza bars and
pubs, Humenné is the right place to find somewhere to have a three - course - dinner in the evening or just a light snack for lunch or late
breakfast.
The earliest written reference of Humenné dates from 1317. The history of the town is closely connected with the noble family of Drugethy.
The main historical feature of Humennjé - the local Manor House - was built in renaissance style in 1610. This beautiful piece of local
architecture is widely used for many cultural events and theme exhibitions related to local history, natural science, culture, art and
crafts. As the only place in the country, the Manor House currently holds an exhibition about the life of Slovak Gypsies, their life,
culture and everyday problems. The Manor House is surrounded by a few acres of land which has been turned into a beautiful park (known as
''The Park of Peace''). There are about 15 traditional historical houses nesting around the Manor House which document some old ways of
living, working, producing various household items and clothes.
Fontain of love
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The local Manor House and Roman Catholic Church are on the List of Slovak National Heritage. The church dates from the late 14th century
and has got many interesting gothic features. There are many local facilities which offer a wide range of both, cultural and educational
events and courses (e.g. Spring Musical Festival, Traditional Markets and Fetes, Open Museum Days). These facilities include:
- The Town's Cultural Center and the Open Amphitheater
- Vihorlat's Cultural Center
- Vihorlat's Museum
- CENTRUM Cinema
- Vihorlat's Observatory
The list of famous local natives is quite long however the most popular people who were born in Humenné are:
- Mikuláš Klimčák - famous painter
- Štefan Babjak - opera singer
- Peter Breiner - music composer and pianist
- PhDr. Peter Gossányi - journalist
Welcome to Humenné !
Translation: Bendíková
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