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Prešov () is a city in eastern
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
. It is the seat of administrative
Prešov Region The Prešov Region (, ; ), also Priashiv Region (, ), is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 13 districts (okresy) and 666 municipalities, 23 of which have town status. The region was established in 1996 and is the mos ...
() and
Šariš Šariš is the traditional name of a region situated in northeastern Slovakia. It encompasses the territory of the former (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) Sáros county. History Šariš county was created in the 13th century from th ...
. With a population of approximately 85,000 for the city, and in total more than 100,000 with the
urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
, it is the second-largest city in eastern Slovakia and the third-largest city in all of Slovakia, after the nearby city of
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
. It belongs to the Košice-Prešov agglomeration and is the natural cultural, economic, transport and administrative center of the Prešov Region. It lends its name to the Eperjes-Tokaj Hill-Chain which was considered as the geographic entity on the first map of
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
from 1528. There are many tourist attractions in Prešov such as castles (e.g.
Šariš Castle Šariš Castle ( Slovak: ''Šarišský hrad'', Hungarian: ''Sáros vára'') is a ruined Gothic and Renaissance era stone castle above the town of Veľký Šariš in Prešov District, Prešov Region, Slovakia. It is a hilltop castle located on a ...
), pools and the old town.


Etymology

The first written mention is from 1247 (). Several authors derived the name from Hungarian (strawberry). Other alternative names of the city include , , , , () , () and () . People from Prešov are traditionally known as which means "horse keepers".


Characteristics

The old town is a showcase of
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
,
Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
and
Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...
. The historical center is lined with buildings built in these styles. On the outskirts however, the Soviet influence is clearly evident through the massive concrete
panel building Panel may refer to: Arts and media Visual arts * Panel painting, in art, a painting on a wood panel (as opposed to canvas, a wall etc) * Panel (comics), a single image in a comic book, comic strip or cartoon; also, a comic strip containing on ...
s () of the
housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex, housing development, subdivision (land), subdivision or community) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to count ...
s () and specifically the Sekčov housing estate, the largest housing estate in Prešov. More Soviet-style architecture is seen in the government buildings near the city center. Significant industries in the city include mechanical and electrical engineering companies and the
clothing industry Clothing industry or garment industry summarizes the types of trade and industry along the production and value chain of clothing and garments, starting with the textile industry (producers of cotton, wool, fur, and synthetic fibre), embelli ...
. Solivary, the only
salt mining Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite Formation (geology), formations. History Before the advent of the moder ...
and processing company in Slovakia, also operates in the city. The city is a seat of a
Greek Catholic Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to: * The Catholic Church in Greece * The Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Ea ...
metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ...
and of the primate of the
autocephalous Autocephaly (; ) is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The status has been compared with t ...
Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. Many concerts, operas, operettas and stage plays are performed at the new building of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre (''Divadlo Jonáša Záborského''), as well as at the older theatre premises. The city and the region were contenders for
European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...
2013. The nearby city of
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
was chosen.


Topography

Prešov lies in the eastern part of Slovakia at the confluence of the rivers Torysa and Sekčov in the Košice Basin. It is surrounded by Slanské vrchy from the east and Šarišská vrchovina from the west. Roads I / 18 (
Poprad Poprad (; ; ) is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatras, High Tatra Mountains, famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. The largest town of the Spiš region and the largest of all towns in the vic ...
Michalovce Michalovce (; , , Romani language, Romani: ''Mihalya'', Yiddish language, Yiddish: מיכאלאָווצע ''Mikhaylovets'' or ''Mykhaylovyts''; ) is a town on the Laborec river in eastern Slovakia. Originally named after the Archangel St Michael ...
), I / 68 (direction
Stará Ľubovňa Stará Ľubovňa (, , , , , ) is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa. Names The name is of Slovak or Slavic origin and is potentially derived fro ...
), I / 20 (direction
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
) intersect in the town and the south-western connection of the D1 motorway (
Poprad Poprad (; ; ) is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatras, High Tatra Mountains, famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. The largest town of the Spiš region and the largest of all towns in the vic ...
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
) is being built. The
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
Muszyna railway line leads through Prešov, to which the lines to
Humenné Humenné (; ; ) is a town in the Prešov Region ("kraj") in eastern Slovakia and the second largest town of the historic Zemplín region. It lies at the volcanic Vihorlat mountains and at the confluence of the Laborec and Cirocha Rivers. Na ...
and
Bardejov Bardejov (; , , , , ) is a town in North-Eastern Slovakia. It is situated in the Šariš region on a floodplain terrace of the Topľa River, in the hills of the Beskids, Beskyd Mountains. It exhibits numerous cultural monuments in its completely i ...
connect. Košice lies south, Poprad west, Bardejov north and Vranov nad Topľou east.


City Districts

''Self-governing city districts''. Territorial districts of self-governing city districts: * Circuit number 1:
Sídlisko Sídlisko is a term used in Slovak () which mainly means housing complex (with civic amenities). Other terms associated with this term are housing estate, housing development, housing project, settlement, neighbourhood or borough. Althou ...
III, Sídlisko Mladosť, Rúrky * Circuit number 2: Sídlisko II, Kalvária, pod Kamennou baňou, pod Wilecovou hôrkou, Borkút, Vydumanec, Kvašná voda, Cemjata * Circuit number 3: north of the city, Mier, Šidlovec, Dúbrava, Surdok, Kúty, Širpo, Nižná Šebastová * Circuit number 4: city center – Staré mesto, Táborisko, Sídlisko Duklianskych hrdinov * Circuit number 5: Solivar, Soľná Baňa, Šváby, Delňa, Tichá Dolina * Circuit number 5.5: Šimonov * Circuit number 6: southern part of the housing estate Sekčov – building 1–4 * Circuit number 7: northern part of the housing estate Sekčov – building 5–7, Šalgovík Cadastral city district: Prešov, Nižná Šebastová, Solivar, Šalgovík, Cemjata ''Other districts'': Delňa, Dúbrava, Kalvária, Rúrky, Soľná Baňa, Šarišské Lúky, Širpo, Šidlovec, Táborisko, Teľov, Vydumanec, Borkút, Kúty, Surdok ''Housing estates'': Sídlisko Duklianskych hrdinov, Mier, Mladosť, Sekčov, Sídlisko II, Sídlisko III, Šváby ''Previous city districts'': Haniska (1970–1990), Ľubotice (1970–1990), Šarišské Lúky (1970–1990, since 1990 it's a part of the village Ľubotice) In the last few years and today, the construction of new residential areas and satellite towns in Prešov is being realized, especially in the district Šidlovec, Solivar, Šalgovík, Tichá dolina and Surdok.


