Rosie and The Operator are off to Bardejov, just over one and a half hours drive north of Kosice and are looking forward to day 2 of our 6 day journey through Slovakia. This Roadtrip is part of a 24 Day Eastern European Journey which will also see us visiting Romania with stop overs en route to the cities of Budapest and Vienna.
Today we are going to visit the ‘Most Beautiful Town Square’ in Slovakia and are on the trail of Slovakia’s famous Carpathian Wooden Churches.
The back road Slovakian countryside is beautifully lush, green and rolling. Huge swathes of yellow rape fields patchwork the landscape and make it even more magical.
The roadside verges are all left uncut and the grass is knee high with yellow dandelions and pale blue wildflowers peeking out of the green. The heads of the dandelions that have gone to seed disintegrate and fly everywhere in the light breeze. Hawks lazily glide overhead and birds sing from the trees that line the roadsides. Small clusters of red roofed villages dot the landscape and the occasional castle ruin sits atop the highest hill. In the hazy distance are the dark green forested foothills of the Carpathian Mountain Range.
The roads we drive are pretty rough in some places and relatively quiet making it a very beautiful scenic road trip.
Rosie and The Operator pull over to take photos of some grave makers resting under a couple of squat ancient trees right on the roadside. There is no church around and the markers themselves seem very old. Some have flowers recently tied to them and the long grass frames them beautifully in their seemingly forgotten state.
Not far from Bardejov, on the other side of a small hamlet we stop to visit our first Carpathian Wooden Church. These churches were built between the 15-17th Centuries and are all now UNESCO protected. All of the Churches are very remote, as in none of them are built in, or amongst townships or villages as you would expect a place of worship to be positioned. There is good reason for that.
The Roman Catholic church accounts for 80% of the populations religion in Slovakia and, in the seventh century the Roman Catholic Emperor opposed other religions coming into the area. He also dictated how other religions were allowed to build their places of worship. The rules were that churches; could only be entirely built from wood…without the use of any metal or stone. The construction had to be completed within one year and the building site could not be within a town. So, undeterred up sprung at least 500 mainly Greek Orthodox and other religions churches in the rural areas and on the outskirts of villages in the North East Slovakia foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.
These unique rustic buildings were built entirely out of native, red spruce, yew and fir. And get this, they were constructed without a single nail holding them together. The craftsmanship is incredible as are the unique designs both internally and externally. Today about 50 of these churches still stand, which is testament to the craftsmen who built them and the materials they are made from.
The first church we visit today is Hervartov, The Church of St Francis of Assisi which was built at the end of the 15th Century and is the oldest and best preserved wooden church in Slovakia!
The building itself is made out of yew and red spruce whilst the shingles are made out of spruce and fir.
Wandering around the church of Hervartov was indeed like stepping back in time….a small brook ran alongside it and small houses have sprung up around over time. The tiny village looked so rural and medieval….and then a modern huge tractor blasted past and power lines got in Rosie’s photos and reminded you of the real modern world that this church now lives in.
Rosie couldn’t wait to get inside and have a look…she had read that the hand painted interior was quite spectacular. What? The door is locked. The churches were supposed to be open from 0800am…it is mid morning! There was a telephone number you could ring if you wanted the church opened for a viewing. Rosie looked around at the sparse houses nearby….the key holder must be a local….bet they are watching us said The Operator….and not answering Rosie’s telephone call because there is only two of us here.
Now one answered our call and disappointed, we drove off to view the next church on the road. Along the way are big open fields of crops with giant stone crucifixes watching over them and then there was this wee roadside grotto. Rosie loves these so.
This Wooden Church of Zboj was built in 1706 and was quite stunning externally with a wee skirted fence around it and an onion shaped dome on the entry gate that matched those on the steeples. It is so awesome that they all seem to be slightly different and uniquely constructed.
What made Rosies jaw hit the ground though was when she stepped inside. WOWZA!!!!
Ducking your head through the low doorway it was like steeping into a log cabin, dark and dim because of the wood and lack of windows. The beams inside were rustically hewn, you could see the ax marks in them yet they were smooth to the touch, whilst the room itself smelt of dry, brittle and aged wood.
