Poprad, Slovakia
The small Slovak town of Poprad is located in the north of the country, right at the foot of the High Tatras. Because of its location, it is often referred to as the “gateway to the Tatras”. There are not many sights here, however, there are always enough tourists – there are several ski resorts nearby, and almost every traveler makes a stop here before the last dash to the mountains. But the residents of Poprad are not offended – although they are used to people staying in their hotels for only 1-2 nights, they still try to remember this time for a long time. As a result, the city has many inexpensive cafes and restaurants, hotels and apartments, as well as a good selection of entertainment.
Note: according to allcitypopulation, the population of Slovakia is 5.447 million (2021).
How to get to Poprad
The local airport Poprad-Tatry receives only a few flights a week. A day later, Wizzair planes fly here from London’s Luton, and with the opening of the ski season, flights from Warsaw and Riga open. By the way, Poprad-Tatry is the highest airport in Europe.
The easiest way to get to Poprad is to come here by train from Prague or Bratislava. Details on how to get from Moscow to the capitals of the Czech Republic and Slovakia can be found here and here.
Trains from Bratislava leave for Poprad every hour, the fare is 19 EUR. The price of a ticket for a seat on a train from Prague is from 15 EUR. Prices on the page are for July 2021.
The E50 highway passes by Poprad, connecting the city with the capital of the region, Presov. The D1 Zilina – Poprad highway is also laid here.
History
The first written mention of Poprad dates back to 1256 – then it was a typical German town. For gambling debts at the beginning of the 13th century, he and several other Spis settlements were ceded to Poland. As part of the Commonwealth, the city lived for about 4 centuries. In 1871, an important event took place: a railway was laid in Poprad. After that, the city began to actively develop, and its population – to grow dramatically. It flourished as part of Czechoslovakia, and today it is considered the richest in the entire Presov region.
Accommodation in Poprad
The hotel complex Poprad is represented by a variety of accommodation options for every budget. So, in the Mountain View Hotel at the AquaCity entertainment center, you will have to pay 140 EUR per night. But the price includes half board. In a good three-star hotel in the city center, a standard double room with breakfast already costs 45 EUR. A night in a guesthouse will cost an average of 30 EUR.
What to see
The main attraction of the city is St. Egidius Square. Along the perimeter, it is surrounded by row buildings, which are dominated by bourgeois houses of the 18th century in the Baroque style and classicism. The dominant of the city is the early Gothic Roman Catholic Church of St. Egidius from the 13th century. 400 years after the construction, a fire suddenly broke out in the temple. The fiery element did not spare anything – neither the numerous chronicles that had been safely stored in the temple for several centuries, nor the details of the interior. The church of St. Egidius was completely restored only in 1998.
Guests of Poprad should also definitely visit the Podtatra Museum. Its exposition offers to get acquainted with the history and geography of this picturesque region. The collection includes archaeological finds, stuffed animals of the inhabitants of the region, household items of local residents.
Another museum, the Tatra Gallery, introduces visitors to the paintings of local and foreign artists. The exposition is located in the building of the former steam power plant. Here are also objects of contemporary art.
Despite the fact that the mountains are the main symbol of Poprad, local artists began to sing about them in their works only in the 19th century.
An important center of attraction for tourists from Slovakia and neighboring countries is the multifunctional entertainment center AquaCity. On its territory there is a huge water park, many thermal pools with water coming straight from underground sources, swimming pools, hammams, playgrounds, spa complexes. AquaCity also includes hotels, a shopping center, several restaurants. The cost of visiting the park for the whole day is 25 EUR, for children – 20 EUR.
Weather
Poprad and the region have a typical temperate foothill climate, characterized by mild winters and warm summers. In June-August, the thermometer shows +18…+23 °C. Most of the precipitation falls from June to September. The average temperature in the city during the period from December to March is 0 °C, however, lower temperatures are often recorded. In winter it snows regularly. Tourists like to come to Poprad all year round, as the High Tatras are beautiful both in winter and in summer. But the main stream falls on December-March – the ski season.