Watercourses

* Torysa with tributaries: ** Šidlovský potok ** Vydumanec ** Malkovský potok ** Sekčov ** Delňa * Continues to Sekčov: ** Šebastovka ** Ľubotický potok ** Šalgovícky potok ** Soľný potok ** Baracký potok


History

Habitation in the area around Prešov dates as far back as the
Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
period. The oldest discovered tools and
mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...
bones are 28,000 years old. Continuous settlement dates back to the 8th century. After the
Mongol invasion The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
in 1241, King
Béla IV of Hungary Béla IV (1206 – 3 May 1270) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia between 1235 and 1270, and Duke of Styria from 1254 to 1258. As the oldest son of Andrew II of Hungary, King Andrew II, he was crowned upon the initiative of a group ...
invited German colonists to fill the gaps in population. Prešov became a German-speaking settlement, related to the Zipser German and Carpathian German areas, and was elevated to the rank of a royal free town in 1347 by Louis the Great. In 1412, Prešov helped to create the
Pentapolitana Pentapolitana (or rarely Pentapolis) was a league of towns in the Middle Ages of the five most important Hungarian royal free cities (Latin: ''libera regiae civitas'', Hungarian: ''szabad királyi város'', German: ''Königliche Freistadt''; Slov ...
, the league of five towns, a trading group. The first record of a school dates from 1429. After the collapse of the old Kingdom of Hungary after the Ottoman invasion of 1526, Prešov became a border city and changed hands several times between two usually rivalrous domains, Habsburg Royal Hungary and Hungarian states normally backed by the Ottomans: the
Eastern Hungarian Kingdom The Eastern Hungarian Kingdom ( ) is a modern term coined by some historians to designate the realm of John Zápolya and his son John Sigismund Zápolya, who contested the claims of the House of Habsburg to rule the Kingdom of Hungary from 1526 ...
, the Principality of Transylvania, and the
Principality of Upper Hungary The Principality of Upper Hungary (; ; ) was a short-lived vassal state of the Ottoman Empire ruled by Emeric Thököly. Background After peace treaty of Vasvár was signed in 1664, loyalty felt by Hungarians towards the Habsburg dynasty was i ...
. Still, Prešov went through an economic boom thanks to trade with the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
. In the 16th century it brought in grape vines from the nearby
Tokaj wine region Tokaj wine region ( ) or Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region (short ''Tokaj-Hegyalja'' or ''Hegyalja'') is a historical wine region located in northeastern Hungary and southeastern Slovakia. It is also one of the seven larger Hungarian wine, wine regi ...
, and was home to German-Hungarian, Polish and Greek wine merchants. Some of the first books on Tokaj wine were written in German in Prešov. In 1572,
salt mining Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite Formation (geology), formations. History Before the advent of the moder ...
began in Solivar (at that time a nearby town, now a part of Prešov). Antun Vrančić, a Croatian prelate, writer, diplomat and
Archbishop of Esztergom In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
, died in Prešov in 1573. Prešov was prominent in the
Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
. It was at the front line in the 1604–1606
Bocskai uprising The Bocskai uprising, known in Hungary as Bocskai's War of Independence () was a revolt which took place in Hungary, Transylvania and modern Slovakia during the Long Turkish War (between 1604 and 1606) against Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, Emper ...
, when Imperial Army commander
Giorgio Basta Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt, Gjergj Basta or Gheorghe Basta (1550 – 1607) was an Kingdom of Naples, Italian general, diplomat, and writer of Arbëreshë people, Arbëreshë Albanian origin, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to com ...
retreated to the town after failing to take Košice from the
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
rebels. In 1647 the Habsburgs designated it the capital of
Sáros County Sáros (- Hungarian, Slovak: ''Šariš'', Latin: ''comitatus Sarossiensis'', German: ''Scharosch'') was an administrative county ( comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in northeastern Slovakia. Today, Šariš is only an in ...
. In late January 1657, Transylvanian Prince
George II Rákóczi George II Rákóczi (30 January 1621 – 7 June 1660), was a Hungarian nobleman, Prince of Transylvania (1648-1660), the eldest son of George I and Zsuzsanna Lorántffy. Early life He was elected Prince of Transylvania during his father' ...
, a
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, invaded
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
with army of some 25,000 which crossed the
Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains ...
on the road from Prešov to
Krosno Krosno (in full ''The Royal Free City of Krosno'', ) is a historical town and Krosno County, county in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in southeastern Poland. The estimated population of the town is 47,140 inhabitants as of 2014. The functional ...
. Wolfgang Schustel, a
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
reformer during the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, who adopted an uncompromising position on public piety worked in Prešov and other towns. In 1667, the important Evangelical Lutheran College of Eperjes was established by Lutherans in the town. Imre Thököly, the Protestant Hungarian rebel and Ottoman ally studied at the Protestant college here. In 1685 he was defeated here by the Habsburg at the Battle of Eperjes. In 1687 twenty-four prominent citizens and noblemen were executed, under a tribunal instituted by the Austrian general
Antonio Caraffa Antonio Carafa may refer to: *Antonio Malizia Carafa (died 1437) *Antonio Carafa (cardinal) (1538–1591) *Antonio Carafa (general) (1642–1693) *Antonio Carafa (bishop of Ugento) (died 1704) {{hndis, Carafa, Antonio ...
, for supporting the uprising of Imre Thököly: At the beginning of the 18th century, the population was decimated by the
Bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...
and fires and was reduced to a mere 2,000 inhabitants. By the second half of the century, however, the town had recovered; crafts and trade improved, and new factories were built. In 1752 the salt mine in Solivar was flooded. Since then salt has been extracted from salt brine through boiling. The English author John Paget visited Prešov and describes it in his 1839 book, ''Hungary and Transylvania''. In 1870 the first railway line was built, connecting the town to Košice. At the end of the 19th century, the town introduced electricity, telephone, telegraph and sewage systems. In 1887, fire destroyed a large part of the town. In 1918, Czechoslovak troops began occupying eastern Slovakia, along with Prešov. On 16 June 1919, Hungarian troops entered the city and the very brief
Slovak Soviet Republic The Slovak Soviet Republic (, , , literally: 'Slovak Republic of Councils') was a short-lived Communist state in southeast Slovakia in existence from 16 June 1919 to 7 July 1919. Its capital city was Prešov, and it was established and headed b ...
was declared here with the support of the
Hungarian Soviet Republic The Hungarian Soviet Republic, also known as the Socialist Federative Soviet Republic of Hungary was a short-lived communist state that existed from 21 March 1919 to 1 August 1919 (133 days), succeeding the First Hungarian Republic. The Hungari ...
. The short-lived republic collapsed in 7 July 1919 and Czechoslovak troops re-entered Prešov. In 1920, after the
Treaty of Trianon The Treaty of Trianon (; ; ; ), often referred to in Hungary as the Peace Dictate of Trianon or Dictate of Trianon, was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace Conference. It was signed on the one side by Hungary ...
, Prešov definitively became part of the newly created
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the nearby town of Košice again became part of the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
as a result of the
First Vienna Award The First Vienna Award was a treaty signed on 2 November 1938 pursuant to the Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace. The arbitration and award were direct consequences of the previous month's Munich Agreement, whic ...
. As a result, many institutions moved from Košice to Prešov, thus increasing the town's importance. In 1944, a professional Slovak Theatre was established in Prešov. The city is a site in the
Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
: About two thousand Jews were
deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people by a state from its Sovereignty, sovereign territory. The actual definition changes depending on the place and context, and it also changes over time. A person who has been deported or ...
from Prešov to the Dęblin–Irena Ghetto in May 1942. Only a few dozen survived. On 19 January 1945 Prešov was taken by Soviet troops of the 1st Guards Army. After 1948, during the
Communist era A communist era is a sustained period of national government by a single party following the philosophy of Marxism–Leninism. Many countries have experienced such a period of communist rule. Current communist states China The Chinese Communist ...
in
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, Prešov became an industrial center. Due to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Prešov lost the majority of its Jewish population. Nonetheless, population of the city increased rapidly from 28,000 in 1950 to 52,000 in 1970 and 89,000 in 1990.