On entering, the ceiling above was low and felt claustrophobic, then the ceiling opened up to the dome of the onion shaped steeple and the roof soared above you in true church fashion, albeit a mini version that is. But the alter piece at the end of the room….you just couldn’t take your eyes off it. Hand painted in the 1700s, these original artworks gleamed in the dim light full of colour and vigor like they were done just done yesterday. Up close they were even more fascinating, the larger ones were quite realistic, painted by the masters and the smaller higher up ones were more folk art in style, execution and dimension. The higher up the dome the art stretched the smaller the works were to give the viewer a sense that the perspective of height in the church was greater than what it is.
What a beautiful place of worship and we had it all to ourselves! It was peaceful and tranquil yet still felt a little sinister and forbidden because of the lack of light and height which one normally associates with a church. Rosie has flip flopped and does love this simplistic style of ‘folk artsy’ style of church over the gold, silver and riches…it feels so real, true and authentic.
The next church on the list was even more beautiful! The Church of Mikulasova was built in the 1730s and is one of the only churches in the area that has been painted decoratively on the exterior of its elaborate steeples which also includes a faux painted clock on each face.
Taking pics of the churches Rosie said to the Operator what the heck is with all the wires running down the building from the steeples to the ground? They could have hid the modern electrics a bit more professionally. They are lightening rods, said The Operator. Earthing the building against lightening strikes which will result in the building going up like a box of matches. OK, said Rosie, that so makes sense….still me thinks they could have disguised them a bit more subtly.
This church to was locked and we could not enter, but at least there was a peephole in the door…another incredibly amazing space for Rosie to ogle over….with not another person in sight.
Finally our last church of the day was in Jedlinka. This church was built in 1763 on the outskirts of the tiny hamlet that still has about a dozen houses to it today.
As per the rules of the Church, it was built on the outskirts and a small cemetery surrounds it adding another element of awesomeness to the picturesque nature of the setting.
This church, sitting in its shaggy field surrounded on three sides by crooked gravestones has been repaired over time and the new wood is bright against the dark. The three tiered steeples have the distinctive round onion bauble on top and none are perfectly straight which adds to the homemade look.
Once again we are the only tourists here and, once again the door is locked and the treasures inside will never be revealed. Rosie is content though….what a morning spent looking at beautifully simple, unique places of worship.
We are only about 15minutes drive away from Bardejov, this day cannot get any better surely! Oh, but it sure does…the Slovaks weren’t exaggerating when they dubbed this town as having ‘the most beautiful town square in Slovakia’.
This town square is well, very square. It is symmetry personified and a delight for Rosie to behold. Pastel coloured buildings border the outer edge perfectly and green verge tapers down to the sunken cobbles of the square.
Rosie and The Operator link arms and walk the length and breadth of the large cobblestoned square as we are sure so many have promenaded just like it before us. The spring day is perfect and it is a delight to behold and take in. The icing on the cake is there are only a handful of others around to share it with. It is just perfect.
At the farthest point of the square, looking back, is the perfectly formed steep roofed building of The Town Hall which sits (a little disturbingly to Rosie) offset to the middle of the square but as pointed out by The Operator still perfectly adheres to the rule of thirds.
Behind the Town Hall is the main Basilica of Saint Egidius, pointy towered and blending perfectly with the cobbles of the square. Wow, me thinks its time for a coffee, to just take a moment square side in the sunshine and take in the wonder, serenity and beauty of this place.
Bardejov as a town dates back to 1241, its well preserved medieval monument’s and buildings however date from the 1600s. Bardejov was a wealthy city right up until this time as it was located on a major trade route between the Black and Baltic Seas. The Hungarian Emperors were also fond of this town and bestowed it with unique privilege’s like the ‘right to hold an annual fair’ and the ‘Right of The Sword” which allowed the town leaders to deal with any law breakers as they saw fit….and they were apparently merciless according to the historical records.
‘The Right of The Sword’ meant that hangings and beheadings by way of capitol punishment were common events in Bardejov, as the statue shows in the town square, the town was very proud to have its own, very active executioner.
By 1450 the town of Bardejov had 517 houses and 3000 inhabitants living within the fortified walls and there were a further 300 houses outside the walls. In the 17th Century the town declined as did the economic situation of the town after a series of fires, plagues and economic instability. Today in 2019, 32,000 live here.
