Monday 16 September 2013

My weekend in Slovakia part 3 return to Bardejov

Sunday 8th September

We had our breakfast in the kitchen of the apartment. We left Zdiar about 9 and we went to Stary Smokovce, one of four villages which form the Smokovce resorts, which there are early 20th century grand half-timbered  hotels & churches. From Stary Smokovce, there has been a funicular railway (pozemna lanovka) to Hrebienok altitude 1280 metres, since the late 1800s. From Hrebienok there are several hiking paths, and we took one towards a waterfall & we also stopped for a coffee at the Rainerova Chata, one of many "Chata" which are mountain huts, some of which have accommodation as well as catering.
After hiking for a couple of hours we returned to Hrebienok, and took the funicular back to Stary Smokovce. We returned to Bardejov passing Poprad & stopped for lunch at Koliba (a rustic building & restaurant) where I had duck served with red cabbage & knidnicky. By the time we returned to Bardejov, the sun was still hot & we had coffee & apple cake. 

After tea Jitka took me to Bardejov where we walked around the historic centre. Jitka & I visited :-

Lower Gate, Bastions  & fortifications. The city has been fortified since the middle ages.
Protestant Evangelical church, where Jitka & Rasty were married.

The library dedicated to David Gutgesel (an early 20th century building).

Church of  St. Aegidis, a Gothic styled basilica, which has 11 winged carved altar pieces built 1460-1510 (inside the church)
Town Hall (Radnica) with the Statue of the knight Roland.  The town hall building is in the centre of a large square (Radnicne namesta)  is surrounded by medieval burgher's houses.

We watched a Folk music competition in the amphitheatre. Two folk bands from neighbouring villages were competing, and there were many people watching them.  

We also passed Jitka's Gymnasium (grammar school) and the Orthodox church, complete with its onion-shaped topped towers in a shaded area of trees.

We also came across a Beatle memorabilia area around J Lennon street. We don't know why there is a street dedicated to an English pop group, but it was interested for me to see this.
A small river (Sibska voda) flows to the south & east of the town, and there is Fountain of colour & music
Jitka and I stopped for Coffee at a bastion cafe, before we visited the Synagogue & Haulocaust memorial
Soon after seeing these Jewish sights we returned to Jitka's apartment as it was becoming dark. For our supper we Sauce with bread,  Omelette and a "lemon-beer" & stayed in for the evening.

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