Things To Do in Levoca

Levoca is essentially a one-horse town, and all of the main sights are perched along the town's oblong square, Námestie Majstra Pavla. The four freestanding buildings at the center form the most important complex of structures in town. Here you'll find the Roman Catholic Church, St. Jacob's (Chrám Sv. Jakuba), as well as the former town hall, the current town hall, and the main Protestant church. Start your exploration from St. Jacob's, with its fabulous wood-carved altar (the only absolute must-see) and move on from there. The Old Town Hall (Levocská Radnica) behind the church is recognizable from its handsome Renaissance arches dating from the 17th century. The original town hall, built in the 15th century, burned in a fire in 1550. In front of the Old Town Hall you'll see a large birdcagelike contraption. This is the so-called "cage of shame," once allegedly used to hold adulterous women. Across the street from the Old Town Hall is the Spis Regional Museum. Take a stroll on both sides of the square to admire the old baroque and Renaissance housing stock in all states of repair and disrepair.

Spisský Hrad -- Put this in the "Most Spectacular Castle You Are Ever Likely to See Built by a Civilization You've Never Heard Of" category. When the Spis confederation of towns first got rolling in the 13th and 14th centuries, the towns lived in constant fear of devastating raids from the east. To ensure that would never happen again, the Spis built this enormous castle, Spisský Hrad (tel. 053/454-1336; www.spisskyhrad.sk), on the highest hilltop around. Nothing you've seen or read in the tourist brochures will prepare you for the shock of seeing this ghostly white ruin from a distance for the first time.

If you're driving from Levoca toward Kosice, you'll catch a first glimpse around the village of Klcov, about 8km (5 miles) away. From that point, you won't be able to take your eyes off of it as the road winds you closer and closer. The view traveling in the opposite direction is even better. At night, it's given a garish blue-white lighting and seems visible from about half of eastern Slovakia.

The castle served the Spis towns well until the mid-18th century, when it burned in a tragic fire. By that time, the threat of invasion from the east had passed and the castle was never rebuilt. Today the castle is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can climb up to the castle and walk the ruins by following a small road just beyond the village of Spisské Podhradie (traveling from Levoca toward Kosice). Alternatively, you can take a bus or train to Spisské Podhradie and hike the 3.2km (2 miles) or so to the castle.