Presov (Prešov) offers a variety of cultural themes, including salt production, sacred architecture, Protestant education and historical collections. The contrast between Solivar’s industrial heritage and the city’s architectural and collection-related themes is particularly striking.
Getting your bearings in the historic centre
As a digital complement, Prešov’s mobile audio guide app features nearly 30 narrated recordings about sights in the historic centre. Before your trip, check whether the app is available and which platforms it supports. This will help you decide whether it suits your plans.
Salt production and technology in Solivar
Solivar is a national cultural monument. The complex, dating from the 17th century, includes technical facilities for extracting and boiling salt from brine. The Solivar Museum offers guided tours of the entire site. A preserved horse-powered winch above the Leopold shaft dates from the 19th century and is open to the public. Check the current conditions for tours and access to the winch before your visit.
The two dates offer different points of reference for a visit: the complex originated in the 17th century, while the preserved winch is an example from the 19th century. Visitors interested in the history of technology and industry will find both an extensive complex and a specific surviving object here.
Exhibitions at Rákociho Palace
Rákociho Palace presents Renaissance art, valuable clocks, weapons and currency, as well as the thousand-year history of the city of Prešov. Another exhibition focuses on the everyday and festive life of a Šariš village. It covers textiles, agriculture and crafts, as well as housing, work and leisure.
The palace also houses a collection of historical and more recent firefighting equipment that is unique in Slovakia in this unified form, complemented by the history of the fire service. This brings together several different perspectives: city history, rural life and the development of a technical field. This can help you choose what to visit if you want to plan your sightseeing around particular historical themes.
Sacred architecture and Protestant heritage
The Co-Cathedral of St Nicholas is the oldest building in Prešov and the city’s only surviving Gothic sacred building. Among the surviving objects is a particularly valuable Gothic sculpture of the Crucified Christ from the first half of the 14th century. The tower offers a 360-degree panorama of Prešov; 220 steps lead up to a height of 70 metres. Access to the tower depends on current opening arrangements. Check these before your visit.
The Orthodox Synagogue on Okružná Street offers a different architectural accent. It was built at the end of the 19th century in the Neo-Romanesque-Moorish style. Comparing it with the Co-Cathedral’s Gothic sacred architecture reveals two distinctly different architectural forms, without requiring you to follow a particular sightseeing itinerary.
The Evangelical College in Prešov is an important monument to the history of Protestant education. The Aula, known as the Dvorana, houses the historical collections of the college library, with more than 40,000 volumes. A monument erected at the college in 1908 commemorates the victims of the Caraffa blood tribunal of 1687. The history of education and remembrance thus complement the architectural and museum themes with specific historical reference points.
A destination in the surrounding area
If you are considering a hike in addition to your cultural sightseeing, Zbojnícky Castle is in the wider area around Prešov. A marked hiking trail leads to the castle from the municipality of Ruská Nová Ves. Trail conditions can change, so check them before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Trnkov, Veľký Šariš, Kapušany, Ľubotice, Fričovce, Hermanovce
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