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Kežmarok - town of monuments and festival EĽRO.
The first written mention about the town is from 1251, town privileges were awarded in
1269. The association of villages of the Kežmarok´s region with its seat in Kežmarok and
with its chairman Ing. František Grohola is aimed at protection of environment and
development of the country.
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Town hall
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The TANAP (the High and Belianske Tatra), the PIENAP (the Pieniny), the Belianska cave
are spread near the town.
The most famous historical monuments in the town are: the Castle from 1463, the
Evangelical Lycée (the national cultural monument) from 1775, the wooden Evangelical
Church (the national cultural monument) from 1717, the Basilicaaa minor-Church of St Cross
from 1498.
In the surrounding countryside are the most famous: The Spišský Castle (40km) and a place
of pilgrimage - "Mariánska hora" in Levoča (25km).
In surroundings there are a lot of opportunities for walking and cycling, you can take
the scenic flight from the airport Poprad (15km). You can go skiing in the town
forest-park Sever and use two downhill courses ( 300 + 300m) with whole capacity of
1250 persons/hour, night skiing, cross-country skiing.
Points of interest, remarkables and rarities
There lives an extraordinary person: Ladislav Kulanga - cottager of Skalná cottage and
the strongest carrier in the High Tatra, holder of some world records in carrying.
In the later ten years town was visited by following celebrities: Emil and Dana Zátopek,
General Manager of the World Inward Property Organisation WIPO Dr. Arpád Bogsch, the
ambassador of the USA in the Slovak Republik Dr. Ludger Buerstedde, the Korean ambassador
in the Czech Republik Myung Chul Hahm, the General of the National Guard of the state
Indiana from the USA R. Mitchell, the German ambassador in the Slovak Republik Dr. Frank
Lambach, the Czech ambassador in the Slovak Republik Rudolf Slánský, the president of the
Slovak Republik Ing. Rudolf Schuster, CSc., Dr.h.c., the prime minister of the Slovak
Republik, representatives of Norwegian Militia, the ambassador of Poland in the Slovak
Republik Jan Komornicki together with Secretary of Defence of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski.
There lived the following important literary men and scientists:
P.J.Šafárik, K.Kuzmány, J.Chalupka, S.Chalupka, J.Kráľ, S.Tomášik, P.O.Hviezdoslav,
J.Záborský, M.Rázus, I.Stodola, A.Stodola, P.Bohúň, L.Mednyánszky, V.Alexander,
D.Fröhlich, D.Fischer.
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New evangelical church
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From the 15th to the 19th century there had worked 38 guilds. Nowadays tradition of art
and utility handicrafts is preserved.
The most famous cultural establishments: the Museum - the Castle, the Museum of antique
furniture, the Gallery of the Museum, the Gallery of the Municipal Cultural Centre. In
the monastery in Spišská Belá - Strážky (6km) is situated the Slovak National Gallery.
The most famous cultural feast of the town is a festival of the European calibre - an
international festival of handicrafts the "Európske ľudové remeslo" (based on tradition
of folk handicrafts) which takes place here during the second weekend of July every
year.
During the year variety of cultural activities are offered.
In the town act the folklore group Magura and children´s groups Maguráčik and Goralik.
From other sports opportunities, for example, tennis, fishing (two ponds), hunting,
skating.
Then you can visit swimming pool (33m long) with warmed-up water - in operation in the
summertime. In Poprad (15km) is situated an indoor swimming pool (50m) all the year
round.
In the spa Vyšné Ružbachy (25km) heart and vascular diseases, mental diseases (work in
nuclear power station, mines), chronic bronchitis, diseases of locomotion systems are
treated.
In near Vrbové (6km) there is located an area of geothermal swimming pools only in the
summertime in operation.
By: Ing. Stanislav Škára
review of regional development and foreign relations.
Translation: Hošková