Overview of significant historical events

* 4th–5th century – arrival of
Slavs The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...
to the territory of Prešov * 1247 – the first written mention of Prešov * 1299 – granting of city rights by King Andrew III of Hungary * 1412 (the 80s of the 15th century) – Prešov belongs to
Pentapolitana Pentapolitana (or rarely Pentapolis) was a league of towns in the Middle Ages of the five most important Hungarian royal free cities (Latin: ''libera regiae civitas'', Hungarian: ''szabad királyi város'', German: ''Königliche Freistadt''; Slov ...
(community of 5 royal cities – Prešov,
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
,
Bardejov Bardejov (; , , , , ) is a town in North-Eastern Slovakia. It is situated in the Šariš region on a floodplain terrace of the Topľa River, in the hills of the Beskids, Beskyd Mountains. It exhibits numerous cultural monuments in its completely i ...
,
Levoča Levoča (; ; ) is the principal town of Levoča District in the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia, with a population of 14,256. The town has a historic center with a well-preserved town wall, a Gothic architecture, Gothic church with the talle ...
,
Sabinov Sabinov (, , ) is a small town located in the Prešov Region (north-eastern Slovakia), approximately 20 km from Prešov and 55 km from Košice. The population of Sabinov is 12,700. Etymology The name apparently comes from some shortened ...
) * 1429 – the first mention of a town school in Prešov * 1453 – the first
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
of Prešov * 1455 – granting the right of the city of Prešov to organize an annual three-day fair by King Ladislaus the Posthumous * 1502–1505 – beginning of the construction of the Co-Cathedral of St. Nicholas * 1647 – sanctification of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession of the Holy Trinity Church * 1667 – College in Prešov, Evangelical Educational Center of Upper Hungary, National Cultural Monument * 1687 – Caraffa's slaughterhouse, 24 executed townspeople * 1703 – the beginning of the most powerful anti-Habsburg uprising led by
Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi (, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince () of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of ...
* End of the 18th century – arrival of the first Jews in Prešov * 1816 – Prešov becomes the seat of an independent Greek Catholic diocese * 1848 – construction of the 1st Jewish synagogue * 1886–1887 – big devastating fires affect Prešov * 1 November 1918 – in the afternoon, 41 soldiers and 2 civilians were executed in the city square. This event is also known as the Prešov Uprising (''Prešovská vzbura'') * 16 June 1919 – from the balcony of the town hall the
Slovak Soviet Republic The Slovak Soviet Republic (, , , literally: 'Slovak Republic of Councils') was a short-lived Communist state in southeast Slovakia in existence from 16 June 1919 to 7 July 1919. Its capital city was Prešov, and it was established and headed b ...
(SSR) was declared * 1923–1924 – construction of the Art Nouveau building of Bosáková bank * 20 December 1944 – the bombing of the city is reminiscent of a small monument on Konštantínova Street * 19 January 1945 – liberation of Prešov by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
, the end of World War II is reminiscent of the Liberators Memorial * 1950 – the center becomes a city monument reserve * 1972 – The Solivary is becoming a national cultural monument * 2 July 1995 –
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
visited Prešov * 14 September 2021 –
Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
visited Prešov


The highest representatives of the city

By granting city privileges in 1299, the people of Prešov gained the right to elect their
vogt An , sometimes simply advocate, (German, ), or (French, ), was a type of medieval office holder, particularly important in the Holy Roman Empire, who was delegated some of the powers and functions of a major feudal lord, or for an institutio ...
. Such a vogt embodied the highest executive and judicial power in the city. He was elected among the esteemed burghers, usually for one year. The first vogt in the city of Prešov, whose name has been preserved, was Hanus called Ogh, who is mentioned in historical sources as early as 1314. However, historians have not been able to complete the complete list of all the vogts of Prešov until from 1497. For the first time, a woman became the highest representative of Prešov in 2014, when Andrea Turčanová became the winner of the election. In the elections of 2018, she strengthened her position and won the elections to the mayor of Prešov.


Military

Prešov already had an important geographical position in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, because it was located at the crossroads of trade routes and also belonged to the important defense system of the emerging Hungarian state. The beginnings of the army in Prešov date back to this area, as Hungarian tribes and their allies, which were military-guard groups of Asian ethnic groups, came to these areas to establish guard settlements and fortresses to defend the emerging
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
from enemy attacks. To this day, the names of the nearby hills Veľká and Lysá stráž have been preserved. The city had its own garrison probably since 1374, when it was given the right to build defensive walls with bastions and towers by King Louis I. The importance of the military garrison certainly increased because the city of Prešov became a
free royal town A royal free city, or free royal city (Latin: ''libera regia civitas''), was the official term for the most important cities in the Kingdom of Hungary from the late 12th centuryBácskai Vera – Nagy Lajos: Piackörzetek, piacközpontok és város ...
in the 14th century. At the end of the 16th century, during the 15-year war with
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, the city had to sustain a large imperial army. From 1604, when the first of a number of anti-Habsburg uprisings of the Hungarian estates broke out, until 1710, when the city capitulated to a strong Habsburg army, Prešov was besieged many times by various insurgent troops, even by imperial troops. For example:
Bocskai uprising The Bocskai uprising, known in Hungary as Bocskai's War of Independence () was a revolt which took place in Hungary, Transylvania and modern Slovakia during the Long Turkish War (between 1604 and 1606) against Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, Emper ...
, General Bast's troops, George I Rákóczi's insurgents, Veshelini's conspiracy, Kuruk's insurgents, Tököli's uprising, General Caraffa's Prešov slaughterhouses and the insurgents led by
Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi (, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince () of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of ...
. Prešov then flourished until 1848, because it did not experience any war. The revolutionary years of 1848–49 pulled not only the free royal city of Prešov, but the whole country into the whirlwind of events. Due to its strategic location, Prešov experienced several changes of military forces during this period. For example, General Schlick's imperial army was replaced by Görgey's Hungarian army, which was soon replaced by Austrian and Slovak volunteer units, which in turn were replaced by imperial soldiers together with the Russian army. The fact that the military importance of Prešov continued to grow is also evidenced by the data from the census of 1900, when out of 14,447 inhabitants of Prešov there were up to 1,349 soldiers. The local military garrison consisted of several units of the joint army and militia, the largest of which was the 67th Imperial and Royal Infantry Regiment. The hardships of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and especially its end tragically affected the life of Prešov, because on 1 November 1918, under the influence of the revolution in
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
, soldiers of the 67th Regiment and some other smaller units in Prešov refused to obey their commanders and looted some shops in Prešov. After the arrival of military reinforcements, the insurgents were arrested and despite the fact that there were no casualties during the riots, the statistical court sentenced the participants in the uprising to death. On the same day, 1 November 1918, 41 soldiers and 2 civilians were executed in the square. This event is also known as the Prešov Uprising (''Prešovská vzbura''). The bombing of the city on 20 December 1944, was also devastating for the city of Prešov. From 4 July 1945, shortly after the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, military units in the territory of
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
were reorganized according to the model of the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
. Since then, the following military headquarters have been located in the city of Prešov: infantry regiment headquarters, rifle division headquarters, tank division headquarters, motorized rifle division headquarters, mechanized division headquarters, army corps headquarters, and mechanized brigade headquarters. From 1918 to 2019, these soldiers, who were born in Prešov, brigadier general František Bartko, major general Vojtech Gejza Danielovič,
lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
Alexander Mucha, brigadier general Ing. Karol Navrátil, brigadier general Ing. Ivan Pach, major general Emil Perko, major general Jozef Zadžora.


Geography

Prešov lies at an altitude of
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
and covers an area of . It is located in north-eastern Slovakia, at the northern reaches of the Košice Basin, at the confluence of the Torysa river with its tributary Sekčov. Mountain ranges nearby include Slanské vrchy (south-east), Šarišská vrchovina (south-west), Bachureň (west) and Čergov (north). The neighbouring city of
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
is to the south. Prešov is about south of the Polish border, north of the Hungarian border and is some northeast of
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
(by road).


Climate

Prešov has a warm
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
, bordering an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
. Prešov has four distinct seasons and is characterized by a significant variation between somewhat warm summers and slightly cold, snowy winters.


