Spiš
Encyclopedia
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia
, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland
. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory (like Burgundy), but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia. The region is not an administrative division in its own right, but between the late 11th century and 1918 it was an administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary
, (see separate article Szepes county).
The region is situated between the High Tatras
and the Dunajec River in the north, the springs of the Váh
River in the west, the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains (Slovak Ore Mountains) and Hnilec River
in the south, and a line running from the town of Stará Ľubovňa
, via the Branisko mountain
(under which lies the 4,822 m long Branisko Tunnel
, currently the longest in Slovakia), to the town of Margecany
in the east. The core of the Spiš region is formed by the basins of the rivers Hornád
and Poprad
, and the High Tatra Mountains. Throughout its history, the territory has been characterized by a large percentage of forests - in the late 19th century, as much as 42,2% of Spiš was forest.
Traces of settlement in the Neanderthal
era have been found in remains at Gánovce
(Gánóc) and Bešeňová
(Besenyőfalu).
The territory of Spiš was later populated first by Celts. It belonged to the state of Great Moravia
(Veľká Morava), and after its dissolution became part of Poland
.
The southern part of the territory was conquered by the Kingdom of Hungary
at the end of the 11th century, when the border of the Kingdom ended near the modern town of Kežmarok
. The royal county
of Szepes (comitatus Scepusiensis) was created in the 2nd half of the 12th century. In the 1250s the border of the Kingdom of Hungary shifted to the north to Podolínec
and in 1260 even further to the north (the River Dunajec). The northeastern region around Hniezdne
and Stará Ľubovňa
, the so-called "districtus Podoliensis", were incorporated only in the 1290s. The northern border of the county stabilized in the early 14th century. Around 1300, the royal county became a noble county
.
Many of the towns of Spiš developed from German colonization
. The German settlers had been invited to the territory from the mid-12th century onwards. The settlements founded by them in the southern Spiš were mainly mining settlements (later towns). Consequently, until World War II
Spiš had a large German population (see Carpathian Germans
).
Many smaller settlements were populated by settlers from Poland. In 1412, under the Treaty of Lubowla
13 main cities passed to Poland. Among the cities that for 360 years belonged to Poland, were: Stará Ľubovňa
, Podolínec
, Spišská Sobota , Poprad
and Spišská Nová Ves. In 1772 all were annexed by Austria
as a part of Partitions of Poland
.
In 1868, 21 Spiš settlements sent their demands, the 'Spiš Petition', to the Diet of the Kingdom of Hungary, requesting special status for Slovaks
within the Kingdom.
in 1920), the county became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia
. A tiny part of the territory (situated in today's Poland below the Rysy
), amounting to 195 km² after an internal border dispute had been confirmed to be part of Galicia (Central Europe) (at that time the western part of Austria-Hungary
) as early as 1902. After World War I
northern Spiš was united with Poland
and became the subject of a long-running border dispute between Poland and Czechoslovakia. (See separate article, Czechoslovak-Polish border dispute (1918-1947)). In 1923 Slovak Spiš was divided between the newly formed Sub-Tatra county (Podtatranská župa) and Košice county (Коšická župa). In 1928-1939 and 1945-1948 it was part of the newly created Slovak Land (Slovenská krajina).
During World War II
, when Czechoslovakia
was split temporarily, Spiš was part of independent Slovakia and formed the eastern part of Tatra county (Tatranská župa) between 1940 and 1945. Because the Slovak army took part in German aggression against Poland
, the Polish part of Spiš (together with the Polish part of the county of Orava
) was transferred to Slovakia. During this period many thousands of Jewish residents of Spiš were deported to Nazi extermination camps
, and the long-standing presence of Jews in the region came to an end. At the end of World War II, most of the Spiš Germans were evacuated between mid-November 1944 and 21 January 1945 in order to escape the Red Army
approaching from the East (see also Carpathian Germans
). Their property was confiscated after the war (see Beneš decrees
).
