Levoča

Picturesque Levoča (Hungarian: Lőcse, German: Leutschau, Polish: Lewocza), lying in the valley of  Levoča Creek in the eastern part of Slovakia, is one of the country’s most outstanding cities viewed in terms of its monuments and history. The city had its heyday in the Middle Ages when, besides its trade, it was famous for its printing presses and educational institutions.

Its old-city is still surrounded by a 17^th century wall - which still retains 5 of the original bastions and 3 of the gates. The rectangular main square, dating from the 13^th century, is lined by former trading houses which still, in many cases, retain their Gothic and Renaissance forms.

Levoca, Renaissance building

The Town Hall, which stands in the middle of the main square, was originally erected in the Gothic style in the 15^th century, but following a fire, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, in 1615. The bell-tower next to the Town Hall was erected in 1651; its bells are more than 300 years old.

The Church of St. James, one of the most splendid buildings in the main square, was built in the Gothic style during the 13^th and 14^th centuries.