Demographics


Historic

In the past, Prešov was a typical multiethnic town where Slovak, Hungarian,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, and
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
were spoken. Before World War II Prešov was home for a large Jewish population of 4,300 and housed a major Jewish museum. During 1939 and 1940 the Jewish community absorbed a flow of Jewish refugees from German Nazi-occupied Poland, and in 1941 additional deportees from Bratislava. In 1942 a series of deportations of Prešov's Jews to the German Nazi death camps in Poland began. Plaques in the town hall and a memorial in the surviving synagogue record that 6,400 Jews were deported from the town under the Tiso government of the First Slovak Republic. Only 716 Jewish survivors were found in the city and its surrounding when it was liberated by the Soviet
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
in January 1945.


Modern

According to the 2011 census, Prešov had 91,782 inhabitants, 81.14% declared Slovak nationality, 1.70% Romani, 1.59% Rusyn, 0,7% Ukrainian, 0.48%
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
, 0.14% Hungarian, 13.8% did not declare any nationality.


Religion


Roman Catholic Church

Prešov is the seat of the Roman Co-Cathedral of St. Nicholas. The city is part of the metropolitan Košice Archdiocese.


Greek Catholic Church

Prešov is the seat of the Slovak Greek Catholic metropolis and the Prešov Greek Catholic Archeparchy, which was founded on 3 November 1815, by Emperor Francis II.


Orthodox Church

The Prešov Orthodox Diocese was established after World War II by the division of the Mukachevo-Prešov Orthodox Diocese. The Cathedral of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky was built between 1946 and 1950 in the traditional Russian style.


Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

Prešov is also the seat of the diocese of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia.


Religious education

There are two theological faculties in the city – the Greek Catholic Theological Faculty and the Orthodox Theological Faculty. Both are part of the University of Prešov.


Religious make-up

The religious make-up in 2011 was 55.8%
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, 12.44% people with no religious affiliation, 8.15% Greek Catholics, 4.05%
Lutherans Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
, 1.55% Orthodox, 17.16% did not declare any religious affiliation. On the contrary, there was an increase in the number of
atheists Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, Greek Catholics and the unidentified.


Culture


Theaters

* Divadlo Alexandra Duchnoviča ('' Alexander Dukhnovych Theater'') * Divadlo Jonáša Záborského ('' Jonas Záborský Theater'') * Divadlo pre deti CILILING (''CILILING Children's Theater'') * Detské divadlo Babadlo (''Babadlo Children's Theater'') * Detské divadlo DRaK (''DRaK Children's Theater'') * Divadlo Portál (''Portal Theater'') * Divadelné štúdio na Hlavnej (''Theater studio on Hlavná'') * Divadlo Erika Németha (''Erik Németh Theater'') * Prešovské národné divadlo (''Prešov National Theater'') * Park kultúry a oddychu Čierny orol (''Black Eagle Culture and Recreation Park'') * Viola - centrum pre umenie (''Viola – center for art'') * Wave~centrum nezávislej kultúry (''Wave~center for independent culture'')


Museums

* Krajské múzeum (''Regional Museum'') * Múzeum rusínskej kultúry SNM ('' Museum of Ruthenian Culture SNM'') * Múzeum Solivar (''Solivar Museum'') * Barkányova zbierka judaík – expozícia Múzea židovskej kultúry v Prešovskej synagoge (''Barkány's collection of Judaica – exposition of the Museum of Jewish Culture in the Prešov Synagogue'') * Múzeum vín (''Wine Museum'')


Galleries

* Šarišská galéria (''Šariš Gallery'') * Galéria v Caraffovej väznici (''Caraffa Prison Gallery'') * Galéria Múr (''Wall Gallery'') * Creative Design Gallery * Galéria Átrium (''Atrium Gallery'') * J.D Galéria J.L - exteriérová galéria na Okružnej ulici, znázorňujúca maľby historického Prešova (''J.D Galéria J.L – exterior gallery on Okružná street, showing paintings of historical Prešov'')


Libraries

* Knižnica P. O. Hviezdoslava v Prešove
''P. O. Hviezdoslav Library in Prešov''
* Štátna vedecká knižnica Prešov
''State Scientific Library Prešov''
* Univerzitná knižnica Prešovskej univerzity v Prešove (University Library of the University of Prešov)


Cinemas

* Scala (former Panorama Cinema) * Cinemax Max (5 halls) * Cinemax Novum (8 halls) * Star OC Eperia (5 halls) * Záhradné kino (''Garden Cinema'') * Amfiteáter Prešov (''Prešov Amphitheater'')


Science

* Krajská hvezdáreň a planetárium (''Regional Observatory and Planetarium'') * Unipolab - vedecký park Prešovskej univerzity (''Unipolab – science park of the University of Prešov'')


Music

Thanks to the lively musical life and the success of Prešov's music production, the city of Prešov has earned the nickname "Slovak
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
" () or "City of Music" () long ago, mainly through the media. However, many musicians from Prešov work not only within their hometown or region, but also reap success in the whole of Slovakia, neighboring countries or even
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. However, not only the number of mainstream successful musicians contributed to the musical life of the city, in the past and today, but also more or less (un)known groups and musical subcultures, steadily operating in the city foothills (genres:
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
,
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
,
alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...
,
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
, R&B,
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
,
pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
, and possibly others), concert rooms and clubs (Véčko, Bizarre, Christiania, City Club, Stromoradie, Za siedmimi oknami, Wave, Ester rock club, Netopier, Staré Mexiko, Insomnia, Ponorka, ENCORE), rock shows of bands with a long tradition (Rocková liga, vyše 20. ročníkov, Prešovský študentský Liverpool, 6. ročníkov, Rebrík) but also festivals (Sigortus, Dobrý festival, (t)urbanfest, ImROCK FEST, East Side Music Festival, Festival zlej hudby, Farfest, Jazz Prešov). Important events include the Dni mesta Prešov (''Days of the City of Prešov''), which are held annually on the occasion of the celebrations of the first written mention of the city (, 774th anniversary). The celebrations usually include open-air concerts right in the center on Hlavná street, whereas several guests from the domestic and European alternative scene took turns throughout the years. That includes: Deti Picasso (
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
), Myster Möbius (
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
/
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
), Masfél (
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
),
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
Selection II.;
Laura a její tygři Laura a její tygři is a Czech musical group founded in Most (city), Most in 1985 by Karel Šůcha. They play funk, soul (music), soul, jazz, and rock (music), rock. As of 2023, the group has released ten studio albums and two compilations. Ca ...
(
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
), Srečna Mladina (
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
), Squartet (
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
), but also Slovak groups Heľenine Oči, Chiki liki tu-a, Arzén, Mango Molas, Alter Ego, Kapátske chrbáty and Komajota. Part of the city's celebrations are also side stages, where young bands can also try their luck. In 2009, the first Prešov film festival, Bastion film festival, was established. The festival takes place on the historic wall behind the Franciscan Church. The organizers are PKO Prešov and Prešov composer and guitarist David Kollar. After many years, the constant influx and modification of music groups, which are often enforced throughout Slovakia, required documentation, which took place through the internet database of Prešov bands and performers under the name Frenky's Music Encyclopedia. Historically and currently, the ever-growing database of Prešov musicians is run by Michal Frank, a journalist and editor-in-chief of the Prešov Korzár. Prominent Prešov musicians and bands: * Ivan Tásler * Peha * Katarína Knechtová * Groovin' Heads * Chiki liki tu-a * Katka Koščová * Heľenine oči * Mloci * Peter Lipa * David Kollar * Hrdza * Komajota * Nuda * Peter Nagy * Grand Band * Frown * Raindown * Strecha * AMC Trio * IMT Smile * Edo Klena