After World War II
the prewar borders of Spiš were restored with the most of the county belonging to Czechoslovakia
again and a small part to Poland
. In 1948, it became part of the newly created Košice Region
(Košický kraj ) and Prešov Region
(Prešovský kraj), whose borders however were completely different from those of the present-day regions of the same name. From July 1960 it became part of the newly created Eastern Slovak region (Východoslovenský kraj), which ceased to exist in September 1990.
In 1993, Czechoslovakia
was split and Spiš became part of Slovakia
.
in 1869 (and later in 1900 and 1910) the population of Szepes county comprised the following nationalities: Slovaks 50.4%, (58.2%, 58%), Germans 35% (25%, 25%), Ruthenians/Ukrainians 13.8% (8.4%, 8%) and 0.7% (6%, 6%) Magyars (Hungarians).
The current ethnic composition of the region, however, is much different. As mentioned above, virtually all the local Jews were deported to extermination camps during World War II.
Present-day Spiš has a number of Roma settlements and Roma are a substantial minority there.
The history of Slovakization
of Gorals is given in more detail at Szepes county.
There is also a distinctive minority of 40-48 thousand Gorals
(Slovak: Gorali; literally Highlanders). Although a negligible number in census terms, the Gorals have their own distinctive culture and dialect (of polish language
, as the Gorals are ethnically Polish
).
and winter sports resorts built in the High Tatras
and the Low Tatras, the areas of natural beauty such as the Slovak Paradise
(Slovenský raj) in the south-west and the Pieniny
National Park at the Slovak-Polish border, and also the region's many historical sites like Spiš Castle
and nearby-located Spišské Podhradie
, Spišská Kapitula
, Žehra
and the town of Levoča
(all of which are listed by UNESCO
as World Heritage Sites), Kežmarok
, and Stará Ľubovňa
Castle. The tourism industry has developed rapidly in Spiš, aided by the introduction of regular flights to Poprad
Airport and improving rail and road connections.
Since 1996, Spiš has been divided between the modern Košice Region
and Prešov Region
and is covered approximately by the following six administrative districts: Poprad
, Kežmarok
, Stará Ľubovňa
, Spišská Nová Ves, Levoča
and Gelnica
, except for the eastern half of the Stará Ľubovňa
District and three villages of the Poprad
district (Štrba
including Tatranská Štrba, Štrbské Pleso
and Liptovská Teplička
from Liptov
county.)
The present population of the Spiš region is about 320,000; almost half the population lives in towns, the largest of which are Poprad
(55,000), Spišská Nová Ves (39,000) and Kežmarok
(17,000).
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory (like Burgundy), but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia. The region is not an administrative division in its own right, but between the late 11th century and 1918 it was an administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, (see separate article Szepes county).
Geography
High Tatras
High Tatras or High Tatra are a mountain range on the borders between Slovakia and Poland. They are a part of the Tatra Mountains...
and the Dunajec River in the north, the springs of the Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
River in the west, the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains (Slovak Ore Mountains) and Hnilec River
Hnilec River
The Hnilec ) is a river in Slovakia. Its source is located below the Kráľova hola hill. It flows into the Hornád river near Margecany. The Palcmanská Maša dam is located on the river near Dobšiná. Places of interest along the river include the Dobšinská Ice Cave and the Slovak Paradise....
in the south, and a line running from the town of Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
, via the Branisko mountain
Branisko (mountain range)
Branisko is a mountain range in eastern Slovakia, between the Spiš and Šariš regions. It is a 20 km long and 5 km wide mountain range in the north-south direction, belonging to the Fatra-Tatra Area of the Inner Western Carpathians....
(under which lies the 4,822 m long Branisko Tunnel
Branisko Tunnel
The Branisko Tunnel is a road tunnel in eastern Slovakia. It is located on the D1 motorway at Beharovce - Fričovce section. It replaced the Branisko Pass road via mountain range of the same name, with the top at 751 m AMSL...