After sitting in the sunshine absorbing this information Rosie and The Operator are distracted by a group of lads who have just entered the square. They are accompanied by an accordion player and drummer who are playing a jaunty, lively tune and a rousing song is being sung by the group of lads. They are walking around the square and seem to be collecting money. Another group has just entered the square from the opposite end, girls this time, exactly the same, accompanied by a band and lively working the small groups of people for donations as well as going in and out of the shops.
Rosie asks the well turned out group of boys as they pass what they are up too…they are holding a large poster with all of their photographs on and explain that today is their last day of High School….ever! They are out celebrating and are collecting money in a hat they are passing around for a boozy night out! The Operator makes a donation to their fund….we get a sweetie from them as they pose for a photograph.
The girls when they come around are doing exactly the same….they are happy to pose for a photograph too and when The Operator gives them his donation one of the lasses gives him a shot of vodka as thanks! Rosie is happy with her sweetie thanks…a bit to early for hard liquor for her, we have a tower to climb now.
The Church of St Egidius has been built in three parts. The main body of the building is the earliest part of the construction and was built in the 15th century. This is the era of all of the artworks and alters inside. The tower was built in the 1700s and the belltower and bells were added in the 1800s.
The interior is dim and like many of the Slovakian Churches you pay an extra fee on top of the entrance fee if you want to take photos! Rosie growls at this and begrudges paying additional over and above…normally Rosie declines the extra payment and makes a show of tucking her phone into her back pocket. Only to whip it out for some sneaky pics using The Operator as a human shield to hide from the eagle eyes in the ticket booth. But there seems to be few people passing through, so Rosie pays up as a donation to help with the up keep of the church.
Soaring above your head in the nave is the striking images of Crucified Christ and the smaller crosses of the thieves flanking him. The main alter is beautiful in a delicate way as is the 11 other chapels that surround the outer edge of the nave.
At the back of the church is the narrow, seemingly never ending spiral staircase the takes you to the top of the bell tower. Rosie is very thankful that this town is light on tourists…I honestly do not know where I would have gone if someone was coming down the stairs as we were going up! It would have been a very up close and personal squeeze past each other…thank goodness it didn’t happen!
Raggedly gasping for breath as she reaches the top Rosie’s effort is once again rewarded by the incredible view of the town below. This is the view of the town square I can now share with you more fully that so beguiled Rosie when doing the research for this trip. The orange pointed rooftops and the green hills and trees flanking the town reinforce its fairy tale old world look.
Off to the side you can see one of the remaining orange roofed bastions of the fortified wall that once surrounded the city and the line that the moat once took with the current water feature being a part of the old footprint.
Outside in the bright sunlight Rosie wanders over for a closer look at the small Town Hall which is now a museum and…unfortunately closed. The detail on it is fantastic and on the edge of the exterior staircase is quite an amusing drainpipe.
Its nearly closing time and we are hustling up the far end of the square to the icon museum. Oh no, the door is locked, there is a sign saying we have to go across the road to the weaving museum and ask for it be unlocked. Nooooooo……what is wrong with this country!
We went across the road and asked so nicely….pinched faced lady was reluctant….Rosie laid it on thick and then sealed the deal saying we would be quick. We won! Pinched Face locked up the Weaving Museum, which had no visitors, crossed the road and unlocked the Icon Museum (Saris Museum) for us.
We had it all to ourselves and even though Rosie wanted to dally, we were good to our word and were out in quick time.
What treasures this museum contained! Some of the older Carpathian Wooden Churches that were abandoned, fallen into disrepair over time and not restored have had their alters and art works preserved and on permanent display in this museum. These include wall decorations and hangings, sculptures, alter pieces and so much more.
The age, history and depth of this exhibition is astounding! Rosie feels very lucky to have fleetingly seen these works. Above is The Last Judgement 1660 – 1680. Below is the oldest piece Rosie could find, St Demetrius with Scenes from His Life 1510 -1530
It felt so relaxing taking our time wandering around this quiet, small town absorbing the history and sights in an unhurried fashion. We stopped for a meat feast for dinner and sat in the quiet stillness of evening light enjoying it whilst reflecting on the day.
On the way home that night we couldn’t resist one more wander through the mesmerizing town square.
Tomorrow we are driving the backroads through more of rural Slovakia and stopping overnight in the town of Levoca. En route we will also be passing Spis Castle, the most photographed castle in Slovakia.
Loving the look of Slovakia? Check out our stay in The Medieval Gem of Kosice, The Second Largest City in Slovakia.
