The entire Spiš region belonged to my favorite destinations some 10-20 years ago and I travelled there many times. It is stuffed by large number of authentic medieval and ranaissance monuments and also natural wonders, and this combination was very attractive to me. Furthermore, the area was a bit wilder than my homeland Czechia and one could spot begging kids in the most of touristy places. Also many historical houses were abandoned and old monuments in a desolate state. I hope that it has changed already, and I would like to re-visit this once very rich and later a bit underdeveloped area in the near future. Spiš is very interesting example of region that was very rich in the past because of German migrants in middle ages, but after turbulencies of 20th century it went into a region of many contrasts.

Levoča town was one of the biggest and best preserved medieval urban structure in former Czechoslovakia. It has almost complete fortification and very large town square in the middle (some 4.4 ha), thus, it can embrace the second biggest church in Slovakia, large renaissance town hall and other buildings. The parish church of St James is quite mediocre from outside but in side there are fine ensamble of wooden late gothic altars - the main one is the tallest wooden altar in the world. Other interesting buildings in Levoča are several hundreds of historical town houses and church of Minor Friars close to the town walls.

During my last visit, we walked from Levoča by unmarked side-road to Spišský Hrhov (not part of WHS, but there is old stone bridge and church with very typical attic on the top of the tower - one can find many similar in the entire Spiš)  in direction to Spišský Hrad castle. It was fogy Summer morning, quite typical in this part of Slovakia, and we walked along the main road to Sivá Brada travertine hill with wonderful mineral spring, which is already within the core zone. I loved the moment when fog disappeared around 10am, and we could spot monumental ruins of Spiš castle for the first time!

In the area of Sivá Brada, thare is a small chapel, and pavement towards the Spišská Kapitula ecclesiastical district with the cathedral of St Martin (PHOTO). By coincidence, I have never been inside the cathedral.

Then, we walked downhill to Spišské Podhradie town, which was not very appealing to me and I was wondering why this town was also inscribed. But I had to admit that the entire area around the castle is unseparable and deserves the status of WHS.

From Spišské Podhradie, there is a pavement to the castle as described in detail by others...

Besides monumental Spišský Hrad travertine hill, there are also other travertine hills in the vicinity such as Sobotisko, and Dreveník natural reserve with unique travertine "rock city", which is also part of the WHS, but I have never walked inside this natural reserve.

The last part of the WHS is medieval church in nearby Žehra, which I could see only from distance - it has very particular tower! The church represents another very typical feature of the Spiš region and there are several tens of such churches in the region - the church with two naves and one column/pillar in the middle of disposition with origin in 13th century. We slept outside with a view to Žehra church, and next morning we climed to the mountain ridge Branisko, which forms historical border between Spiš and Šariš regions - but it is another story...