, currently the longest in Slovakia), to the town of Margecany
Margecany
Margecany is a village and municipality in the Gelnica District in the Košice Region of eastern Slovakia. Margecany is a very important railway junction situated on the main railway connecting Košice with Žilina and Bratislava....
in the east. The core of the Spiš region is formed by the basins of the rivers Hornád
Hornád
Hornád or Hernád is a river in eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary.It is a tributary to the river Sajó, which is itself a tributary to the river Tisza. The source of the Hornád is in the Low Tatra mountains under the Kráľova hoľa hill, southwest of Poprad...
and Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
, and the High Tatra Mountains. Throughout its history, the territory has been characterized by a large percentage of forests - in the late 19th century, as much as 42,2% of Spiš was forest.
Early history
The history of the region until 1918 is given in more detail at Szepes county.Traces of settlement in the Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
era have been found in remains at Gánovce
Gánovce
Gánovce is a village in the Poprad District of the Prešov Region in northern Slovakia, situated 3 km south-east from the town of Poprad.-History:Gánovce was mentioned for the first time in written records in 1317 as "villa Ganau"...
(Gánóc) and Bešeňová
Bešenová
Bešeňová is a village and municipality in Ružomberok District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia. It is famous for a hot spring water park attracting thousands of visitors all year round.-Geography:...
(Besenyőfalu).
The territory of Spiš was later populated first by Celts. It belonged to the state of Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
(Veľká Morava), and after its dissolution became part of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The southern part of the territory was conquered by the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
at the end of the 11th century, when the border of the Kingdom ended near the modern town of Kežmarok
Kežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
. The royal county
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
of Szepes (comitatus Scepusiensis) was created in the 2nd half of the 12th century. In the 1250s the border of the Kingdom of Hungary shifted to the north to Podolínec
Podolínec
Podolínec is a town in the Stará Ľubovňa District of the Prešov Region in northern Slovakia.-History:Originally Podoliniec belonged to Poland and was part of the Ziema Sądecka land...
and in 1260 even further to the north (the River Dunajec). The northeastern region around Hniezdne
Hniezdne
Hniezdne is a village and municipality in Stará Ľubovňa District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 539 metres and covers an area of 17.981 km². It has a population of about 1397 people....
and Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
, the so-called "districtus Podoliensis", were incorporated only in the 1290s. The northern border of the county stabilized in the early 14th century. Around 1300, the royal county became a noble county
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
.
Many of the towns of Spiš developed from German colonization
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
. The German settlers had been invited to the territory from the mid-12th century onwards. The settlements founded by them in the southern Spiš were mainly mining settlements (later towns). Consequently, until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Spiš had a large German population (see Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans , sometimes simply called Slovak Germans , are a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia...
).
Many smaller settlements were populated by settlers from Poland. In 1412, under the Treaty of Lubowla
Treaty of Lubowla
Treaty of Lubowla of 1412 was a treaty between Władysław II, King of Poland, and Sigismund of Luxemburg, King of Hungary. Negotiated in the town of Stará Ľubovňa in modern Slovakia, it was confirmed later that year in Buda....
13 main cities passed to Poland. Among the cities that for 360 years belonged to Poland, were: Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
, Podolínec
Podolínec
Podolínec is a town in the Stará Ľubovňa District of the Prešov Region in northern Slovakia.-History:Originally Podoliniec belonged to Poland and was part of the Ziema Sądecka land...
, Spišská Sobota , Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
and Spišská Nová Ves. In 1772 all were annexed by Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
as a part of Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
.
In 1868, 21 Spiš settlements sent their demands, the 'Spiš Petition', to the Diet of the Kingdom of Hungary, requesting special status for Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
within the Kingdom.