Buildings

* Štátna vedecká knižnica (''State Scientific Library'') * Park kultúry a oddychu (''Culture and Recreation Park'') * Hvezdáreň a planetárium (''Observatory and planetarium'') * Fontány a fontánky (''Fountains and small fountains'') * Nové Divadlo Jonáša Záborského (''New Jonáš Záborský Theater'') * Historické Divadlo Jonáša Záborského (''Historical Jonáš Záborský Theater'') * Biely dom (sídlo PSK) (''White House (PSK headquarters)'') * Vyhliadková veža (Lesopark Prešov) (''Observation tower (Prešov Forest Park)'')


Historical monuments

* Gréckokatolícka katedrála svätého Jána Krstiteľa ('' Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which houses the remains of the Blessed Martyrs of Prešov Bishop Pavel Petr Gojdič and Vasil Hopek and a faithful copy of the Turin Canvas'') * Konkatedrála svätého Mikuláša ( ''Co-Cathedral of St. Nicholas'') * Pravoslávny katedrálny chrám svätého kniežaťa Alexandra Nevského (''Church of St. Alexander Nevsky'') * Bosákov dom (banka) (''Bosák's house (bank)'') * Caraffova väznica (galéria) (''Caraffa Prison (gallery)'') * Floriánova brána (''Florian's Gate'') * Gotická brána (''Gothic gate'') * Súsošie Panny Márie, Pomocnica kresťanov (''Sculpture of the Immaculate Conception'') * Súsošie svätého Róchusa (''Sculpture of St. Roch'') * Evanjelické kolégium (''Evangelical College'') * Evanjelický a.v. chrám Svätej Trojice (''Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession'') * Františkánsky kostol svätého Jozefa a františkánsky kláštor (''Church of St. Joseph'') * Gréckokatolícky biskupský palác (''Greek Catholic Episcopal Palace'') * Rákócziho palác - sídlo Krajského múzea (''Rákóczi Palace – the seat of the Regional Museum'') * Palác Klobušických - sídlo Krajského súdu (''Klobušický Palace – seat of the Regional Court'') * Tauthov dom (''Tauth's house'') * Weberov dom (''Weber's house'') * De Rossiho dom (''De Rossi's House'') * Szyrmayiova kúria - sídlo Pravoslávnej bohosloveckej fakulty Prešovskej univerzity (''Szyrmayi Curia – the seat of the Orthodox Theological Faculty of University of Prešov'') * Stará mestská škola (''Old town school'') * Wierdtov dom - sídlo krajského pamiatkového úradu (''Wierdt House – the seat of the regional monument office'') * Prešovská kalvária (''Prešov Calvary – an important monument from the first half of the 18th century. Construction began in 1721 and was completed around 1752. The construction was led by the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, who administered the Roman Catholic parish. Calvary consists of 16 baroque chapels and a church in honor of the St. Cross, which is built on the highest point'') * Historická radnica (''Historic town hall'') * Židovská synagóga (''Jewish Synagogue – it houses the Judaica Museum of the Jewish Culture of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava (one of the most beautiful synagogues in Slovakia)'') * Neologická synagóga na Konštantínovej ulici (''Neological synagogue on Konštantínova street'') * Ústav Sancta Maria - sídlo gymnázia na Konštantínovej ulici (''Sancta Maria Institute – the seat of the gymnasium on Konštantínova Street'') * Kumšt – originally a bastion, rebuilt into the Vodárenská bastion, Jewish Museum (1929–1939), since 1947 under the administration of the Regional Museum in Prešov * Mlynský náhon a historická mestská elektráreň (''Mill drive and historic city power plant'') * Kováčska bašta (''Blacksmith's bastion'') * Františkánska bašta (''Franciscan Bastion'') * Zvyšky mestského opevnenia (''Remains of the city fortifications'') * Kostol sv. Donáta na Cemjate (''Church of
Donatus of Muenstereifel Donatus of Muenstereifel is a catacomb saint whose relics are found in the Jesuit church in Bad Muenstereifel. He is widely venerated in the Rhine valley region of Germany and the Low Countries, and he is a patron saint of Buda and of protec ...
on Cemjata'') * Neptúnova fontána (''Neptune Fountain'') * Divadlo Jonáša Záborského ('' Jonas Záborský Theater'') * PKO Čierny orol (''Black Eagle Culture and Recreation Park'') * Divadlo Alexandra Duchnoviča - Palác Pulských ('' Alexander Dukhnovych Theater'' ''– Pulský Palace'') * Suchý mlyn (''Dry mill'') * Národná kultúrna pamiatka Solivar (''Solivar National Cultural Monument'') * Kostol sv. Štefana na Hrádku - Soľný hrad (Castrum Salis) (''Church of St. Stephen on Hrádku – Salt Castle (Castrum Salis)'') * Vodárenská veža (''Water tower (currently a lookout tower)'') * Renesančný kaštieľ (''Renaissance manor-house'') * Farský kostol Najsvätejšieho mena Ježiš a Mária a kláštor františkánov (''Parish Church of the Blessed Name of Jesus and Mary and Franciscan Monastery'') * Socha Krista v Rio de Janeiro na Trojici (''Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro on Trojica'') * Socha Jána Pavla II. (''Statue of
John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
'') * Historický podzemný vodojem na Kalvárii (''Historic underground reservoir on Calvary'')


Castles

Prešov has the largest number of preserved castle ruins among all the regional towns in its vicinity, which led to the creation of the Prešov Castle Road project in 2019. The aim was to connect these castles with an imaginary tourist line and thus support the development of tourism in Prešov and its surroundings. 6 castles took part in the Prešov Castle Road project, namely: * Šarišský hrad (''
Šariš Castle Šariš Castle ( Slovak: ''Šarišský hrad'', Hungarian: ''Sáros vára'') is a ruined Gothic and Renaissance era stone castle above the town of Veľký Šariš in Prešov District, Prešov Region, Slovakia. It is a hilltop castle located on a ...
'') * Kapušiansky hrad (''Kapušany Castle'') * Zbojnícký hrad (''Zbojnícky Castle'') * Lipovský hrad (''Lipov Castle'') * Obišovský hrad (''Obišov Castle'') * Hrad Šebeš (''Šebeš Castle'')


Parks

The construction of a central city park, situated between the Sekčov housing estate and Táborisko, is being prepared. In addition to the planned central city park, there are several parks and parks in Prešov: * Severný park (''Northern Park – near Trojica, there is a sculpture of the Immaculate Conception'') * Južný park (''South Park – Main (Hlavná) Street, includes a monument to the liberators and the Neptune Fountain'') * Garden of Art (''Záhrada umenia'') – Svätoplukova street * Manor garden (''Panská záhrada'') – Nižná Šebastová * Kolmanova záhrada (''Kolman's garden'') * Sochársky park pri amfiteátri (''Sculpture park by the amphitheater'') * Park sv. Jána Nepomuckého ('' St. John of Nepomuk Park'') – Nižná Šebastová * Park Námestie Legionárov (''Legionary Square Park'') * Park Lesík delostrelcov (''Park artillerymen's Lesík'') * Park Čierny Most (''Black Bridge Park'') * Sekčov Park * Clementisova Park * Park Námestie mládeže (''Youth Square Park'') * Zabíjaná Lesopark * Cemjata Lesopark * Borkút Lesopark


Sports


Football

Prešov is home to one professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team: 1. FC Tatran Prešov which is the oldest football team in Slovakia.