Spiš after the creation of Czechoslovakia
In 1918 (and confirmed by the Treaty of TrianonTreaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
in 1920), the county became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. A tiny part of the territory (situated in today's Poland below the Rysy
Rysy
Rysy is a mountain in the crest of the High Tatras, lying on the border between Poland and Slovakia. Rysy has three peaks: the middle at ; the north-western at ; and the south-eastern at...
), amounting to 195 km² after an internal border dispute had been confirmed to be part of Galicia (Central Europe) (at that time the western part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
) as early as 1902. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
northern Spiš was united with Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and became the subject of a long-running border dispute between Poland and Czechoslovakia. (See separate article, Czechoslovak-Polish border dispute (1918-1947)). In 1923 Slovak Spiš was divided between the newly formed Sub-Tatra county (Podtatranská župa) and Košice county (Коšická župa). In 1928-1939 and 1945-1948 it was part of the newly created Slovak Land (Slovenská krajina).
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was split temporarily, Spiš was part of independent Slovakia and formed the eastern part of Tatra county (Tatranská župa) between 1940 and 1945. Because the Slovak army took part in German aggression against Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the Polish part of Spiš (together with the Polish part of the county of Orava
Orava (county)
Árva is the Hungarian name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in northern Slovakia and southern Poland...
) was transferred to Slovakia. During this period many thousands of Jewish residents of Spiš were deported to Nazi extermination camps
Extermination camps in the Holocaust
Extermination camps were camps built by Nazi Germany during the Second World War to systematically kill millions by gassing and extreme work under starvation conditions. While there were victims from many groups, Jews were the main targets. This genocide of the Jewish people was the Third...
, and the long-standing presence of Jews in the region came to an end. At the end of World War II, most of the Spiš Germans were evacuated between mid-November 1944 and 21 January 1945 in order to escape the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
approaching from the East (see also Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans , sometimes simply called Slovak Germans , are a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia...
). Their property was confiscated after the war (see Beneš decrees
Beneš decrees
Decrees of the President of the Republic , more commonly known as the Beneš decrees, were a series of laws that were drafted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II and issued by President...
).
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the prewar borders of Spiš were restored with the most of the county belonging to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
again and a small part to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In 1948, it became part of the newly created Košice Region
Košice Region
The Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²...
(Košický kraj ) and Prešov Region
Prešov Region
The Prešov Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 13 districts.-Geography:It is located in north-eastern Slovakia and has an area of 8,975 km². The region has diverse types of landscapes occurring in Slovakia, but mostly highlands and hilly lands dominate the...
(Prešovský kraj), whose borders however were completely different from those of the present-day regions of the same name. From July 1960 it became part of the newly created Eastern Slovak region (Východoslovenský kraj), which ceased to exist in September 1990.
In 1993, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was split and Spiš became part of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
Nationalities
According to censuses carried out in the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
in 1869 (and later in 1900 and 1910) the population of Szepes county comprised the following nationalities: Slovaks 50.4%, (58.2%, 58%), Germans 35% (25%, 25%), Ruthenians/Ukrainians 13.8% (8.4%, 8%) and 0.7% (6%, 6%) Magyars (Hungarians).
The current ethnic composition of the region, however, is much different. As mentioned above, virtually all the local Jews were deported to extermination camps during World War II.
Present-day Spiš has a number of Roma settlements and Roma are a substantial minority there.
The history of Slovakization
Slovakization
Slovakization or Slovakisation is a term used to describe a cultural change in which ethnically non-Slovak people are made to become Slovak. The process can be named as 'accelerated assimilation'....
of Gorals is given in more detail at Szepes county.
There is also a distinctive minority of 40-48 thousand Gorals
Gorals
The Gorale are a group of indigenous people found along southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic...
(Slovak: Gorali; literally Highlanders). Although a negligible number in census terms, the Gorals have their own distinctive culture and dialect (of polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, as the Gorals are ethnically Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
).
Economy
Historically, economic activity in the region has been based principally on agriculture and forestry (formerly mining, too), which explains why Spiš belongs to the relatively poor regions of Slovakia. Yet tourism has been helping substantially the local economy since the late 19th century with sanatoriaSanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
and winter sports resorts built in the High Tatras
High Tatras
High Tatras or High Tatra are a mountain range on the borders between Slovakia and Poland. They are a part of the Tatra Mountains...
and the Low Tatras, the areas of natural beauty such as the Slovak Paradise
Slovak Paradise
Slovak Paradise is a mountain range in central Slovakia. It is a part of the Spiš-Gemer Karst, which in turn is a part of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains, a major subdivision of the Western Carpathians....
(Slovenský raj) in the south-west and the Pieniny
Pieniny
Pieniny is a mountain range in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia.The Pieniny mountain range is divided into three parts – Pieniny Spiskie and Pieniny Właściwe in Poland; and, Malé Pieniny in Slovakia. The Pieniny mountains consist mainly of the limestone and dolomite rock strata...
National Park at the Slovak-Polish border, and also the region's many historical sites like Spiš Castle
Spiš Castle
The ruins of Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš...
and nearby-located Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie is a town in Spiš in the Prešov Region of Slovakia. Its population is 3,826.Spišské Podhradie is situated at the foot of the hill of Spiš Castle. It had a Zipser German settlement, with its own church and priest, in 1174...
, Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula, is an exceptionally well-preserved ecclesiastical town on the outskirts of Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia, and overlooking Spiš Castle. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments.-Town and history:The town consists of St....
, Žehra
Žehra
For a list of people and places with the name Zehra or its variants, see Zehra Žehra is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:...
and the town of Levoča
Levoca
Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
(all of which are listed by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as World Heritage Sites), Kežmarok
Kežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
, and Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
Castle. The tourism industry has developed rapidly in Spiš, aided by the introduction of regular flights to Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
Airport and improving rail and road connections.
Spiš today
Spiš today is one of Slovakia's 21 tourist regions. It no longer however represents, as did its predecessor, an administrative region.Since 1996, Spiš has been divided between the modern Košice Region
Košice Region
The Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²...
and Prešov Region
Prešov Region
The Prešov Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 13 districts.-Geography:It is located in north-eastern Slovakia and has an area of 8,975 km². The region has diverse types of landscapes occurring in Slovakia, but mostly highlands and hilly lands dominate the...
and is covered approximately by the following six administrative districts: Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
, Kežmarok
Kežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
, Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
, Spišská Nová Ves, Levoča
Levoca
Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
and Gelnica
Gelnica
Gelnica is a town in the Košice Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,171.-Geography:It is located in the northern part of the Slovak Ore Mountains, in the Hnilec river valley, which flows few kilometres downstream into Hornád...
, except for the eastern half of the Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
District and three villages of the Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
district (Štrba
Štrba
Štrba is a village in the Poprad District, Prešov Region, northern Slovakia. It is situated in the Sub-Tatra Basin, which separates the High Tatras and Low Tatras at the European continental divide between the Baltic and the Black Sea. It is approximately 16 km west of the city of...
including Tatranská Štrba, Štrbské Pleso
Štrbské Pleso
Štrbské Pleso with its large glacial mountain lake is a favorite ski, tourist, and health resort in the High Tatras, Slovakia. With extensive parking facilities and a stop on the Tatra trolley and rack railway, it is a starting point for a host of popular hikes including to Kriváň and...
and Liptovská Teplička
Liptovská Teplicka
Liptovská Teplička is a large village and municipality in Poprad District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-History:In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1634....
from Liptov
Liptov
Liptó is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in northern Slovakia.-Geography:...
county.)
The present population of the Spiš region is about 320,000; almost half the population lives in towns, the largest of which are Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
(55,000), Spišská Nová Ves (39,000) and Kežmarok
Kežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
(17,000).