Ice hockey

The city's ice hockey club is HC Prešov. Home arena of Prešov is ICE Arena and it has capacity of 3600 visitors. Prešov had hockey team since 1928 ( HC Prešov Penguins) but in 2019 it has folded.


Handball

The city's handball club is HT Tatran Prešov which is Slovakia's most popular and currently most successful club. The handball team of Prešov is taking part not only in the Slovak league (where it is dominating), but also in the international SEHA League with the best handball teams from the region. Many handball players from this team are also members of the Slovak national handball team.


Other

* City multipurpose sports hall * Tatran Handball Arena (home stadium HT Tatran Prešov) * Women's Handball Hall – Sídlisko II, by the river Torysa, near
Kaufland Kaufland () is a German hypermarket chain, part of the Schwarz Gruppe which also owns Lidl. The hypermarket directly translates to English as "buy-land." It opened its first store in 1984 in Neckarsulm and quickly expanded to become a major ch ...
* ICE Arena (home stadium HC Prešov) * University of Prešov Hall *
Velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...
Prešov * Bike Center Prešov, Pumptrack and Dirt track, Sekčov


Regular events

* Akademický Prešov – festival študentského umenia (''Academic Prešov – student art festival'') * Turbanfest – festival alternatívnej hudby, divadiel a workshopov (''Turbanfest – a festival of alternative music, theaters and workshops'') * Prešovská hudobná jar (koncerty vážnej hudby) (''Prešov Music Spring (classical music concerts)'') * Zlatý súdok – prehliadka karikaturistov z celého sveta (''Golden Barrel – a show of cartoonists from around the world'') * Týždeň slovenských knižníc (''Slovak Libraries Week'') * Deň Zeme (''Earth Day'') * Večerný beh Prešovom (''Evening run through Prešov'') * ''Šariš''(ský) ''hackathon'' * Prešov Half Marathon * Lear Run * Tour de Prešov – cyklomaratón (''cycling marathon'') * Mikulášsky beh ('' St. Nicholas' run'') * Mikulášska nádielka (''St. Nicholas' share'') * Deň soli (''Salt day'') * Soľnobanský jarmok spojený s Medzinárodným dňom múzeí (''Salt Fair, connected with the International Museum Day'') * Festival paličkovanej čipky (''The bobbin lace festival – the international participation of bobbins – lasts 1 week. The first days are the courses of bobbin lace and by the end of the week, the event itself is connected with the demonstration of bobbin and the sale of everything related to this technique'') * Dobrý festival (''Good festival'') * Festival zlej hudby (''Bad music festival'') * Dni mesta Prešov (''Days of the city of Prešov'') * Objavovanie Prešova (''Exploring Prešov'') * Prešovský trojičný jarmok a festival skupín historického šermu a remesiel (''Prešov Trinity Fair and festival of historical fencing and craft groups'') * Prešovské kultúrne leto (''Prešov Cultural Summer'') * Pivný festival – jazdecký areál na Sídlisku III (''Beer Festival – equestrian complex in Sídlisko III'') * Muvina – prehliadka vín (''Muvina – wine show'') * Noc kostolov (''Church Night'') * Prešovské trhy a parkúrové preteky (''Prešov markets and parkour races'') * Prešovská hudobná jeseň (koncerty vážnej hudby) (''Prešov Music Autumn (classical music concerts)'') * JAZZ Prešov – Medzinárodný jazzový festival (''JAZZ Prešov – International Jazz Festival'') * Jazz rock festival * Súťaž mladých barmanov a čašníkov – EUROCUP (''Young bartenders and waiters competition – EUROCUP'') * IMAGE – Módna prehliadka (''IMAGE – Fashion Show'') * Opálové zrnko – súťaž podnikateľov (''Opal grain – Entrepreneurs' Competition'') * Gorazdov literárny Prešov (''Gorazd's literary Prešov'') * Farmárske trhy (Farmers markets) * Prešovský študentský Liverpool – mladé hudobné talenty (''Prešov Student Liverpool – Young musical talents'') * Vianočný salón – výstava prešovských výtvarníkov (''Christmas Salon – exhibition of Prešov artists'') * Prešovské vianočné trhy (''Prešov Christmas Markets'') * Silvester – spoločná oslava nového roka (''New Year's Eve – a joint celebration of the New Year'') * Guitar Night * Prešov číta rád (''Prešov likes to read'')


Economy and infrastructure


Industrial parks

The following industrial parks and industrial zones are located in Prešov: * Priemyselný park IPZ Prešov – Záborské (''Industrial park IPZ Prešov – Záborské'') * CTPark Prešov juh (south) * CTPark Prešov sever (north) * Priemyselný park Záturecká (''Záturecká Industrial park'') * Priemyselný park Grófske (''Grófske Industrial park'' – under construction) * Priemyselný areál Šalgovík (''Šalgovík industrial area'') * Priemyselná zóna Budovateľská (''Budovateľská Industrial zone'') * Priemyselná zóna Širpo (''Širpo Industrial zone'') * Priemyselná zóna Delňa (''Delňa Industrial zone'')


Transport


Traffic

Prešov is connected by the D1 motorway to the south with
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
, to the west with
Poprad Poprad (; ; ) is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatras, High Tatra Mountains, famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. The largest town of the Spiš region and the largest of all towns in the vic ...
and
Ružomberok Ružomberok (; ; ; ) is a town in northern Slovakia, in the historical Liptov region. It has a population of approximately 27,000. Etymology The name of the initial settlement located on today's Makovický street was ''Revúca'' ( Slovak "roaring ...
. The completion of its connecting sections enabling motorway connections to
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
and
Žilina Žilina (; ; ; ; Names of European cities in different languages: U-Z#Z, names in other languages) is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the List of cities ...
is expected in 2024. A high-quality connection with
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
via
Svidník Svidník (, , , ) is a town in eastern Slovakia, the capital of the Svidník District in the Prešov Region. It has a population of around 11,000. There is a monumental Soviet Army Memorial in the city, in memory of Battle of the Dukla Pass. Geog ...
and
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
is to be provided by the R4 expressway. Today, Prešov has a southwestern motorway bypass, which has been under construction since 2017 and was officially opened on 28 October 2021. The southwestern bypass of Prešov forms part of the D1 motorway in the section Prešov – west and Prešov – south. Since 2019, the 1st stage of the northern bypass from the Prešov – West (Vydumanec) junction to the Prešov – North (Dúbrava) junction, which will be part of the R4 expressway, has been under construction. After the overall construction, the Prešov motorway bypass will bypass the whole city, divert transit traffic in all directions and connect the D1 with the R4. It will start at D1 Prešov – South junction, continue towards the northwest, to the Prešov – West junction, there it will connect to the already completed parts of the D1 motorway, at this junction the R4 will connect to D1. Completion of the construction of the 1st stage (PO west-PO north) of the northern bypass R4 is planned for the summer of 2023 and the 2nd stage (PO north-PO east) is now under the tender with planned opening in 2027. International routes of European importance E50 and E371, first class roads I/18, I/68 and I/20 and second class road 546 pass through Prešov. In 2017, the last stage of the so-called Embankment communication (''Nábrežná komunikácia'') was finished, including the reconstruction of the intersection at ZVL, which relieved the city center of transit traffic.


City transport

Urban public transport is provided by the Transport Company of the City of Prešov (''Dopravný podnik mesta Prešov, a. s.''), which operates a total of 45 regular public transport lines by the following means of transport: * trolleybuses (lines: 1, 2, 4, 5, 5D, 7, 8, 38) * buses (daily lines: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 32A, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, night lines: N1, N2)


Vehicle fleet MHD

Today, the following vehicles are operated in MHD (''Metská hromadná doprava'' – Public transport) Prešov: * trolleybuses: Škoda 24 Tr Irisbus, Škoda 31 Tr SOR, Škoda 30 Tr SOR, SOR TNS 12, Škoda 27 Tr Solaris * buses: Solaris Urbino 12, Irisbus Citelis 12M, Irisbus Citelis 18M, Iveco First FCLLI, SOR NB 12 City, SOR NB 18 City, Solaris Urbino 18, Irisbus Crossway LE 12M, SOR BN 10.5 (leased from DPB), SOR EBN 8


History of public transport

The history of public transport in Prešov began in 1949, when Local Transport was established, a municipal enterprise of the city of Prešov as the operator of regular public transport in the territory of Prešov. After the end of World War II, it was not possible to start public transport with a new vehicle fleet, so an offer was accepted for the purchase of older Tatra vehicles from public transport facilities in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
,
Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...
and
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
. The vehicles were initially parked in the courtyard of the old prison on Konštantínova street, where the company was also located. On 4 September 1949, the traffic on the first lines was ceremoniously opened. Already in the first year of operation, the Prešov public transport buses went beyond the city limits to the municipalities of Šarišské Lúky, Nižná Šebastová, Haniska and Solivar. The following year, the development of public transport continued with the introduction of additional bus lines. The state hospital, Záhrady, Sídlisko II, Budovateľská and Čapajevova street were all gradually connected to the public transport network in the 1950s, as well as other municipalities: the town of Veľký Šariš and its part Kanaš, Malý Šariš, Ľubotice, Fintice, Teriakovce and Záborské. In 1959, the first night line began operating and the company was located on its own premises on Petrovanská street, where it moved in 1951. In 1958, when the construction of the trolleybus network in the city was approved, brought a new stage in the development of urban transport. All high-capacity intra-city lines were to be electrified, while bus transport was to remain ancillary. Line 1 was the first to be electrified, which led from Nižná Šebastová through Šarišské Lúky to Solivar. Although its construction was delayed by several technical problems, on 13 May 1962, passengers got to experience trolleybuses. A new depot for trolleybuses and buses was completed in Šarišské Lúky, where the entire vehicle fleet as well as the company's administration moved. Work on other sections soon began, so in 1966 trolleybuses were already running on Košická, Sabinovská and Budovateľská streets. and Gottwald today 17 Novembra Street. In the first half of the 1970s, the track along Sabinovská street was extended to Dúbrava and trolleybuses also began to serve industrial Širpo. Other projects of lines to Sídlisko III, Šváby, Haniska and Delňa could no longer be carried out. Under the influence of cheap oil, buses also began to gain ground in Prešov. Bus transport recorded a quantitative development, when buses also started to run to Táborisko, Šidlovec, Cemjata, Pod Kamennou baňou street and Sídlisko III. In terms of quality, however, this mode of transport has struggled with constant difficulties such as the lack of vehicles, their low capacity and breakdown. These shortcomings were not gradually overcome until the late 1970s. Nevertheless, due to the non-construction of the trolleybus line to Sídlisko III, the service of which was crucial at that time, the buses fully prevailed. The period of the turn of the 1970s and 1980s, when the possibilities of public transport were significantly limited by the lack of fuel, pointed to the suitability of trolleybus transport. Following a review at government level, the electrification program was re-launched. Sídlisko III was the first to be connected to the trolleybus transport network in 1985. Trolleybuses achieved a majority share in public transport in the city of Prešov after 1992, when trolleybus transport was introduced to the largest housing estate Sekčov. The issue of the tariff in Prešov has always been characterized by an ever-changing number of tariff bands, on the basis of which the rates for individual journeys were set. In 1949, there were three fare zones, and it was possible to change to another vehicle on one ticket. In 1969, single-ticket transfers were canceled and the number of bands was reduced to two. Since 1984, the government's acreage has simplified the tariff and there has been no division of the network into bands. Different fares for travel to neighboring municipalities were reintroduced in 1993 and existed until 1996. Special rates also applied in 1997 – 99 and again in 2000. Tickets were originally bought from the guide directly in the vehicle, later sold by the driver, respectively a ticketing machine was installed in the vehicle. In 1977, the sale of tickets outside the vehicle was introduced. Since 1995, it is again possible to buy a ticket from the driver, but at an increased price. Public transport is improved by the gradual renewal of the vehicle fleet, focused on low-floor vehicles, the introduction of computer technology into traffic management as well as the reconstruction of track sections of the trolleybus track and overhauls of vehicles. In the future, it is planned to expand ecological trolleybus transport to the Šváby housing estate and the second connection of the city center and the Sekčov housing estate along Rusínská Street.


Rail transport

Three railway lines Košice – Muszyna with a connection to Poland, the line Prešov – Humenné and Prešov – Bardejov passes through the city. The length of the railway network in the city is . In 2007, the main railway station in Prešov was modernized, and in 2019, the pre-station area was reconstructed, including the underpass under Masarykova street, as well as MHD (Public transport) stops. The following railway stations and stops are located in Prešov: * Železničná stanica Prešov – Hlavná stanica ('' Prešov railway station – Main station'') * Železničná zastávka Prešov – mesto (''Prešov railway stop – city'') * Železničná stanica Šarišské Lúky (''Šarišské Lúky railway station'') * Železničná stanica Prešov – Nižná Šebastová (''Prešov railway station – Nižná Šebastová'') As part of the integrated transport project, the construction of other railway stops in the city is also planned.


Bus transport

The main bus transport operator in the Prešov self-governing region is the company SAD Prešov, a.s., which provides suburban, long-distance and international transport. Suburban transport is performed on 63 bus lines serving the districts of Prešov, Bardejov, Sabinov,
Svidník Svidník (, , , ) is a town in eastern Slovakia, the capital of the Svidník District in the Prešov Region. It has a population of around 11,000. There is a monumental Soviet Army Memorial in the city, in memory of Battle of the Dukla Pass. Geog ...
, Košice - okolie, Košice, Vranov nad Topľou, Stropkov,
Stará Ľubovňa Stará Ľubovňa (, , , , , ) is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa. Names The name is of Slovak or Slavic origin and is potentially derived fro ...
and
Levoča Levoča (; ; ) is the principal town of Levoča District in the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia, with a population of 14,256. The town has a historic center with a well-preserved town wall, a Gothic architecture, Gothic church with the talle ...
. The main transport terminal in Prešov within the bus service is the Prešov Bus Station. SAD Prešov, a.s. in addition to the performance of suburban, long-distance and international transport, also ensures the performance of public transport in Bardejov.


Air transport

There is currently no public civil airport in Prešov. There is an
air base An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...
in the Nižná Šebastová district.


Bicycle transport

The international cycle route of European significance EuroVelo 11 leads through the functional territory of the city of Prešov, which passes through the cadastres of the municipalities of Veľký Šariš, Prešov, Haniska and Kendice. The route is a part of the General Cycling Route as branch H1 – the main cycling route and belongs to the strategic goals of the Prešov self-governing region, as the main axis of the region. Currently, within the framework of EuroVelo 11, a continuous cycle route is in operation on the route Wilec hórka – City Hall – Sídlisko II – Sídlisko III – Veľký Šariš – Šarišské Michaľany. A part of this route is also a bicycle bridge under the Šariš Castle with a historical look, which has become a new sought-after attraction. Another important cycling route is the so-called a cycle railway leading from Solivar in Prešov to the Sigord recreational area. In addition to these important cycle routes, there are a number of other local cycle routes in Prešov in various parts of the city. So far, the newest cycle routes in Prešov are the cycle route on Masarykova street, completed in 2019, and the Mlynský náhon cycle route, completed in 2020. Their completion was ensured by the cycling connection of Sídlisko III with the city center and with the Sekčov and Šváby housing estates. In 2020, a new cycle route was also completed in the Sekčov housing estate on the route from Laca Novomeského street to Šalgovík. For lovers of mountain biking, there are Prešov singletracks available in the Prešov forests, which together form eight routes of varying difficulty with a total length of approximately . Prešov singletracks are one of the most attractive cycling areas in Prešov and its surroundings. They are well marked and maintained in excellent condition. The routes lead through Malkovská hôrka, to the recreation center Cemjata (Kyslá and Kvašná voda), to Borkút and it is also possible to get to the Calvary in Prešov.


Healthcare

The largest providers of health care in Prešov are the following public and private facilities: * Fakultná nemocnica s poliklinikou J. A. Raimana Prešov (''University Hospital with J. A. Raiman Polyclinic Prešov'') * Vojenská nemocnica (''Military hospital'') * Všeobecná nemocnica Oáza (''Oáza General Hospital'') * Poliklinika Prešov (''Polyclinic Prešov'') * Poliklinika ProCare Prešov (''Polyclinic ProCare Prešov'') * Nemocnica svätej Alžbety (''St. Elizabeth Hospital'') * Analyticko-diagnostické laboratórium a ambulancie (AdLa) (''Analytical-diagnostic laboratory and outpatient clinics'') * Sofyc Clinic – klinika jednodňovej chirurgie (''Sofyc Clinic – one-day surgery clinic'') * Gynstar – jednodňová starostlivosť v odbore gynekológia a pôrodníctvo (''Gynstar – one-day care in the field of gynecology and obstetrics'') In addition to these facilities, medical services are also provided by other smaller clinics and health centers.


Education

Institutions of tertiary education in the city are the University of Prešov with 12,600 students, including 867 doctoral students, and the private International Business College ISM Slovakia in Prešov, with 455 students. In addition, the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies of the Technical University of Košice is based in the city. There are 15 public primary schools, six private primary schools and two religious primary schools. Overall, they enroll 9,079 pupils. The city's system of secondary education consists of 10 gymnasiums with 3,675 students, 4 specialized high schools with 5,251 students and 11 vocational schools with 5,028 students.


Business

There are several business (shopping) centers in Prešov. EPERIA Shopping Mall has taken its name according to historic city name Eperies. It is located at the river bank Sekčov, between the "Hobby park" at the west side (with DIY chain store HORNBACH) and STOP SHOP point from south side. Total shopping area of all three units is approximately . ZOC MAX is also located in Sekčov. NOVUM Shopping Mall in the very heart of city centre with is the second largest. There are also ZOC Koral, Solivaria SC and the nearby Ľubotice Retail Park, with an additional area together of . One of the most favorite popular locations in Prešov is Plaza Beach Resort. It is an exotic place in a cozy and calm city area, consisting of a luxury hotel with a restaurant and outside swimming pools. The resort has been built in a Mediterranean style.


Notable people


Hiking trails

*
European walking route E8 The E8 European long distance path or E8 path is one of the European long-distance paths, leading 4,700 km (2,920 miles) across Europe, from Cork in Ireland to Bulgaria. Route After Ireland it crosses the Irish Sea into Wales and then in ...
** Prešov – Miháľov
Kurimka Kurimka (; , until 1899: ) is a village and municipality in Svidník District in the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia. History In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1548. Geography The municipality lies at an altitu ...
Dukla Dukla is a town and an eponymous municipality in southeastern Poland, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 2,017. The total area of the commune is . Dukla belongs to Lesser Poland, and until the Pa ...
Iwonicz-Zdrój Iwonicz-Zdrój () is a spa town in south-eastern Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodship, in Krosno County. It has 1,831 inhabitants (02.06.2009). It is located in the heartland of the Doły Jasielsko Sanockie, Doły (Pits), and its average altitude is ...
Rymanów-Zdrój
Puławy Puławy (, also written Pulawy) is a city in eastern Poland, in Lesser Poland's Lublin Voivodeship, at the confluence of the Vistula and Kurówka River, Kurówka Rivers. Puławy is the capital of Puławy County. The city's 2019 population was Cen ...
Tokarnia (778 m) – Kamień (717 m) – KomańczaCisnaUstrzyki GórneTarnicaWołosate


Twin towns – sister cities

Prešov is twinned with: * Brugherio, Italy *
Gabrovo Gabrovo ( ) is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the Local government, administrative centre of Gabrovo Province.It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international ca ...
, Bulgaria * Keratsini, Greece * La Courneuve, France * Mukachevo, Ukraine *
Nowy Sącz Nowy Sącz (; ; ; ; ) is a city in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship of southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County as a separate administrative unit. With a population of 83,116 as of 2021, it is the largest city in the Beskid S ...
, Poland *
Nyíregyháza Nyíregyháza (, ) is a city with county rights in northeastern Hungary and the county capital of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. With a population of 118,001, it is the seventh-largest city in Hungary and the second largest in the Northern Great ...
, Hungary *
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, United States * Prague 10 (Prague), Czech Republic *
Remscheid Remscheid () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third-largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on the south side of the Ruhr area. Remscheid ha ...
, Germany *
Rishon LeZion Rishon LeZion ( , "First to Zion") is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Founded in 1882 by Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire who were ...
, Israel *
Malatya Malatya (; ; Syriac language, Syriac ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; ; Ancient Greek: Μελιτηνή) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital of Malatya Province. The city has been a human settlement for thousands of y ...
, Turkey


Panorama


Gallery

File:Presov Slovakia 1293.JPG, Main Street File:Presov10Slovakia628.JPG, Slovak street File:Town Presov Slovakia Pb203.jpg, Town hall File:Presov10Slovakia180.JPG, Historical building of the college File:Prešov4.JPG, Renaissance House Sigismund Rákóczi File:Michal Bosak.jpg, Bosák's house File:Slovakia Town Presov 217a.jpg, Late Gothic Caraffa prison File:Town Presov Slovakia Pb194.jpg, Blacksmith bastion File:Presov10Slovakia37.JPG, Cathedral of St. Nicholas File:Presov10Slovakia669.JPG, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist File:Presov10Slovakia668.JPG, Bishop's Palace Greek Catholic Church File:Presov11Nevskykatedrala3.jpg, Orthodox Cathedral of St. Prince A. Nevsky File:Presov10Slovakia756.JPG, Franciscan Church of St. Joseph File:Slovakia Town Presov Pc 230.jpg, Synagogue File:Slovakia Presov 728.JPG, Calvary File:Presov Slovakia 1286.JPG, Immaculata File:Presov10Slovakia593.JPG, Statue of St. Rochus File:Slovakia Presov 699.JPG, Remnants of city walls File:Hobby Park Presov.jpg, Hobby Park Prešov


See also

*
List of cities and towns in Slovakia This is a list of cities and towns in Slovakia, called (singular ) in Slovak language, Slovak. Although is variously translated into English as "town" or "city", there is no such legal distinction in Slovakia. , there were 141 cities () in Sl ...
* University of Prešov * Executive Court of Prešov * Šariš Brewery


Notes


References


Bibliography

* *
Official History of Prešov
Retrieved 29 June 2004. * Prešov town hall (July 2002), Prešov – city profile. Retrieved on 1 July 2004 from http://www.pis.sk/jpis/obsah/html/presov_profile.htm.


External links


Official sites

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Official website

DPMP – Public Transport Official Site


Tourism and living information

* {{Authority control Cities and towns in Slovakia Prešov Region Šariš Holocaust locations in Czechoslovakia